Case Managers are a huge need for Rescues like us. Our Case Managers are essential to making sure that our foster families feel supported and appreciated.

As a Case Manager, you would have a Roster of Fosters that you would build a relationship with to support them in whatever they may need to be successful. You’d show an empathetic ear, relay important information, work to problem solve and address concerns.

One of our long-time Case Managers is Rebecca. Here is a little interview with Rebecca to get a feel for the position. If you think that being a Case Manager might be the right volunteer role for you, sign up Here.

A young little labrador pittie mix foster puppy named Thumper with dark brown white fur big nose pointy ears and red pet collar sitting on a human soft couch sofa on wooden plank floor looking at human volunteer with camera — He needs your help, would you adopt him? (Path of Hope Facebook)

Why did you initially sign up to become a Case Manager?

I started volunteering on the intake team and wanted to do a little more with the rescue. Caitlin did a live on FB about the new role of Case Manager, and I thought, that's right up my alley!

I work as a physical therapist, and I have acted as case manager for patients and clients throughout the years in various settings, and I've always liked that part of my job.

Case managers get to coordinate all aspects of the case and really get to see the whole picture and take care of the client (or puppy in this case) in a holistic manner, taking everything into account.

How much time per day do you spend fulfilling your Case Manager duties?

This really varies and it is probably about 30-45 minutes on average? Some days nothing and some days much more! It depends on how close to intake we are.

A cute little foster mix bulldog puppy named Wazzup with white fur brown nose pink ears sitting on a human sofa couch with pillow looking up at animal rescuer in his home with camera — If you have the time and space, why not give fostering a try? (Path of Hope Facebook)

What are some specific things you deal with as a Case Manager?

Besides checking up on your fosters and getting to know them and the dogs...it basically boils down to placements, medical, behavior, supplies, transport, spay/neuter, and vaccines, and then we'll add in events pretty soon I hope!

We have a shared google drive where lots of resources are kept, so if you're not sure about what to do for resource guarding, for example, just look it up in the shared drive!

We also have separate behavior and medical teams where you can go to get answers to your questions. We all have FB messenger groups set up for our fosters where we try to do all of our communication.

So for example, one of my fosters needed help getting her foster pup to the spay/neuter clinic and she posted that in the group chat. Before I could even ask the transport team for a volunteer, another one of my fosters volunteered to help her out! So the group chat makes things pretty easy.

What do you like most about being a Case Manager?

I like interacting with my fosters and hearing about and seeing pictures of all the pups blossoming into well-loved pets that find their furever homes. And yes, I like helping people! I'm one of those people that like to be part of something bigger than myself, and we all need to help each other out on this earth, right?

Little cute foster puppy called Sammy with black dark brown fur big nose and floppy ears sitting on white orange blanket gray color couch looking up at human volunteer with camera — By joining our foster team, you get to hang out with cute puppies everyday! (Path of Hope Facebook)

What do you like the least about being a Case Manager?

I do not like the puzzle of placing pups with fosters, it stresses me out!

What would you say to someone that is considering volunteering with Path of Hope Rescue?

Get off yer bum and do it! 80% of life is just showing up! The rest will take care of itself if you are just willing. You will grow in so many ways and learn so much, besides you get to cuddle puppies!

How long have you been a Case Manager for Path of Hope Rescue?

I have no idea how long I've been a case manager! Time flies when you're having fun. I was one of the first, so whenever they started the program, that was me!

A little foster puppy named Wanda with black dark brown and white fur and red pet collar sitting on wooden plank floor next to cage with a brown dog and bed waiting to be adopted — Can you believe Wanda is still looking for her forever home? (Path of Hope Facebook)

How many current fosters are on your roster?

I had to look that up, I have a lot right now. 13! 5 are long term, 4 short term, 1 seasonal, and 3 are currently on break. We have a great online program called AirTable that helps us keep track of everything.

What are some perks of the job?

Of course knowing where all the puppies are so you can go get cuddles and pets...and you get to hear about all the pups before intake...you get to hear who needs a foster and can volunteer first.

If you had to do it all over again, would you?

YES!!

Who in the Rescue inspires you?

Chentel inspires me to not give up, she is a powerhouse all by herself.

Angela C inspires me to just go for it and take care of things right away!

Caitlin inspires me to be brave and tackle those behaviors.

Remi inspires me to learn more about veterinary care/anatomy.

Karen T inspires me just because she is so awesome! I could go on and on...

A cute little foster puppy named Dean with white fur pink nose and floppy ears lying on soft orange blanket and gray couch sofa comfortably looking forward at human rescuer with camera — Fostering is both rewarding and inspiring (Path of Hope Facebook)

If you could have foster failed, who would it have been?

It would have been with Topeka! I still miss her.

Case Managers like Rebecca are a huge part of the inner workings of this Rescue. If you are a good communicator that wants to help support our fosters and our rescue dogs, sign up to volunteer today. If being a Case Manager doesn’t feel like the right fit for you, we have so many other volunteer opportunities available. Sign up to volunteer here at www.pathofhoperescue.com/volunteer.

Why do we rescue dogs from Texas specifically? We have this page detailing how bad the situation truly is.

Our dogs and puppies are open to long distance adoption too. You could apply over here.

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