Animal aficionada and Tempe Preparatory Academy junior, Natalia Cruz, found something even better than volunteering at just one place—she helps both at the Phoenix Zoo and at the Arizona Humane Society animal shelter.
“The Arizona Humane Society stood out to me because of its commitment not just to rescuing animals, but also to providing critical medical care and promoting adoption over euthanasia,” says Natalia. “Their dedication to giving every animal a second chance really resonated with me.”
“The Phoenix Zoo appealed to me for a different, but equally important, reason: their focus on conservation and educating the public about endangered species,” she adds.
Natalia is happy that volunteering at both the shelter and the zoo allows her to explore her passion for animals on two fronts—caring for pets at a local level and raising awareness about global wildlife issues.
Her love for animals runs in the family. She remembers watching her uncle, a veterinarian in Mexico. “I loved the work he did because he did it out of passion and love,” says Natalia.
She began volunteering at the Humane Society shelter by doing laundry. This helped her meet the minimum nine-hour basic-help requirement before she could move on to working directly with animals. New volunteers at the shelter can also expect to clean feed dishes and kennels, in addition to laundry duties.
Qualified helpers at the shelter are allowed to walk dogs, train dogs and cats in sociability, assist with photography, and help visitors select their new pets. Natalia holds the highest training certification, which, she says, allows her to work with dogs that have a harder time coming out of their kennels due to fear or stress.
A high point for Natalia was meeting an Australian cattle dog named Lynda. Chained outside as a pup, Lynda came to the shelter aggressive and wary of people. Noticing that Lynda “needed a little bit of extra help,” but was an “amazing dog,” Natalia helped train her to develop the “sweet and playful demeanor” that soon attracted a loving new owner.
For Natalia, the most rewarding part of volunteering at the shelter is seeing animals like Lynda change—helping them regain trust. Sitting with or near a fearful animal, offering treats and gentle words, and being patient are Natalia’s favored techniques for winning animals’ confidence.
The changes that most reward Natalia at the zoo are the ones she prompts in visitors—connecting them to wildlife through education. She finds her bilingual skills particularly useful. “Some kids get really excited when I start to speak Spanish because it engages them on a more personal and understandable level,” she says. She especially enjoys talking with visitors about the rattlesnakes—her favorite zoo creatures.
Natalia particularly enjoys working at her “spotting scopes” station, where she sits with a “giant scope” and helps visitors view animals as though they are “incredibly up close.” Her favorite animals to spot-view are the African painted dogs. “With the scope, visitors can even see the tiniest details on their coats,” she says.
Helping make a positive difference for animals—and for people—has changed Natalia, too. Interacting with dogs like Lynda has cultivated her empathy and patience and sharpened her awareness of our responsibilities toward animals, whether wild or domestic. Natalia’s volunteer experience has made such an impact that she’s now exploring career paths in animal science, conservation, veterinary medicine, or wildlife education. Natalia’s enthusiasm and experience certainly make her a winning ambassador!
To potential volunteers, Natalia advises: “Start small, because even a few hours a week can make a big difference.” She recommends both the Arizona Humane Society and the Phoenix Zoo as “great opportunities.”