As I have said many, many times... It is our staff, our 'family' of caregiver specialists, who make C & W's Rustic Hollow Shelter what it is today. The quality of care of the felines in residence depends on them. The health of the felines in residence depend on their ability to spot a feline in their area who has any health issues starting. The cleanliness and sanitation of the cat's houses depend on them. AND, most importantly, the quality of care they give in love to their small 'charges' is of the utmost importance. The fringe benefits are also many: from volunteering their time to better their building to handling minor repairs and major projects and remodeling.... our staff is invaluable. They strive for teamwork. That is what it is all about. And in 2021 we truly have a GREAT CAREGIVER TEAM with a strong core team to manage staff, supplies, payroll and more. Way to go Rustic Hollow!!!
retired-
JUDY HOY Judy has been a part of Rustic Hollow since the beginning of Rustic Hollow in 1985.. and before. She also helped care for my parents in their home during my father's long illness many years ago. She is our neighbor and our friend and as you can see the furs loved working with Judy in The Kat Barn where she was a long time caregiver. Judy retired in 2017 to have knee surgery and today is an honorary caregiver at R. Hollow. She is always present at our open houses even if she cannot work now. Her presence is always welcome. She is our honorary caregiver. 
Judy is pictured here with Vera Smith volunteeriing at one of our past spay neuter clinics. We no longer host onsite clinics since the 2020 pandemic.
Brandy Hudson
Brandy joined our team in February of 2018 and quickly learned almost all of the names of the cats in her care. Her love for cats makes her a great addition to our team! In January of 2019, Brandy became a Team Leader in the position of 'Cat Care Specialist'. Armed with her notebook she keeps track of kitties who need medical attention, grooming, etc. and if staff have a kitty who needs care, Brandy is the 'go-to' person. She monitored the cats for her Supervisor and reported any problems the kitties may have. Brandy worked with our spay neuter clinics as well. Brandy was promoted to Vet Tech Assistant in 2019 and not only checks cats but assists Keisha with medicines and treatments of all the cats. In 2021 she was again promoted and is now Supervisor of our caregiver team and still Vet assistant to Keisha. We thank her for her willingness to step up and take charge. She is going to be a 'lifer' at Rustic Hollow as well. 
Brandy with Mokey
DANNIELLE CARLSON (and Bandit)
We welcomed Dannielle to our R. Hollow team in January 2017. She stopped working later in the year and started again in December of 2018. Danielle currently works one day a week at Rustic Hollow in 2019 as she has a full time business of her own. We are happy she still is part of our team. 
Kiarra Mashek
Kiarra joined our team in 2021. We are glad to have her on the team. Kiarra loves the cats and has cats of her own.
Kitarra Johnson
Kitarra started working at Rustic Hollow in 2020. Kitarra steps up to the plate and is always going above and beyond, helping out wherever she can. Kitarra is a true team player and dedicated to helping the cats. She is also a great photographer and posts many photos on Facebook for us. Welcome to our team Kitarra. Here is her story in her own words: I moved to Nashua when I was in 2nd grade , and my mother and I would go down town Nashua to a little thrift shop. The thrift shop was a place of wonder and best of all it supported a charity for cats!! I have always loved animals. Cats were always in my life. I used to share a bed with a ugly half shaved Persian named Ugy ! From my first cat Pink Floyd Alexander to many others throughout I have always had a soft spot for cats . When I was 11 we went out to C&W Cat shelter to pet cats and I was so in love with all the cats she decided to raise money to donate to C&W by having a bake sale at their open house. That sale raised quite a bit of money! From then on I started going out there more often to help pet cats and visit with other volunteers . ** And now she is back working for Rustic Hollow and we are happy to have her on our team. TONY HEADSPETH
Tony is our newest animal caregiver at Rustic Hollow Sanctuary, he started this winter 2021. He has always enjoyed the company of cats and other animals and feeds some neighborhood strays. He says "out of all the jobs I have ever had working at the sanctuary is by far my favorite. I appreciate Rustic Hollow for giving me a chance to do something that I enjoy. Although I'm older now, I'm having fun in my life and working here." We love to hear that Tony! Welcome to the team!
