CBS 6 Gives to longtime Virginia animal shelter volunteer: 'My heart feels good'

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — Julie Kannan is not on the payroll at Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter — but she might as well be.

Kannan was nominated for CBS 6 Gives by The Lucky Paw Foundation and Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter for the countless hours she spends walking dogs, cleaning, doing laundry and running a Facebook page dedicated to finding homes for animals in need. The honor is sponsored by Virginia Credit Union.

Kannan spends her Fridays at the shelter doing whatever staff needs.

"There's gardening to do. If you're not a dog walker, then come on inside and do something — fold towels, wash dishes, ask the girls, what do you need? They might want you to play with kittens. Sometimes they just want you to go in and help them clean," she said.

When asked why she volunteers, Kannan pointed to both the personal fulfillment and her deep connection to the shelter.

"First of all, it feels really good. My heart feels good when I come here on Fridays. When I go home, I'm happy. My husband knows it's a big difference since I've been doing this. I also do it because I love this place. I adopted a dog here. He's crazy. He's great. He's a part of our family, and they helped me find Dune. Can't beat that. And so I wanna give to this wonderful shelter. Nobody knows us. We're down the hill," she said.

Kannan also started a Facebook page called Friends of Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter to introduce animals to the community and help them find homes. She said she tries to give honest, personal accounts of each animal she features.

"I try to tell them honestly, you know, the quality of the dog, and I just posted about a dog I just walked and in the middle of our walk, she stopped and sat down. So I sat down and the next thing I know is she's putting half her body on my lap, including the paw," she said.

Kannan was surprised with the CBS 6 Gives honor during anchor Julie Bragg's visit to the shelter, which included a keychain and gift cards — though she suggested the gift cards would likely go right back to the animals.

"I'll probably give it to them," she said.

Those interested in volunteering, adopting or fostering can find The Lucky Paw Foundation on Facebook, or visit the page Kannan started: Friends of Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter.

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