San Diego State student-athletes spent Valentine’s Day giving back to the community by volunteering at the San Diego Humane Society, helping support shelter animals and drawing attention to the Humane Society’s ongoing overcrowding crisis.
More than two-dozen SDSU athletes and representatives from women’s soccer, track and field, swim and dive, volleyball and men’s basketball participated in the service event. They assisted staff with daily tasks such as preparing meatballs for animal feedings, organizing adoption packets, doing laundry and spending time with adoptable pets.
The shelter currently has nearly 700 animals available for adoption, with about 1,400 more still in its care.
Overcrowding has increased the need for community support, including adoptions, foster families and volunteers. The shelter’s dog population is at 150% capacity, forcing some dogs to be moved into the cat adoption area.
“You may be able to foster an animal for a weekend,” said Nina Thompson, director of public relations at the San Diego Humane Society. “We pay for everything: The supplies, the food and the medical supplies.”
Partnering with SDSU athletics also helps raise awareness for the shelter because of the university’s large fan base.
“We’re very grateful that the SDSU student athletes wanted to come and not only help our animals, but an event like this also brings attention to the shelter,” Thompson said.
Event organizer Veda Weissman said the goal was to connect the shelter with a wider audience through local sports.
“I really wanted to involve SDSU sports with something like the Humane Society, as they already kind of have a big following,” Weissman said. “Having them come and volunteer gives them that chance to be noticed.”
The Humane Society hopes to continue working with local sports organizations in the future to expand outreach and increase support for shelter animals.
Potential partnerships include a “pet of the game” opportunity that highlights an adoptable pet at an Aztecs’ game, or a collaboration with the basketball team on the shelter’s “March Meowness” event, where people vote on pictures of pets.
In addition to SDSU athletics, Weissman is looking to extend the partnership to the professional sports teams in San Diego.
“I would love to try to plan something with the San Diego Wave,” Weissman said. “I reached out to them, and they want to do something with us as well when they are in season. Also, just keep partnering with different athletes at SDSU, and I think that’s a great way, because they have such a big following, but there are so many more opportunities we could do.”
For the athletes, the volunteer work provided an opportunity to step away from the intensity of their seasons and make a meaningful impact off the field. It also served as a reminder that anyone can contribute to their community, regardless of their role on campus.
“Just because you’re not an athlete doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact in your community,” said Drew Mowbray, manager for SDSU men’s basketball.