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KEISHA STOUGH
Keisha started working with us when she was 15 years old, then went on after graduation to continue her career in the animal field training with veterinarians and working at a nearby humane society. She started working at Rustic Hollow in 2008 where she took on the job of Veterinary Technician and worked up to Staff Supervisor in 2018. In 2021 she is now the current Director of Rustic Hollow Shelter and manages all the staff, payroll, intakes, and MUCH more. She is also a member of our board of directors and has been President of our Board of Directors since 2019. We know Keisha will carry on the mission of Rustic Hollow beyond the time of Carmen and Wanda. We are very proud of her achievements and steadfast involvement in our mission. 
CHAD RICH What can I say about Chad. Chad started with us in July of 2006. Chad graduated from High School in 2013. He has worked for Rustic Hollow since he was in the 7th grade. He currently works three jobs and still finds time for racing cars with his dad. He says he plans on always being a part of Rustic Hollow. He is our weekend warrior. In 2021 Chad wrote the following for our May newsletter: My name is Chad Rich. I started working at C&W back in 2006 and i have been working there ever since. I found the job in the newspaper over the summer and decided to stop out and talk to them about the job. I was 12 years old when i first started and my parents had to give me a ride to work until I turned 14 and got a moped to drive out there myself. When i started they had me sift the litters in all the buildings and carry around fresh litter. I still do that today, along with any other maintenance. They call me the "Weekend Warrior" at C&W shelter because I work only on the weekends as I have another job during the week. I really enjoy working at C&W and everyone is so friendly and most of the cats are friendly too and love the attention. Over the past 15 years I have meet a lot of new people who have worked there and I am glad I can still be apart of their team. Thank you Carmen and Wanda for all you have done for me and and everyone at C&W and the furballs. BELOW IS A PHOTO FROM 2021 of KAITLEN LEIRAN (Chad's girlfriend) putting together cat trees for the furr's. Kaitlen has volunteered at Rustic Hollow and loves sitting under the cats. 
cat tree assembly in full swing!
JoAnna Byers (DoDo)
ANGELA HERMAN
Angela came back 'home' to her Rustic Hollow family on August 8, 2021, just in time to help with our "flood recovery" project. Here is her story in her own words:
My name is Angela and I've been a member of the Rustic Hollow family for about 20 years. I started in 2001 as one of 3 caregivers for over 400 cats and 3 resident dogs, Echo, Ginger and Lady. Back then we only had the Kitty Kottage and the Barn, if you can imagine that! Lots of cats, lots of love! I was also here when Apollo's house was trucked in in 2004 to where it is now! That was a sight to see and an awesome addition! We finally had a building with running water and even a bathroom and laundry room on that side of the creek! Shortly after Apollo's House arrived, I moved to Arizona. I came back in 2007 though and again worked for Carmen and Wanda until early 2008 when I learned I was expecting! In 2013, I was able to bring home my beloved Marmie. Marmie was born at the shelter in 2001 and I fell in love with her. I vowed to give her a home when I was able to. This is not a normal thing at Rustic Hollow. Most are here to stay once they've arrived but Marmie and I had something special. When I left in 2004 it broke my heart to leave her behind. When I came back in 2007, I went to the Kat Barn and hollered "MAAAARRRRMIEEEEE!" she came flying out and leaped into my arms. *Cue happy tears! Marmie lived with me from 2013 to 2016. She now resides at Rustic Hollow again, in a grave near the barn. Since her passing, I've remarried, purchased a home and had another baby! I share my life with my husband Chris, son Lukas, daughter Stella, 3 cats- Amadeus, Willow Grace and Archie and a big older dog named Nova. I left my full-time job in March and opened an online boutique so I could focus more on my family. I'm excited to be back with Rustic Hollow and even more excited with how much it's evolved! Welcome back to the family Angela! |