{"id":7071756,"date":"2026-10-01T19:30:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T19:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7071756"},"modified":"2026-10-01T19:30:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T19:30:19","slug":"june-volunteer-of-the-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7071756","title":{"rendered":"June Volunteer of the Month"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nCongratulations to Maria and Rob Hersey on
\nbeing our June Volunteers of the Month! Read their story below about how they
\nbecame puppy sitters. Thank you, Rob and Maria, for helping dogs change lives!\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nGuest post by Maria Hersey, volunteer with
\nSusquehanna Service Dogs<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/div>\n

Rob and I began
\nvolunteering as puppy sitters in May 2016. Fortunately, I keep notes on all the
\ndogs we sit for and realized that within that time, we have had the honor and
\npleasure of sitting for forty-three dogs. Ten of those dogs have stayed with us
\nmultiple times: Andie Joy, Wes, Dustin, Chickadee, Jackie, Cassiopeia, Prague,
\nCha Cha , Nellie, and Sergeant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/a><\/a><\/div>\n
\nInitially, we
\nbegan sitting on weekends for dogs in Advanced Training. As the years
\nprogressed, we began to care for dogs requiring a longer sitting period due to
\nunique situations or breeding schedules. When you spend many weeks caring for a
\ndog, you have the satisfaction of developing a relationship with them and that
\narrangement is beneficial, not only for the dog but also for both us. Some of
\nthe circumstances which resulted in long-term sitting involved discharged dogs
\nawaiting a final disposition, dogs with upcoming adoptions, a dog needing to
\nlose weight, and breeding dogs who need a home situation prior to mating.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/a><\/div>\n
\nTime and again, we
\nare asked \u201cHow can you give up these dogs?\u201d Our answer: \u201cThere is always
\nanother wonderful dog needing us to sit so we rarely feel sad.\u201d There is such
\nvariety to our assignments. We have sat for one or two days or up to six weeks.
\nIt just depends on SSD\u2019s needs and what is going on with our schedule. <\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nAdmittedly, we hold a special place in our
\nhearts for dogs who spend an extended period of time with us:\u00a0 <\/span>Bailey (a sweetheart), Andie Joy (happy
\ngirl), Jackie (what a scamp), Cha Cha (full of energy), Mikey (a teddy bear),
\nand Sergeant (incredible athlete). We were sad when they left but as we said,
\nthere is always another special puppy ready to join us for a new adventure.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nFive years ago, we
\nlost our beloved Annabelle, a rescued black lab\/golden mix.\u00a0 <\/span>Since we are retired and in our 70s, we did
\nnot want to take on the responsibility of rescuing another dog. Nor did we want
\nto burden our children should we not be able to care for a dog. However,
\nthroughout 51 years of marriage we have always had a rescue and now we felt
\nlost without a canine companion. We also enjoy an active lifestyle of walking
\nand hiking and both activities are so much more much fun when we can share them
\nwith a dog.<\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nSitting for SSD<\/stockticker> was the perfect situation for our current
\nlifestyle. We have our freedom but also have ample opportunities to get our
\n\u201cdoggie fix.\u201d Also what is not to like about SSD<\/stockticker>
\ndogs! They are well-bred, beautifully behaved, and can accompany us to all the
\nplaces we like to visit. Our dogs join us in daily exercise classes, join us
\nwhile we volunteer at the public library and go on daily visits to the Mohler
\nSenior Center. It is such a pleasure to walk into these places, especially with
\na SSD<\/stockticker> dog, because we are greeted
\nwith such delight and joy by all.\u00a0 <\/span>At the
\nsenior center, Rob and I discovered that our \u201csupposed\u201d popularity is in
\ndirection proportion to the dogs we share with the members. <\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nWe have truly
\nenjoyed working with the staff and other volunteers at SSD<\/stockticker>.
\nThis is a community of devoted dog lovers who are so dedicated to the mission of
\nsharing these beautiful animals with those in need. No matter what your age or
\nwho you are, if you are involved with caring for SSD<\/stockticker>
\ndogs you are completely accepted as part of this greater service dog family.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to Maria and Rob Hersey on being our June Volunteers of the Month! Read their story below about how they became puppy sitters. Thank you, Rob and Maria, for helping dogs change lives!\u00a0 Guest post by Maria Hersey, volunteer with Susquehanna Service Dogs Rob and I began volunteering as puppy sitters in May 2016. 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