Say hello to one of our amazing volunteers Robert Pickett! We were so excited to give Robert his one year pin just last week and his award for Living in the Meow, for being a volunteer who fills in whenever & wherever needed. Robert has always had a love for all furry creatures, mice being an exception. He has volunteered with us at the dog shelter in the past, though he spends more of his volunteer time with the kitties now. He has always had a cat, ever since he was a child. He loves to see the kitties when he is volunteering at our Mulberry Campus in Shelter Cat Care. He is also hoping to start fostering cats and branching out to other roles within the shelter. Robert’s fondest memories are of the times he has spent talking with Jenn Baker, one of our Animal Care Technicians, learning as much as he can about cats. He also will never forget the time he walked ‘The Great Pyrenees’ dog at the Taft shelter. 

Robert and his wife moved out to Colorado to the Longmont area in order to be closer to family. Robert spent 6 years in Philadelphia and the rest of his adult life in the Washington D.C. area. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1974 then worked for the Environmental Protection Agency in Philadelphia and D.C. until 1981. In D.C. Robert led monthly natural history hikes for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. He then switched gears and became a supervisor of the Gardens at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD until he retired in 2007. 

Robert’s main interest is in botany. He misses the diversity of the Appalachian Mountains and growing up in the Washington D.C. area where there is ample rain, though he enjoys the subalpine wildflower meadows of the Rocky Mountains. Robert is active in the Audubon Society and he and his wife Sara are a part of the Unitarian Universalist Church. They enjoy working with the community in a basic tenet of the church’s mission.  

In Robert’s free time he enjoys backpacking and hiking. He challenged himself by climbing Longs Peak last year. He also loves to play the drums and has been a percussionist since his freshman year of high school. When he isn’t volunteering he loves to snuggle up with his kitty Asher. Asher is a 13 year old cat named after Asher Crockett. He loves to sit in Robert’s lap and get pets. He is sure to tell Robert whether he is hungry, wants to go out or wants a pet. Robert and Sara are hoping to add a new pup to their family soon. 

Thank you Robert for all your hard work as a volunteer with Animal Friends Alliance and being so dedicated and willing to help out and Live in the Meow!