Volunteer Spotlight: Lisa

Lisa has been a fixture at pack hikes, training classes, and everything in between for the last few years, and always accepts the fun challenge of whatever dog we pair her with! We talked to Lisa about her experiences with ACPB over the past few years.

How did you first get involved with ACPB?

Prior to living in Los Angeles, I lived in NYC with two of my best friends. In 2006, one of my roommates adopted a pitbull named Koda. We instantly fell in love with his wacky goofiness, and he became a beloved part of the family, like a fourth roommate. Koda had issues (dog aggression, anxiety, fear, etc.) that required a ton of patience, discipline, and training (we went through three dog trainers). During those years, I became much more educated about the breed and dog training methods in general, and the magnitude of abuse and prejudice against them. I came to not only love and respect Koda, but pit bulls in general.

I moved to Los Angeles in November 2014, and soon after, Koda passed away of brain cancer. I was devastated. I felt that helping pitbulls would help both the breed and me. I researched rescue groups, and was extremely impressed with ACPB, and so contacted them and began volunteering.

What do you do as an ACPB volunteer?

I have trained several fosters in ACPB training classes; fostered dogs over weekends; taken dogs on pack hikes to Griffith Park, attended outreach/adoption events; and provided transport, walks, shelter visits, belly rubs, and love.

What is the best /most challenging part of volunteering?

It is incredibly rewarding to make a positive impact, even if small, on the lives of dogs that have been abused and maligned. My current living situation does not allow me to have a dog at this time, so the absolute best part for me is getting to hang out with tons of awesome pitties and bask in their unconditional love and kisses. The most challenging part is knowing that we can’t save them all, and not being able to take them all home with me.

What have your fostering experiences been like? 

Amazing, challenging, and rewarding all at the same time! I have had the opportunity to meet and hang out with so many dogs of different ages, sizes, personalities, and energy levels. Each is unique and I love getting to know each and every one of them. 

What would you say to someone who is on the fence about volunteering?

If you love dogs, do it! Do it even if you only have limited availability; do what you can. It will enrich your life, and the lives of the dogs, in ways you can’t imagine.

What has been your most memorable moment?

Wow, there have really been too many to count. The most memorable times have been spending quality time with the four ACPB fosters that I connected and bonded with on a really deep, existential level. When I do finally adopt my own pittie, my most memorable moment will be bringing him or her home for the first time and letting loose in the back yard!

Thank you, Lisa, for all that you do! Ready to become an Angel City volunteer? Fill out our application today!