Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Diana and Melinda
Diana started volunteering at the Houston Humane Society in April 2025, bringing 14 years of experience caring for orphaned cottontail and swamp rabbits.
Her goal is to make sure the mini-mammals at Houston Humane Society are comfortable with people and ready for adoption. Diana brings them lettuce and parsley. There’s nothing like a snack to butter them up! She takes her time, eventually working up to giving them gentle pets.
Diana’s favorite thing to do as a mini-mammal volunteer is spend time with the rabbits, helping them learn to trust people. “One rabbit named Link that was surrendered came in with a broken leg, which had to be amputated. The week before the rabbit was uncomfortable with me, but this last time the rabbit had become more trusting and enjoyed being petted.”
Her work with Link paid off. He’s been adopted into a loving home, ready for his next chapter.
Diana hasn't taken home one of the rabbits she's cared for at Houston Humane Society, but she hasn't left every volunteer shift empty-handed. She did adopt a cat!
“I found a beautiful short tailed black cat with a Persian face that came home with me. She is queen of my bed and one of my cats [Diana had 3 short tailed cats already] visits with her most of the time and grooms her face.”
Diana isn't the only volunteer who has found her place with mini-mammals.
Melinda and her daughters, Margaret and Madeline, have been volunteering at Houston Humane Society on and off over the years. They’ve walked dogs, socialized cats, and participated in our Doggy Day Out program.
Melinda says, “It wasn’t until we were able to volunteer regularly – all three of us equally helping – in the Mini Mammal Manor that we really found our niche. We started that in June and have loved it ever since!”
They even have a pet rabbit at home, who they adopted from Houston Humane Society, named Mallomar. They spotted him in the shelter, “a black bunny with a white paw and a gleam in his eye as he zoomed around his enclosure,” and knew he was the one.
For Melinda, helping the animals build trust is an important part of volunteering.
“The more exposure the animals have to various volunteers, the more they learn that humans can be kind and worthy of their love and trust. Building trust and working on socialization with the animals helps them be better pets to their adopters, but also just helps them be their happiest and healthiest.”
Diana, Melinda, Margaret, and Madeline found their place with some of our smallest shelter residents, but there are so many ways to get involved.
The Hall family even found another way to help when they learned the shelter needed blankets.
“In a conversation with a team member, we learned that there was a shortage of blankets at the shelter. This led to us learning how to use a sewing machine so that we could provide blankets ourselves. By considering your own gifts and interests, you may find there is a new way that you can contribute!”
Find the volunteer opportunity that calls to you.
Apply now to become a volunteer.
