CRAN News
March 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Hannah Esquenazi, CRAN’s March 2025 volunteer of the month!
Hannah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. Hannah has been a valued volunteer at the PetSmart Cattery as well as an adoption finalizer.
Rachele R nominated Hannah and in her nomination said:
“Hannah E is a long-term volunteer at the PetSmart cattery on 29th & Willamette where she’s become known as the Cat Whisperer. Hannah can take the shyest kitty and have them purring and rubbing up against her. She freely offers tips to our other socializers to help them understand the quirks of each of our cats.
Hannah manages to consistently volunteer even though she has a full time job. Besides volunteering in the cattery, she also volunteers as a finalizer. After an adopter is approved for a particular cat, the finalizer meets with them, completes the adoption paperwork & hands over their new family member. Finalizers also take the photos of the smiling adopters & cats.
Hannah has finalized adoptions for over two years and she always has great advice for adopters. Hannah’s warmth and her love for cats is obvious to all who meet her.”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started, Hannah said:
“I have been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. I was drawn to CRAN because I was looking for a charity to volunteer with that catered to animals, and as a cat owner and lover I loved what CRAN did and does for their hundreds of rescues and the model of having them in foster versus a facility with cages. I 100% believe a majority of the success of CRAN and the cats goes to them being socialized in foster homes.
What I love most about volunteering with CRAN is that I get to meet so many incredible kitties and help find their perfect homes. When I started I wanted to take them all with me, and now I just want them all to go to good homes with families that will love and cherish them.”
Thank you Hannah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
February 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Sarah Tuttle, CRAN’s February 2025 volunteer of the month!
Sarah has been volunteering with CRAN since 2019. She is a great addition to the TLC team and helps with transporting cats when needed.
Marci S nominated Sarah and in her nomination said:
“Sarah T has been a long time Volunteer at TLC. She has an amazing attitude and is always ready to help. She has been a very loyal, consistent, reliable volunteer. One who steps up to volunteer for extra when help is needed. She has bonded with many cats at TLC and has become an advocate for Sasha, one of our special cats. She has also volunteered to do cat transport and to cover other shifts when needed. She is amazing.”
When asked what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started Sarah said:
“I originally started volunteering in 2019 because of my love for animals. I wanted to be able to make a difference, while showing shelter cats a love that they may not have experienced.
I love being able to connect with cats. I love learning each of their personalities and earning their trust. I love bonding with them, including those that may be more difficult. Sasha is no exception. A difficult kitty indeed, that with time, and patience, grew into a loving relationship. All cats deserve that love. And I find joy in knowing I can love them, even if for only a short time.”
Thank you Sarah for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
January 2025 Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to Chris Blum, CRAN’s January 2025 volunteer of the month!
Chris has been volunteering with CRAN since 2020, starting out as a foster and is currently volunteering on the marketing team.
Lyllian B nominated Chris and in her nomination said:
“Chris Blum works with the marketing team promoting cats. She has been an awesome volunteer and has helped so much. She quickly learned the process and recently learned the Meta Business Suite when our old software was no longer working effectively. She manages to post cats at least every other day without fail. Getting these cats posted and scheduled is a lot of work. She even checked with me and scheduled cats ahead when she was going on an international trip over Christmas! When we’ve had special requests, she responds right away. She has even been willing to post items outside of her scope of work when asked. I appreciate Chris so much and all the effort she puts into helping to get CRAN cats promoted and adopted.”
When I asked Chris what she liked about volunteering with CRAN and how she got started she said:
“I began my journey with CRAN in April 2020, shortly after the loss of our beloved cat, Bugz. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we weren’t quite ready to adopt another cat, but the thought of a cat-less home was unbearable. That’s when I discovered the opportunity to foster cats with CRAN, and it seemed like the perfect solution. Over time, we fostered several pregnant cats, and the experience was incredibly rewarding. Not only did the kittens get to grow up in a home with two young boys and a dog, preparing them for any environment, but we also got to shower them with love and affection. Eventually, we adopted four of the kittens from one of the litters, and they have become cherished members of our family. After a year of fostering, I decided to shift my focus to helping CRAN with their social media efforts.
