Samantha Wolfe came to Manatee County Animal Services last summer after a nationwide search for a volunteer coordinator.
Talk to any animal advocate. She’s a godsend.
Filled with enthusiasm, Wolfe is a pet lover and a certified vet assistant. She lives in St. Petersburg and originally hales from West Bloomfield, Michigan.
“Before Sam, we had no volunteer coordinator,” said Lisa Williams, founder of Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue, which regularly takes the most medically challenged shelter animals.
Wolfe splits her week between the Palmetto shelter, 305 25th St. W., and the MCAS cat adoption center, Meowtown, 1002 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton — opened in efforts in January.
“I can’t say enough good things about her,” Williams added, noting she answers MCAS policy questions and sends a regular newsletter to the county’s 40-plus rescue groups.
She oversees hundreds of dog walkers, cat volunteers and animal trainers — all wanting to donate time to the shelter animals. Wolfe also takes shelter animals to Petsmart for adoption events.
Wolfe posts Facebook news and charming videos about adoptable pets.
“She’s a millennial — a young person working on her master’s,” said interim director Bill Hutchison.
“Sam has an effervescent personality. She doesn’t take no for an answer. What she lacks in experience she makes up in enthusiasm. She’s as dedicated as they come.”
Adoption counseling was her big push Feb. 17.
She told prospective adoptive parents, “You can walk into the kennels and look around, or you can come to us for adoption counseling.”
MCAS specialists familiar with the pets look to create matches with forever families, she explained.
A woman was almost certain she wanted to adopt the dog Wesley Feb. 17, but was concerned about how he’d fit at home. Wolfe suggested a “one-on-one,” an arrangement allowing prospective owners to try a pet for a day.
Wolfe is planning a volunteer foster program.
She’s also hoping to develop community outreach programs with events at G.T. Bray Park and on college campuses, such as the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota.
Trying to get ahead of crowded conditions, Wolfe is offering reduced adoption prices in a “March Matchmaking” event.
“I don’t want to be full. So I’d like to get a big push against it. We’re always overflowing,” Wolfe added.
With all due respect Ms. Morningstar, what does your comment have to do with this article about Sam Wolfe? If I recall correctly, you were one of the people at a BOCC meeting that was worried about phasing Ms. Wolfe out of a job.