Volunteer Spotlight
Volunteer Spotlight - Cyndi Tadehara
Cyndi Tadehara is one of many indispensible Pit Crew volunteers. While walking through a Petsmart over a year and a half ago with her rescued pit bull terrier Cedar, Cyndi stumbled upon a No More Homeless Pets in Utah adoption event, and noticed a sweet, yet scared little pit bull terrier named Anya in a crate. There was a sign on the crate that said "I need a foster home."
A year and a half later, Cyndi has fostered six pit bull terriers, and one lab for both NMPHU and the County Pit Crew. Cyndi has been an important fixture of the Pit Crew program since it began last summer. She has been one of our biggest supporters, helping us network the dogs, being one of our most consistent and dedicated foster providers, attending events, trainings, and workshops, and always lending her sense of humor and calm demeanor when we need it the most. Together with her husband Curtis, and Cedar, they have been directly involved in saving many dogs lives and opening their home to pit bulls in need.
Typically, Cyndi allows Cedar to choose her next foster siblings by coming into the shelter to see where the need is and who will fit best into the highly coveted spot. Cedar herself was one of the first County Canine Good Citizen training class graduates, and Cyndi has since taken two of her foster dogs Melindy (now Lucy, living happily in Idaho, and Aurora, also now adopted) through the CGC training, helping them live up to their full potential in their forever homes.
Cyndi has been drawn to helping pit bull type dogs since her first experience with the dogs came when she adopted two beautiful black and white sisters in the mid 90's, one of whom was deaf, and communicated via sign language. She says her favorite part about fostering is not only giving her own dog Cedar canine companionship, but "watching the fosters go from stressed out shelter dogs to calm and ready for permanent forever homes."
Foster homes like the Tadehara's are so important for dogs that have been
in the shelter and those who may have never had consistent patience and training.
Dogs that are in foster homes get a chance to practice their skills with
other animals, children, attending events, and brushing up on their training,
providing invaluable skills that they can carry on into their permanent homes.
Many dogs start to experience kennel stress and given the opportunity in
a calm home, can show a whole other side to their personality.
Cyndi will often juggle her work schedule to help the dogs get adopted and help the staff of Best Friends and the County Pit Crew at important tabling and community events. She is ever patient and willing to talk with potential adopters and give her foster dogs the opportunity to practice their socialization and training at events.
Ever humble, Cyndi says, "I think anyone could have done the same for any of these dogs. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and have a level of commitment that worked." We're not so sure Cyndi, it takes a special person to continue fostering and CGC training shelter pups and preparing them to succeed in their permanent homes.