Volunteering with CRAN has been a fulfilling experience, and I’ve been inspired by the dedication of the organization and the positive impact that volunteering has on mental health. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to find a cause they’re passionate about and dedicate a few hours a week to making a difference.”
Thank you Chris for all your hard work making CRAN the best rescue it can be!
Volunteer of the Month – June 2023
Congratulations to Sydney Brisco, CRAN’s June Volunteer of the Month!
Sydney has been volunteering with CRAN since February 2021. She has fostered litters of squiggly little kittens, and recently, has started volunteering as part of the CRAN adoption team!
From Sydney:
“I came to CRAN originally as an adopter. I adopted my kitty Ronin (Versace) from CRAN way back when the medical facility was somebody’s outdoor shed. He had to go through ringworm treatment but he’s been the sweetest cat we’ve ever had and we appreciate every moment CRAN gave us with him. Later, I started volunteering when somebody posted on the CRAN Facebook page that if CRAN didn’t take their cat, he was going to just let her out. So I told him I would come get the cat and accidentally became a CRAN foster. The rest is history.
My favorite part of volunteering with CRAN is getting cats to their best homes and best lives. I love the happy endings. I still get updates on some of my fosters and I love the adoption photos from my counselor work. To see a family that is so happy to have their new kitty and a kitty that knows it’s found a safe and loving home is something that can’t be matched by any other experience.”
The picture is me and our foster failure Anthracite–Annie now 🙂 She knew from the moment I brought her home that she wasn’t leaving. It just took us a little while to figure it out!”
Thank you Sydney for all your hard work to help CRAN and the cats!
Volunteer of the Month – April 2023
Congratulations to Ryan York, CRAN’s Volunteer of the Month for April.
Ryan has been a steady volunteer presence in the cattery at Petsmart North since the world started re-emerging from COVID shutdowns. He is a regular in the cattery, checking on the CRAN kitties, ensuring they have food, water and attention. Ryan also trains new cattery volunteers.
From Ryan:
“What I enjoy:
I particularly enjoy the bittersweet moments when a cat goes home from our cattery – that mixture of sad farewell, relief that they found someone who cares, and excitement for their new life – and the dawning disappointment that I have to deep clean a cage *wry grin* Deliciously conflicting feelings.
What brought me to CRAN:
Especially after COVID we ALL wanted OUT!! Coupled with many years of stay-at-home parenting, and my partner’s mention of a cat rescue looking for volunteers, I was more than grateful for the opportunity to leave the house to PLAY WITH CATS!!”
From all of us, thank you so much for all you do for CRAN and the cats!
Volunteer of the Month – May 2023
Kat Swanson – Volunteer of the Month May 2023
Kat originally started volunteering for CRAN in 2017, on the medical crew, as a data entry volunteer, and as a cat behavior consultant. In the past year or so, she has taken on fostering and socializing some of CRAN’s shy or undersocialized kitties. Kat has a real heart for what a cat or kitten needs, providing kindness and empathy to her foster kitties.
From Kat: “I started volunteering with West Coast Dog & Cat (now CRAN) as a cattery socializer at PetSmart North & Petco because I had been able to reduce my work schedule and wanted to give back to the community through my love of cats. I’m not sure if that was before 2017, but it might have been. Later I did medical data entry for a hot second (it wasn’t for me), and offered cat behavior consulting support as part of my internship for my Advanced Feline Training & Behavior Specialist certification through Animal Behavior Institute.
I took a break from volunteering during the pandemic, but started fostering in March of 2022 and it had been the right fit; I have a special affinity with shy cats that need more immersive & specialized support, and fostering allows me to use my skills and education in a way where the cat gets the best possible care I can provide. 16 cats have come through our house so far, and it is extremely rewarding (albeit difficult), and a few of them have been longer term guests (6-8 months) who just needed a bit more time.
I love volunteering with CRAN because I feel well supported in my role as a foster of shy cats. I really appreciate that they really listen to me on what I think is best for the cat, and I am often asked to speak with potential adopters for my fosters because I know the cats best and can help suss out a good match.
