Gail Burgess spends some quality time with Jonni, a 2-year-old torbie (tortoiseshell tabby mix), at the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston recently.
LEWISTON — Gail Burgess, a longtime volunteer at the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, hasn’t always had a connection with cats.
In fact, she said this week, she was always a dog person.
But that changed when a stray cat found its way into her home in Auburn, and the former preschool teacher became hooked on felines, despite some apprehension from her husband.
A few years later, after retiring from teaching, she got hooked all over again — this time with volunteering at the Humane Society. The cat had since passed away, and Burgess stepped into the shelter looking for another cat. She left with two, but she also left as a new volunteer.
“I thought, ‘I like it here, can I stay?'” she said.
Burgess, 68, has volunteered at the Humane Society since March 2010, making this month her seven-year anniversary. It also makes her one of the most experienced volunteers there.
Sandy Grahl, volunteer coordinator for the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, said volunteers are a vital part of the organization. Burgess, she said, is the epitome of its great base of volunteers. They’re responsible for everything from washing windows to cleaning up animal cages and doing laundry.
In all, the organization has some 130 volunteers, with a dozen or so considered full-time.
“She’s a very experienced volunteer,” Grahl said of Burgess. “The staff can really trust her for good customer service.”
For Burgess, that means cats — mostly. On Friday, she was in her usual quarters, two conjoined areas designated just for cats, with play areas and other features. This time of year is considered slow — there are only 30 to 40 cats in the building. She said during the summer months, there can be closer to 200.
She said a lot of guests come in just to see or play with the animals, as a way of relieving stress. But she also has to line up the right animals. Some cats don’t like being picked up while others are skittish.
Lyncoln, a 4-year-old cat with smoke-gray fur was roaming around. He had been a stray that came in with a bad case of fleas, so he was missing large patches of hair on his legs. Burgess said he’s one of the most personable cats there now but could be passed over because of the hair loss.
The most rewarding part of her volunteer work, she said, is seeing the older and senior cats find families. She said most people come in seeking kittens or the most good-looking cats. She spent time Friday with an adult cat that has feline leukemia, which is contagious to other cats, meaning it has to stay confined at all times.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking,” she said.
During her years at the shelter, mostly volunteering Thursday and Friday afternoons, she has grown attached to the animals. She now has four cats living at home with her, and sometimes fosters cats temporarily.
She said her first cat, which found her by chance, helped her address some personal issues.
“It was almost like it was a therapy cat,” she said.
Grahl said Burgess does a lot of “pre-prep” for adoption — washing and trimming nails along with other cosmetic tasks.
“She’s an all-around great helper in the main cat room,” Grahl said.
“She’s our savior on Thursdays and Fridays,” another employee said.
The Greater Androscoggin Humane Society on Strawberry Avenue in Lewiston has a fluctuating number of cats, dogs and smaller animals, Grahl said.
Burgess said the other volunteers at the shelter are some of the most “selfless” people she’s ever met.
“Most of them have more patience than 10 average people put together,” she said.
When asked how long she intends to volunteer at the shelter, Burgess said, “I plan on staying here as long as I can stand up and walk around.”
Know someone with a deep well of unlimited public spirit? Someone who gives of their time to make their community a better place? Then nominate them for Kudos. Send their name and the place where they do their good deeds to arice@sunjournal.com and we’ll do the rest.
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