Sydney Vetter, 14 of Ontario, needed no encouragement to become a volunteer at the Humane Society of Richland County.
Vetter made the decision about three years ago that she wanted to become a volunteer with the Humane Society when she visited the Richland County Fairgrounds for the Humane Society’s Woof Stock (dock diving) event.
“Sydney has always been participating in animal activities and all of our vacations that we take are usually focused around doing something fun with animals,” said Vetter’s father Mike Vetter.
She has always had a deep love for animals.
“I just love being around animals and helping them in any way I can,” said Vetter.
Shortly after Vetter became a volunteer, the Humane Society entered “kitten season.” The Vetter home became a foster home for a litter of kittens that were only three weeks old.
“There were about six or seven kittens that were in the first litter I ever fostered. The kittens were only three weeks old, so I had to bottle feed them every two hours. I had to get up in the middle of the night, too,” said Vetter.
Her father added, “She took care of the kittens all on her own. She had them at her house right next to her,” said Mike Vetter.
Since that first litter, she has fostered at least six litters of kittens. “I have fostered about six or seven litters and there are usually about five or six kittens in each litter. I also have two cats of my own named Max and Domino,” said Vetter.
Sydney Vetter spoke about the last two kittens she fostered, Tiger Lilly and Carmel. “Tiger Lilly got really sick and we thought she was going to pass away. I fed her with a syringe and she could barely walk or move. After a few weeks, she got better so I really saved her life. Carmel had an ulcer in her eye and it had to be removed. We kept Tiger Lilly so she wouldn’t be lonely and her eye didn’t really bother her at all. She still played a lot,” said Vetter.
In addition to fostering kittens, she has fostered dogs, too. One specific foster dog left a enduring memory.
“Almost two years ago I fostered a dog named Bonnie. She was very playful and lovable. She slept with me and she didn’t mind the cats either. Bonnie did get adopted out, but this past year at Strut Your Mutt she was there and she recognized me and ran right up to me,” said Vetter.
She is not the only family member who volunteers at the Humane Society. She and her father both work on Thursdays and occasionally on Saturdays.
“We come every Thursday and sometimes on Saturdays, too. We usually try to pop in when we can,” said Mike Vetter. Mike Vetter is now a board member of the Humane Society and this past year was the organizer of Strut Your Mutt.
Sydney Vetter helps in any way she can with the animals. “I help with adoption events, I walk dogs in parades, and I clean, water, and feed as many dogs and cats that I can get to while I am there,” said Sydney Vetter.
“Sydney is the one who does all the hard work and I walk and play with the animals,” said Mike Vetter.
When Sydney was in sixth grade she was the winner of Kohl’s Cares. “Sydney was the local winner of Kohl’s Cares. This was about two years ago and it recognized the work she had done with volunteering service,” said Mike Vetter.
Mike Vetter described how proud he is of the work his daughter has accomplished. “I am very proud and amazed at how she knows what to do with animals. She is so committed to caring for the animals and just knows how handle them,” said Vetter.
Sydney Vetter shares her volunteer experiences with her friends. “I always talk about this to my friends. They think it’s really cool that I do this and one of my friends actually came in with me to help out,” said Vetter.
As Vetter continues pursuing her passion for animal care, she plans to see where it will take her. “I want to start out as a vet technician and then see what I want to do from there like maybe become a veterinarian,” said Vetter.
“There were about six or seven kittens that were in the first litter I ever fostered. The kittens were only three weeks old, so I had to bottle feed them every two hours. I had to get up in the middle of the night, too,” said Sydney Vetter.
