Hi! I’m Barbara. I am a confirmed sucker for animals. My parents loved animals and
passed that along to me. We always had dogs as I grew up and they were a part of the
family.
I always dreamed of helping animals when I grew up. Raised in NJ, with an AA degree in
liberal arts from a Bible College, I had no idea what I wanted to do “when I grew up”. But
the idea of working with animals was always in the back of my mind. I moved to Va.
when I married my wonderful (and tolerant) husband, Larry. He encouraged me to apply
to all the animal hospitals in the area. I eventually ended up working with a great
veterinarian who was willing to train me to be a veterinary assistant/tech.
That was in 1978. Fast forward to today: God has blessed me with a fantastic marriage,
a life enriched by a bunch of rescued canines over the years, and a career at the same
veterinary practice for 35 years. In 2015 I decided to retire at the end of the year. After a
few months of not working I realized I missed working with animals. That’s how I came to
be a part of CVRR. I have been so impressed with the volunteers in this group and how
much they accomplish. I really admire the practice of adopting pets out of foster homes.
It is a wonderful way to socialize and train the animals for their forever homes.
My other interests/hobbies include playing music (at church and in a small local
ensemble), plants (especially African violets), helping my husband with his non-profit work
doing premarital prep and relationship coaching, and traveling with my husband in our
camper, which of course enables to take our dogs with us.
I am thankful for the opportunity to do animal rescue with the dedicated volunteers of
CVRR and am honored to serve with them as a board member. I look forward seeing the
positive impact of this organization on the animals and their adopters in this community.
