Big Cat Rescue Volunteers
The most primal, instinctive trait, common to both animal and man, is to leave behind their "mark". We all strive to be remembered, to leave a legacy that insures our immortality. For animals, including most humans, the only known course is to produce offspring. We would all like to be remembered, but most of us just don't know how.
These people have made their mark. They know that the contribution of their time and energy is changing the world and creating a better life for animals and people alike. These are the stories of people who discovered that it's not how much money you make or how popular you are right now that matters, but rather if the world will be considerably changed for the better by your existence. These people have discovered immortality and the peace of mind that is found in giving.
The slideshow only shows our Superheroes (Green Shirts) and Heroes (Yellow Shirts) and staff, but there are also many Heroes in Training (Red Shirts) who are working their way up.
There is no experience on earth like being a
Big Cat Rescue Volunteer!
MEET OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS:
Click HERE to meet the most dedicated people in the animal protection community.
The Staff and Volunteer Committee
SCOTT LOPE
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE
Scott Lope serves as Big Cat Rescue’s Director of Operations and, as such, is responsible for the overall care and well being of the animals along with the day-to-day operations of the sanctuary. Scott began as a volunteer here many years ago. His passion for the animals and his belief in our mission led him to consider leaving his medical career to become full-time Operations Director at Big Cat Rescue. This was a turning point for our organization. Scott’s management skills, military training, animal husbandry and medical background have come together to make Big Cat Rescue a premier sanctuary. Assuring proper nutrition and medical care for all of our animals, seeing to it that habitats are clean and secure, coordinating daily tours, serving as our media spokesperson, managing an ever-changing volunteer force, dealing with public relations, maintaining 42 acres of grounds keeping, handling rescues and regulatory agencies, and tending to the millions of other details it takes to make Big Cat Rescue function so well on a daily basis makes Scott our super hero!
JAMIE VERONICA
PRESIDENT, VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jamie
Veronica is President of Big Cat Rescue, a member of the Board of Directors,
and a Volunteer Committee member. She has served in these capacities
for well over ten years. She spent many years developing sponsorship programs
whose financial success continues to contribute largely toward meeting our
annual budget. Much of her time is also dedicated to orchestrating our
annual fundraising event, the Fur Ball. Also an award-winning photographer,
Jamie is the staff photographer and publishes our quarterly Big Cat Times newspaper,
distributed to over 40,000 readers. Her film documentaries have received
acclaim at national film festivals. She and Brian co-produce our weekly cable
show. Jamie is also responsible for overseeing and handling curriculum
for the sanctuary’s
worldwide Intern Program and leads expeditions into places where maps have
not yet been charted. Jamie
raised and coordinated the successful release of Faith, the Florida bobcat,
that our interns still track on a regular basis. She and our Director of Operations
handle all rescues, regulatory compliance issues, and transfer of animals on
our property.
C
ATHY NEUMANN
VICE PRESIDENT, VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cathy
Neumann serves in many capacities at Big Cat Rescue. In addition to being
our Vice President, she serves as a member of the Board of Directors and the
Volunteer Committee while also assisting our Director of Operations as a Volunteer
Coordinator. Although she holds a full time job in a hospital laboratory, most
nights are spent at the sanctuary feeding the animals while weekends are spent
assisting in coordination of volunteers. Cathy has been instrumental in developing
our training and certification program for new volunteers as well as tracking
compliance. She wrote the model for our Intern Program that continues
to attract applicants worldwide. She also pioneered the operant conditioning
program we use today. On a daily basis, she maintains our on-site hospital,
assists in veterinary care and dispensing of medications. Her contributions
are endless; as is the paperwork she drowns in!
JENNIFER RUSZCZYK
SECRETARY/TREASURER, VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE
Jennifer Ruszczyk is Big Cat Rescue’s Secretary/Treasurer as well as a member of both our Board of Directors and our Volunteer Committee. She also heads up and administers the Operant Conditioning program here at our sanctuary. Though she holds a full time position in the outside, corporate world, she manages to come by before and after work during the week to be sure that all of our volunteers and interns receive their training classes and have the opportunity to participate in Enrichment and Operant Conditioning. She also spends her weekends helping our Director of Operations coordinate the volunteer force.
BRIAN CZARNIK
VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE
Brian
Czarnik serves as a member of our Board of Directors and of our Volunteer
Committee. Brian has an extensive background as a zookeeper
and, most days, he fulfills the never-ending, daily duties of a Senior
Keeper at the sanctuary. However, Brian is multi-talented. His
exceptional photography has been featured in our gift shop and has long
been admired by our visitors. To capitalize on these talents, Brian now
handles filming and videography for the podcasts we feature on our website
and will be co producing our weekly cable T.V. show with Jamie. As
part of our Volunteer Committee, Brian also interviews and screens potential
volunteers and interns.
