Greetings from Hawaii Military Pets New Administration

Michelle with Sable, a beagle mix adopted from the Humane Society of South Mississippi.

Ever since I discovered what a dog was when I was small, I wanted to share my life with one. My dad promised me that when I turned 16 years old and was presumably more responsible, he would get me a dog of my own.

I waited all those years just to find out that he had hoped I would be more interested in boys than dogs by that age. He was mistaken, and ended up paying for it with 12 dogs… in the form of a puppy calendar. What a clever guy!

I have always felt a connection to animals, a desire to make them feel loved, and to ensure that they were taken care of and given a voice. On frequent visits to the zoo as a child, I fretted about extinction and the small enclosed spaces the wild animals had to live in to be protected. I have volunteered at animal shelters ever since I was able to drive.

Since arriving on Oahu earlier this year, I have had the opportunity to become involved with the military pet owner community by volunteering as a guest blogger and now taking over lead of this amazing service. I love being connected with so many others who are as passionate about animals as I am. It is an honor to be chosen to continue the hard work that has already been put into this community.

I envision this resource to continue much in the same capacity as it did under Theresa’s direction. Our mission remains unchanged, encompassing educating our community on issues affecting military pets, advocating for animals by providing them with a voice, and building an ever more pet-friendly military community.

We will continue to run blog posts and moderate the Facebook page, and we hope to see you stop by our booth at special events. You can look forward to some expansions and new ideas once we get into the groove of things, but the foundation will remain the same.

If you ever have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or would like to contribute in any way, please feel free to contact me. My “door” is always open and I see Hawaii Military Pets as an entire community that works together to achieve common goals.

By the way, I finally did get a dog of my own. It just took 25 years!

Aloha and Mahalo!

Michelle