Volunteer Spotlight: Ericka Bueno

Profession: Scientist

Current Pets: Crystal, HBO star and foster sister extraordinaire

How long have you been a volunteer? 8 months

How were you introduced to PAWS? I was browsing through Petfinder looking to adopt a dog and ran into Crystal, a PAWS dog. I was very impressed with the adoption process and had the opportunity to learn about PAWS work firsthand by participating in the HBO shooting of Crystal’s adoption. The experience was so life-changing that I decided to give Crystal a job: she is now a full time foster sister for other PAWS pups.

What do you do as a volunteer? Mostly, I am a foster mom. I have been dubbed the “shy black dog specialist”. By a series of coincidences my first three fosters were very shy black or shepherd mixes. While I would like to take all the credit for these pups’ amazing transformation, the truth is that Crystal did most of the job. Dogs watch and learn. Repetition (routine), food, safety, love and a soft, warm spot to lie on is all these pups need while they are being fostered. I also sometimes do home visits and attend PAWS events.

Favorite Volunteer Moment: My 8 months as a PAWS volunteer have all been favorite months. But if I have to pick ONE moment, I would have to say that it was when my foster dog, a beautiful but very shy female lab mix