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Our 2002 Pathfinder
of the Year is Wendy Vogt. Wendy's unwavering dedication to her family
and to the abandoned, abused and lost animals of Cherokee County were
some of the reasons her friends and admirers nominated her as the Pathfinder
of the Year.
Wendy and three other Animal Shelter volunteers
formed a committee whose main object was to see that stray or abandoned
animals had some place to go rather than be euthanized. Staff at the Cherokee
County Animal Shelter have benefited from this committee. "We at Cherokee
County Animal Shelter have experienced Wendy's kindness first hand. She
works behind the scenes aiding us in placing special need animals. We
get hundreds of animals out of the shelter due to her each year. She puts
countless hours of her time into this process. She saves us time by performing
these tasks, so we can concentrate on the shelter animal's welfare," says
Telema Green, Cherokee County Animal Shelter staff.
Wendy has available 12 homes that she can
contact in the event the shelter calls about an animal scheduled to be
euthanized. During 2001, there were 757 animals that would have been euthanized
had they not been removed from the shelter to foster homes or placed with
rescue groups. Several other counties in the metro area are calling the
Shelter to find out about the process that is used to help reduce the
number of animals being euthanized here in Cherokee County. The main reason
is Wendy and her dedication to helping the animals.
Wendy also receives calls from individuals
who have heard that she can help when they find a stray animal in their
neighborhood. The foster homes have been screened and approved to handle
the animals Wendy places, some who cannot be sent to the shelter because
of how they react to being in a shelter. People who want to adopt an animal
from the shelter must go through a series of questions to qualify for
the adoption. Wendy tries to find out why an animal is being removed from
its home. Sometimes it is just a matter of a pet needing training or obedience
classes. She has made contacts with obedience trainers who can help people
with their pets rather than give them up. It may not be that the animal
is aggressive, only in need of some training. Wendy says, "I help the
pets because they cannot help themselves and they cannot tell you how
they feel."
Wendy and her husband, Don, have lived in
Eagle Watch since 1990, after moving here from California. They have one
daughter, Irina. "Irina is the driving force behind the rescue committee;
she really relates to abandoned animals," says Wendy. Irina, who the Vogt's
adopted from Siberia, loves all the animals and always asks if pets she
has seen have been adopted. We have taught Irina the value of volunteering
and assisting others less fortunate. She takes this to heart, especially
since she had no guidance the first 3½ years of her life. "Kids learn
from generation to generation," says Wendy, "My parents instilled values
in me through church, participation and volunteerism. This continues and
I hope our daughter will continue along these lines."
Wendy is a former music teacher and still
plays the hand bells and is involved with the children's choir at Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church. The Vogts have three dogs and three cats, all
of which were rescued animals.
Irina says, "My Mom is special because of
everything she does for me. She takes me to different places and buys
me ice cream. She helps take care of the animals because they need a home."
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Why Wendy Vogt?
Letters written
by those who nominated Wendy as Pathfinder of the Year are highlighted
below.
- "During 2001, there were 757 animals
that would have been euthanized had they not been removed from the shelter
to foster homes or placed with rescue groups. It can take hours of phone
calls and e-mails each time an animal or group of animals need to be removed.
Wendy works 24 x 7 x 365 for the animals. As a result, Cherokee County's
shelter has the lowest euthanasia rate in the metro area."
- Debbie Marcia
- "Wendy's compassion is found in her
devotion and love for her family. Wendy and Don adopted a little girl
from Russia named Irina. Wendy instantly became a mom and has given all
of her time and effort into making Irina's dreams come true. She has encouraged
her to develop her talents and capabilities in every way."
- The Sutylos,
Eagle Watch
- "... any friend or church member
can call Wendy at any time and ask for assistance with any project including
meals for the ill or for someone who has lost a loved one. She is there!"
- Frances Ellison
- "No one knows
all that this woman has done for the abandoned and neglected animals of
Cherokee County. She is never one to seek out acknowledgement or gratitude
from others. Behind the scenes, Wendy marches on making a difference.
She truly epitomizes the saying, "Be the change you want to see in the
world." The world is a better place because of Wendy. And I will always
be honored for having known her.
- Dr. Melinda Gatch
Owner & President,
The Cat Clinic of Roswell
- "Without dedicated
volunteers like Mrs. Vogt, the Cherokee County Animal Shelter would not
be able to adopt and place the high number of animals we do.
- John P. Bodie
Director, Cherokee
County Animal Shelter
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