Ability Beyond
Paws Crossed Animal Rescue has formed a unique partnership with Ability Beyond, an organization that discovers, builds and celebrates the ability in all people! This organization is dedicated to empowering every person, no matter their ability, to have the opportunity to live, work and thrive as an integral part of their community! Here at Paws Crossed, Ability Beyond has become a crucial part to our Cat Volunteer Program. The love, care and attention they give to our cats is irreplaceable!
"The work interns from Ability Beyond love their volunteer experience at Paws Crossed Pet Rescue! We started out having one small group of 2-3 interns working with a job coach once a week in the Cat Socialization Room. We have since added on an additional larger group of 5 as well, so more of our interns could have the opportunity to work closely with the animals.
The socialization works both ways! While it gives the cats the important human interaction they need in order to become adoptable, it also helps our interns feel more comfortable around pets and also appreciated by them. Some of our more quiet and reserved volunteers have “come out of their shells” when they play with the cats. So many of our interns truly care for animals
and feel good that they can help them. Some of our interns even want to find competitive employment working with animals, and their experience at Paws Crossed will help as they move on to become job seekers. This experience is invaluable for them to assess their tolerance and understanding of animals and their needs. We love volunteering at Paws Crossed and hope to include more of our interns in this great program!" - Madlyn Inserra, Ability Beyond - Day & Work Services Vocational Specialist