The 2023 PAWS Volunteer of the Year is, Ali Schwartz!
Nominations are accepted annually through the end of June. A review team, composed of 1-2 members of the PAWS Board of Directors, the PAWS Operations Team, and the Executive Director, considers all candidates and collectively selects the winner from all of the nominations submitted.
To be eligible for consideration for the Dave Abler Volunteer of the Year Award, the nominee must be a current, active volunteer with PAWS, have a significant depth of involvement with PAWS on a daily basis, and/or spearheaded an effort that was invaluable to the organization, has volunteered with PAWS for 5 or more years and exemplifies the PAWS core values of compassion, generosity, open communication, and responsible practices in their volunteer work
The Volunteer of the Year is awarded a brick in the PAWS Memorial Patio with their name and year of award, a senior dog and senior cat will have a Guardian Angel awarded in the winner’s name and they are featured on the PAWS website and in upcoming social media and email newsletters.
Her nominator said: "Anyone who has interacted with Ali can tell how much she loves the dogs and how committed she is to PAWS. What sets her apart from other great volunteers is her dedication to each individual dog. With so many dogs that PAWS takes in every year, it's easy to give up on the more challenging cases or overlook the easygoing dogs. Ali sees the best in each dog and approaches the worst in a very compassionate, knowledgeable, and positive way. "Talk to Ali about it" is a phrase often heard at PAWS. She is available to help when someone is having a hard time and meets with pet partners to explain the rationale behind handling protocols. Ali goes a long way in making PAWS a happy and safe place for dogs and humans alike."
Congratulations, Ali! The dogs and everyone at PAWS are grateful to you for your dedication and hard work.