This week’s Vicksburg Post Volunteer of the Week is Bonnie Hardin, who volunteers at the City of Vicksburg Animal Shelter. The shelter houses unwanted or stray animals while helping them find their forever homes.

How did you hear about the fostering program with the City of Vicksburg Animal Shelter?

I have loved animals all my life. When I was a kid I had animals, so when I had my kids I let them have all the animals they wanted. We lived in the county at that time and they had cats, dogs, chickens, lambs, pigs, birds and guinea pigs. My three kids showed the animals in 4-H. I then moved to town so it was only natural for me to volunteer and foster for the shelter. That’s when (Shelter Director Kacie Lindsey) asked me if I could foster some mama cats for her.

How long have you been volunteering?

I have been volunteering at the shelter for around six years.

What have you learned from volunteering with this organization?

Kacie asked me if I could foster some mama cats for her. I had three of them and we didn’t think that any of the cats were ready to have their kittens that day, but within two hours, after I had one of the moms, she had her kittens. So within five days, I had 13 kittens and three mama cats to foster. Then there were three more babies found somewhere, and they brought them to me. I got one of the mama cats to take them, so here I had a house full of cats and kittens. As they got bigger, I had to come up with ideas to let them have a little bit of freedom. So, I had a bed enclosure for a twin bed and I put it out in the yard and then made a tent out of it.  Then I went and bought another tent, so I had Tent City around my house for cats and kittens. It was so funny watching people drive by and wondering what I was doing. 

What would you tell someone who is thinking about fostering?

Please think about fostering. It gives you so much love that you never knew that you were missing. It’s so easy since everything is supplied for you.   

What is your favorite memory while fostering?

One of my favorite memories of helping the animals in the city is Chico, also known as Burger King. He was the Chihuahua at the Burger King on Halls Ferry Road that everybody was trying to catch. It was during November, December and January when the weather was cold and rainy. I went for three months and fed the Chihuahua Burger King patties three times a day until a friend of mine, Christy, was helping me try to catch him. We finally caught him in a cat box down around the old Vicksburg Evening Post building on North Frontage Road. 

If there is a volunteer who should be featured, please submit their name and contact information to volunteer@vicksburgpost.com.