BETH KAMHI, D.C. & COLLEEN KREMER
EDUCATION DIRECTORS
Colleen
Kremer and Beth Kamhi serve together as co-Education Directors for
our sanctuary. Having spent 23 years as a school psychologist, Colleen
also worked as an instructor and keeper in the outreach dept. of a
nationally accredited zoo. Beth, on the other hand, recently sold her
chiropractic practice with plans of retirement. However, her
business and technology experience along with her Keeper training as
a volunteer at Big Cat Rescue were the perfect blend for our education
department. Colleen and Beth’s combined talents form a very strong
partnership. Together, they are responsible for the development and
coordination of educational programs, including scheduling and daily
supervision of all school and community programs. They also oversee
the daily management and operations of educational programs, equipment
and supply inventories. They have been a winning team in developing,
planning, and teaching our ever-growing Summer Camp program.
BRIDGET BOLGER
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Bridget’s
days are non-stop since she fulfills all of the duties of a Partner
and then doubles as our Administrative Manager. She has had phenomenal
success running and maintaining our E-Bay store online. She oversees
our inventory control, maintains our donor database, handles daily mail
and banking issues, all this while serving as our initial public contact
via phone or email. Bridget coordinates all of our visitors’ requests
and reservations for special tours, feeding tours, Expeditions, etc. She
is on the Fundraising Committee and handles a huge amount of work for
the Fur Ball each year. At night, she serves as our intern housing
manager, too. She wears many hats!
VERNON STAIRS
MASTER BUILDER
Vernon Stairs is our Master Builder and works to design, build and maintain all of the cat-a-tats and facilities. He was a business owner until he retired in 1996 and came to Big Cat Rescue to help build a pond. His feats include construction of a three acre tiger marsh, dueling waterfalls and ponds for the fishing cats, an air conditioned rock mountain for the snow leopards, underground dens, overhead sprinklers and so much more for the comfort of the 200 animals living on Easy Street. He is remembered daily by the animals, staff and guests for his work and will be remembered for many years to come in the lasting improvements he has made to the quality of life for each of the animals.
BARBARA STAIRS
BOOK KEEPER
Barbara Stairs works full time in the founder's real estate business, but still manages to use her impeccable organizational skills to handle the phones, the mail, payroll and the cabin bookings. Everyone who comes here wants to meet the sweet lady they spoke to on the phone and she has made her place in the hearts of all who meet her.
Big Cat Rescue is so thankful to have fine people like these who give up every moment of their free time to help the animals here to be more comfortable. If you ask any one of them though, they will tell you they do it because it makes them feel good to know that they are making a difference. They truly are!!!!!
You might be a BIG CAT RESCUE Volunteer...
If you go to the grocery store and look like you're wearing the meat
department.
While in the meat department, you spend $80 and don't have one thing
in your cart for dinner.
If you've missed work because your baby is sick, and you don't have any
human children.
If you say, "Don't throw that away, it's enrichment!" when
your family takes out the trash.
If you purchase pumpkin pie spice in bulk, but you don't bake.
If you describe tools to the Home Deport guy that even he hasn't heard
of before.
If you try to operant condition your family, but give up because it's
easier to train cats.
If your vehicle has been transport for human, animal, vegetable, and
mineral all in the same day.
If you're ever had to explain to a cop that the syringe in your front
seat is for a Jungle Cat with liver flukes.
If you are walking your dog and have a sudden urge to pick up all the
neighbor's dog poop too.
If you would NEVER use your "BBQ tongs" to touch human food.
If you have asked for grass seed, scrub brushes, BBQ tongs, or new volunteer
shirts as a gift.
If you go to the movie theatre and think of Binturongs.
If when asked, "What did you do last weekend?", you refer them
to the PodCats page of the web site.
Thanks, Jess and Cathy for compiling that Volunteer Profile!
Thanks again to all of you for making Big Cat Rescue the finest big cat sanctuary in the world!
Carole Baskin, Founder
Visit some of our most popular pages here: Tiger Photos Tiger News White Tigers Tiger sound Tiger Info
If you are a current volunteer, and are not on the list, let us know and we will add you. Thanks again to all of you for making Big Cat Rescue the finest big cat sanctuary in the world! Carole Baskin, Founder.