We adopted our cat, Jadzia (née Olga) from CRAN and were impressed with their focus on matching the right cat with the right family, and I’m happy that hasn’t changed!”
From all of us, thank you so much for all you do for our CRAN kitties, and for being a terrific human being!
Volunteer of the Month – March 2023
Sonya Carlson
Sonya and her family have been CRAN foster parents since the beginning of 2020. They have fostered skittery kittens, sick kittens, and bouncy kittens. When asked what brought her and her family to CRAN, “We were looking to adopt two kitties, when a former foster parent recommended fostering with CRAN first to make sure the kitties were a good fit for our house and kiddo. We initially thought we would just foster until we adopted two kitties, but we loved helping them so much that we kept fostering after we adopted our two and now have three of our own. We have welcomed over 30 fosters into our home over the past three years.” When asked what she enjoys the most, “I enjoy socializing the shy and spicy kitties the most. It can take awhile to win over their affection, but once we do, they typically turn into the biggest cuddle bugs. It is rewarding to see them transform and learn that humans can give them love and affection. Caring for the fur babies is definitely a team effort in our house with all chipping in to take care of our furry guests. Their antics and unique personalities have brought so much joy, silliness and love into our home.”
A huge thank you to Sonya and her family for all they do to for CRAN and the cats!
Volunteer of the Month – February 2023
Edward Arnold has been selected as the February 2023 CRAN Volunteer of the Month!
Edward joined CRAN in April 2021 as a cat care volunteer at TLC. Since that time, he also became a foster parent to CRAN kitties, and then a CRAN adopter. Edward has continued volunteering at TLC, never missing a shift, and provides care and plenty of love for the kitties currently at TLC
From Edward: “Caring for the kitties at TLC is my favorite part of the week. Some of the critters are real characters, and have me rolling on the floor laughing at their antics. I had five kittens climbing up my pant leg at once, last time I was in the ringworm room! I love it when I can make a real emotional connection with our fuzzies.
My previous cat was with me for fourteen years, and I was devastated when I lost him to cancer in August of 2020. My sister suggested volunteering at CRAN, as a way to get my critter fix. Now, I am a pet parent to Spanky and Luna (pictured in the post). It is amazing to me that our rescues also rescue us.”
From all of us, thank you so much for all you do for our CRAN kitties, and for being a terrific human being Edward!
Volunteer of the Month – January 2023
Join us in thanking our amazing Volunteer of the Month for January, Sarah Olson.
Sarah joined CRAN in October 2021 as a cat care volunteer at TLC.
Since that time, she has also became a foster parent to CRAN kitties, and then stepped into the role of TLC Coordinator, which she continued throughout 2022 and into the beginning of 2023.
When asked what she liked about volunteering and why she started, Sarah responded “My favorite thing about working at CRAN is meeting cats that I would never meet otherwise. I started volunteering at CRAN when my husband said I could not get any more cats, and I thought it would be a great way to spend time with more.”
Thank you for all you do for CRAN and to help cats Sarah!
Volunteer of the Month – December 2022
Congratulations to Patti Hansen, our December 2022 Volunteer of the Month!
Patti started volunteering initially doing medical record data entry and then as a cat socializer at Petsmart in 2021. This evolved into taking on the responsibilities of CRAN Cattery Manager at the South Petsmart cattery. Not only is Patti a cattery volunteer and cattery manager, she also finalizes adoption and continues diligently working in the background, helping with CRAN kitty medical records. Patti started volunteering after she retired “I retired at the end of June, 2021 and I knew I wanted to do volunteer work. I have been a passionate cat lover all my life so I did some searching on the Internet for cat organizations and found CRAN. The rest, as they say, is history.” When asked what she most enjoys about her volunteering, Patti replied “Well of course my love of kitties is what initially brought me to CRAN, but I also love that I have met so many wonderful people – other CRAN volunteers, adopters, fosters, PetSmart staff, visitors to the cattery. And I especially appreciate our socializing volunteer team at the PetSmart in south Eugene – they are AWESOME!”
Patti is a dedicated, multitasking volunteer with a love for animals, and a great love and compassion for our CRAN kittens and cats. Thank you for all you do for the cats Patti!
