30 Nov 2024 Award Winners
Each year, Last Hope recognizes a northern and southern volunteer, as well as a partner, for their outstanding commitment to the rescue. Winners were celebrated at our annual gala for their hard work and dedication to the dogs of LHK9!
Northern Volunteer of the Year: Sinan Isim
This year’s Northern Volunteer of the Year is Sinan Isim. Sinan truly rehabilitates some of our tougher pups with structure and love and we are incredibly lucky to have him. Despite the challenges, we know when Sinan takes a foster, he will make sure they end up ready to go home to the right family and we look forward to seeing his patented happy tails post with his foster in his arms! He also supports new Last Hope fosters as a compassionate mentor full of great advice.
Growing up in Turkey, his parents did not want pets at home so Sinan spent time feeding, petting and playing with the strays on the streets of Istanbul. He joined Last Hope K9 as a foster in January of 2018, following the example of his friends who adopted with Last Hope and admits that he was pretty clueless about dogs when he got his first foster Weslee.
Weslee was a crash course in learning how to live with a dog: he had a strong prey drive, needed to be crate-trained and was a challenge on leash. Wes also ended up biting a smaller dog at a dog park – a scary moment for any foster! Sinan credits his mentor Erin Bascom for supporting him throughout and teaching him many important do’s and don’ts and Sinan fostered Wes through to his furever home.
He enjoys being able to give a true last hope to our misunderstood pups and learn new things about dogs along the way. His most recent foster Jaxtyn was his 25th, longest and most challenging yet. He says they both grew a lot during their time together, thanks to the support of our Training Team. Sinan describes fostering as an addictive interest that he keeps coming back to after every long-timer because being able to meet all the fun, crazy dogs and to form a deep trust with them until they find their human is very alluring and provides a deep sense of purpose to him.
Southern Volunteer of the Year: Amber & Chris Zajac
Amber began her journey in animal rescue in 2014, driven by a deep passion for helping animals in need. Her dedication led her to establish her own rescue, Hauling Tail Rescue, in 2018. In 2019, she formed a significant partnership with Last Hope, allowing her to expand her efforts in the animal rescue community. Despite the demands of running her own rescue and holding a job the requires her to travel three weeks out of every month, Amber has remained actively involved in many aspects of Last Hope K9 Rescue’s operations. She supports our Southern Intake Team by storing supplies and distributing them to other rescue partners, and she even has a dedicated area in her home just for Last Hope supplies!
But where Amber and husband Chris truly shine is their dedication to Last Hope’s mission to help Arkansas animals in need through our annual Service Trip. They never hesitate to ask their large support group of family and friends for help with LHK9 projects, and for the past couple of years, they have tag-teamed on many of the responsibilities, big and small, that ensure each Service Trip is a success. At present, through the on-going construction and finishing of the Carlisle shelter, and along with Kenny Garreau, they continue to visit the site to work on the shelter building, or to simply check on progress and send us pictures and video of the work being done. Amber occasionally works from her car to watch the progress being made at Carlisle, including at groundbreaking day! Amber even drove the dump truck that Chris was able to secure for the Carlisle shelter project.
Their commitment to animal welfare and their ability to balance demanding life responsibilities demonstrates their strong dedication to the cause. For everything they do, we are honored to present Amber and Chris Zajac with Last Hope Rescue’s 2024 Southern Volunteer of the Year Award.
Partner of the Year: Heal Veterinary Clinic
We are thrilled to recognize Heal Veterinary Clinic as our partner of the year for 2024! Heal is a favorite vet for Last Hope fosters and we regularly get requests to book appointments at their clinic. They are a full-service small animal hospital located in the Mount Auburn neighborhood, at the intersection of Cambridge, Belmont, and Watertown, MA. Heal provides comprehensive services including wellness, urgent care, surgery, dentistry, and specialists. Their unique service model includes longer appointments that give clients more time with the doctor, while their specially designed facility and staff trained in gentle animal handling techniques reduce stress for pets.
Heal’s owners have deep roots and experience in the shelter and rescue fields and believe that a comprehensive practice includes providing care for animals still in search of homes. As one of Heal’s rescue partners, Last Hope is very lucky to be a beneficiary of this belief. The Heal team provides exceptional illness and wellness care to many of our dogs, including some of our longer-term more anxious dogs who have been able to receive high quality, comprehensive care thanks to Heal’s design, service model, and patience. We are also grateful for Heal’s long-term partnership and expertise in treating our heartworm-positive dogs. Unfortunately, Arkansas remains in the top five states with the highest incidence of heartworm, a disease that is fatal if not appropriately treated.
Finally, we want to thank Heal’s incredible front desk team and non-profit coordinator. They are responsive, detail-oriented, and kind, and they bring joy to our volunteers on a regular basis. The team’s efficiency streamlines our ability to comply with regulatory requirements, and the Last Hope Medical Team breathes a sigh of relief every time we book an appointment at Heal. It is an honor to work with and recognize Heal Veterinary Clinic as our Partner of the Year for 2024!
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