Are we getting tired of hearing about another SFACC staff member who started out volunteering? Definitely not! Marisa Plaice started volunteering at SFACC with dogs in 2015. She worked with the Fetch dogs, exercising and socializing dogs that are in SFACC custody but are not available for adoption.
A word about Fetch: SFACC provides safe harbor to animals in many different situations: dogs escaping abuse and neglect; pending “vicious and dangerous dog” hearings in court; dogs who are affected when their owner is hospitalized, incarcerated, or passes away; dogs who are abandoned in buildings or in cars; and dogs who need a safe place while family members escape domestic violence. Some dogs in the Fetch program eventually become available for adoption, and that is in large part due to the care of Fetch volunteers like Marisa.
Back to our shelter hero…a local gal from San Carlos, Marisa always loved animals and considered becoming a veterinarian. She ventured to Southern California for college and although vet school didn’t happen, she found her way back to the Bay Area and to thinking about helping animals. In a way, she feels her path has come full circle at SFACC. Volunteering with the Fetch program, she was inspired by the difference she could make. “One case that still resonates with me is Max, a small pup who was seized by SFACC officers as part of a cruelty investigation. Early on it wasn’t clear if he would be made available for adoption. After months of care and training by volunteers (first Fetch and then regular dog volunteers), he was adopted into a happy home where he’s thriving.”
Besides working with Fetch dogs, Marisa helped as a vet room volunteer, cleaning, fetching dogs for exams, and giving out treatments. In March, 2018, Marisa was hired by SFACC as a vet assistant, while she attends classes to become a licensed vet technician. In this role, she is able to help with prepping animals for surgery, prepare treatments to animals, and assist with exams, while getting the hands-on experience required by her coursework.
Marisa enjoys the variety of animals at SFACC and is learning a lot—especially about neonate kittens and wildlife, which can be challenging to sedate—particularly raccoons who do not appreciated being trapped. One of the things she likes best about her job is being able to provide care for animals who might not have received the care they need until they receive it from SFACC—whether due to neglect, abuse, or simply because they are wildlife in need of help.
As a working student, Marisa has little free time but likes to record shop with her husband Sean, and spend time with their three dogs: Neko (a Husky mix), Henry (a Pit mix and former Fetch dog), and Ada, a 9-yr-old Chihuahua mix. They also have a cat named Peach.
