Cassandra’s Nomination: “From the very first time I met Cassandra, I was struck by her obvious passion for her work and her natural teaching and mentoring ability. She is passionate about animals and compassionate to humans. I love her energy and she stays balanced even in the toughest situations. She never hesitates to do the right thing, even though it is not always the easy thing. We’re so lucky to have her!”

How long have you worked at the Sacramento SPCA? 

3 years in April.

Tell us about your current role in the organization, why did it call to you, and what are some things you hope to accomplish?

I am currently one of the Animal Care Supervisors. This position called to me because I wanted to work hands-on with the animals again. I was an adoptions counselor for over a year and even though I enjoyed counseling the public and finding animals their forever homes, it was always in my gut that I wanted to be directly helping the animals. As a supervisor, I hope to maintain and advance the fantastic care that this department offers to the animals and be a good example/teacher to my fellow coworkers.

What do you love most about helping animals?

I enjoy everything about helping the animals but one particular thing is when an animal makes it over to the adoption floor and they recognize you as that “nice lady who took care of me”.  For example when I am cutting across the parking lot and a volunteer is walking a dog and said dog drags volunteer over to me because they want to visit with me always makes me feel good inside. 

What type of hobbies do you enjoy outside of the Sacramento SPCA?

I enjoy camping, hanging out with my personal animals, and I recently started kickboxing/boxing.  

If you could choose to be any breed of dog, cat or other companion animals, what would you choose to be and why?

I’m definitely a cat. Specifically a calico/tortie. I think most people know what that entails in the sense of personality. LOL. Oh, and I like to nap a lot. You can most definitely catch me on my breaks taking a cat nap. 

What animals are currently in your personal life?

I have three dogs (Rita my American Staffordshire, Emilio my chihuahua, and Oscar my Italian greyhound mix), 5 cats (yes, crazy cat lady, lol), a pot belly pig named Vinny (@vinny.the.piggy), two bunnies, and some chickens. My friends and family call my house “The Ranch”.

Who is your favorite animal currently available for adoption and why?

His name is Mr. Rogers and he is this huge love bug of a cat. He loves to give you hugs and whenever I get a free moment I will go and cradle him in my arms while he snuggles into my neck. He has put a smile on multiple staff members here and awesome cats like him, that we get to help out, are a bright spot for me in what can be a dreary job field. He was brought in as a stray and wasn’t overly friendly like he is now but we were able to provide him a safe place with necessities and give him the little bit of time he needed to come around.