At UBT, our guiding principle is that we care about each other, our customers, and our community. We recently hosted a pet adoption event at Capital Humane Society that managed to check all those boxes — or should we say crates? Employees and their families worked together at this feel-good event that matched more than 40 families and individuals with new furry (or feathered!) family members. We asked a few of those UBT volunteers to share some of their highlights.
Favorite moments from volunteers
The anticipation began building early that day. Nikki Davison recalled the line of eager families snaking along the outside of the adoption center before they even opened — including one young man who couldn’t believe he might be going home with a pet of his very own!
Brittany Planos agreed and added that, as poignant as it was to see the enthusiastic adoptive owners ready to find their new best friend, the excitement on the part of the pets to greet a new family was every bit as palpable. “I thought that the event went really well! It was nice to see a variety of people getting new pets, from families with small kids, to couples, to seniors. It was even fun to see families bringing in their dogs for some really waggy meet-and-greets, and for the dogs to be as excited about the new family members as the humans!”
Another little group brought their guinea pig in to find a new crate mate and partner in guinea pig crime! In fact, several new guinea pigs and similar critters found homes that day, as eager children arrived with tiny carriers, all ready to go.
Brittany commented on how supportive other adopters were of each other, recommending pets and cheering each other on. “You should go play with Dorito; he loves kids!” and similar comments could be overheard. (Yes, Dorito was the dog’s name!) Our volunteers told us that food names were huge, particularly snack foods — doggie duo Pizza Roll and Dorito were big hits. Nikki was quite taken, as were adoptive families, with a s’mores-themed trio: Graham Cracker, Hershey Chocolate, and Marshmallow. A sweet, yet spunky cat named Breadstick was also a favorite. Nikki observed that “all of the names were so fun, seemed to match the animals’ personalities, and were such a hit with the families.” Nikki and her daughter Sutton made a new friend in Clarabelle, while Brittany favored a feisty kitten named Lou Ann.
An op-paw-tunity to give back
UBT’s Ryan McConahay and his daughter CeCe appreciated the chance to be a part of the adoption event. “As an animal lover who adopted our dog from the Humane Society a few months prior, it felt like an opportunity to help support a cause I care about, and my daughter was excited to help with her first volunteer event. We made a game of guessing which animal would get adopted next!”
For some would-be pet owners, the costs of adoption fees can be prohibitive. As Matt Madcharo, Executive Director of Capital Humane Society’s Pieloch Pet Adoption Center, pointed out, removing this cost meant more pets were finding homes. As for UBT, we are so grateful to Capital Humane Society for providing the pet-friendly environment, super staff, and so many adoptable pets. We think they deserve a big round of a-paws.
UBT’s Angie Loomer, who volunteered with her daughter Charlotte, summed it up perfectly: “At Union Bank, the community supports us, and we just look for ways that we can give back to them.”
