The Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor (APS-FH) is pleased to announce Nikki Ruggiero and The Koehne Family as Volunteers of the Month for July 2024.
Summer of love? More like summer of kittens! Kitten season at the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor (APS-FH) has been absolutely wild, and we would not be getting through it without the help of our dedicated volunteers. This month, we are thrilled to shine the spotlight on Nikki and The Koehne family for their unwavering dedication and incredible contributions.
Nikki Ruggiero
Every Tuesday, APS-FH facilitates a spay and neuter clinic that serves our community and the feral cats of San Juan Island. This time of year, the clinic is overrun with what feels like an endless stream of kittens that need to be spayed or neutered. So far, our biggest clinic day has seen 16 spay/neuter surgeries in just one day! Between trapping and surgeries, we have seen far more kittens born on the island this season than in recent years. Our average spay and neuter count for kittens and in-heat females is about 10 cats a month. This year, we fixed 19 cats in May, 29 in June, and so far in July, we have done 5 with an additional 6 scheduled – and we’re sure more are on their way!
With such a busy clinic, we are beyond grateful for our clinic volunteer, Nikki! Nikki is here every Tuesday, providing invaluable support and ensuring everything runs smoothly. Her unique blend of experience as a nurse and a passionate wildlife rescuer makes her an indispensable member of our clinic team.
Nikki’s journey with animals started early. Growing up with a traveling magician father, she was exposed to a variety of animals, including bunnies, donkeys, and doves, all of whom were well cared for as a part of the act. This unique upbringing fostered a deep love for animals in Nikki. Her passion for animal rescue truly sparked when she found a crow with a broken leg, igniting her dedication to helping wildlife.
While Nikki loves all animals, she identifies as a “bird person”. At home, she has an African Grey Parrot, a Double Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot, and a rowdy white shepherd, all of whom she adores.
Nikki, your tireless efforts and compassionate heart make a world of difference to APS-FH and the animals we care for. Thank you for your dedication and for being such an integral part of our team. We are incredibly grateful for everything you do!
The Koehne Family
We’d also like to give a huge thank you to the Koehne family – Renee, Brittany, and Virgil – for their unwavering dedication to fostering as many kittens as they can. Their commitment and compassion have been invaluable to APS-FH.
The Koehne family’s journey in fostering cats began over 11 years ago while they were living in California. During their time there, they fostered over 700 kittens! Their incredible journey didn’t stop at fostering; Renee and Brittany also took on the crucial task of trapping feral cats, ensuring they were spayed or neutered before being released back into the community. This initiative started when they discovered over 100 cats living on the grounds of a middle school in their California neighborhood.
Since joining APS-FH, the Koehne family has continued their remarkable efforts. At the height of their fostering journey with us, they had as many as 50 foster kittens at once. Currently, the Koehne household is bustling with 4 foster kittens, one barn cat, 7 pet cats, and 2 dogs.
Brittany and Virgil play an essential role in socializing and playing with the foster kittens. Their efforts extend to introducing the kittens to their dogs, helping them become accustomed to other animals, which greatly aids in their social development.
Renee has noted the significant increase in kittens this year, echoing the challenges faced by many in the animal rescue community. Despite the demanding nature of this volunteer work, Renee finds it deeply rewarding. She shares, “it is so rewarding to see them come full circle. To watch them progress and become healthy and then go to a good home.”
The dedication and love shown by the Koehne family have made a profound impact on our community and the lives of countless kittens. Renee, Brittany, and Virgil, your tireless efforts and heartfelt commitment are truly inspiring! Thank you for all that you do for APS-FH and the animals in our care!