147. Tara Cojocaru, CATEP 

Opening [0:00-0:49]

Colleen: Welcome to unleashed at work and home. I'm Colleen Pelar, and this is where pet professionals come for honest conversations about what it really takes to show up for yourself while serving the animals you love. If you've ever felt caught between compassion and exhaustion, you're in the right place. Here we explore what it means to reconnect with your inner wisdom and rediscover the joy that brought you to this work. Make sure to join my email community at Colleenpelar.com for gentle, practical insights designed specifically for pet professionals. Now let's dive in.

Guest Introduction [0:49-1:18]

Colleen: Welcome back to unleash it. Working home, my guest today is Tara Cojocaru. I've been practicing it in my head. I'm still not sure I said it right, Tara Cojocaru, did I kind of almost get it pretty close, close.

Tara: Yeah, I know I put too much emphasis on the show part. Yeah, for us, it's Cojocaru.

Colleen: Yeah. Cojo. More on the car, okay, yeah. In any case, Tara welcome.

Colleen: Tara is the volunteer coordinator of the Humane Society of New Branfels, Texas, which I also probably just said wrong, but I'm going to let her correct that one as well. So tell us what a human what a volunteer coordinator does.

Role Description [1:18-4:08]

Tara: Basically, my job is just ensuring that everybody who's interested in coming in and helping out pets. They kind of have a good understanding of animal handling, animal enrichment, making sure that they follow all the rules regarding safety. With so many pets coming in, a lot of things can go wrong if we're not careful, whether it's, you know, spreading disease or potential bite risk, things like that. So my job is simply welcoming everybody in making sure they have a good foundation of skills before they get started, and then as they're volunteering, continuing to train them in a wide variety of areas that they can help out with.

Colleen: It sounds pretty complex. It can be there's a lot of volunteers. We usually have about 400 active volunteers in our system, but usually only

Tara: maybe, you know, 10 to 40 in a day. On a busy day, it'll be upwards of 40. But typical day, about five to 15 people each day. That's a lot. It's not bad. And they tend to stay for quite a while, you know, anywhere between an hour and five hours. So depending on how they're helping, if they're involved in dog programs or, you know, assisting Animal Care technicians with cleaning they can stay for several hours, and they're pretty good help, for sure.

Colleen: That's kind of amazing to think. I mean, just just to imagine 15 people pitching in on it on a given day for an hour or more is both awesome and terrifying, because if you haven't done a good job of educating them on what you want them to know, you also have 15 people doing things that you don't know what they're doing, or 15 people who are supporting you and moving in the direction you want to go. So that that ramps up the complexity of your job, because it is a thriving group.

Tara: Yes, absolutely. And it's even though I'm the coordinator for the volunteers, I definitely, you know, I have to give a lot of gratitude towards the other staff members, because if I'm not in the building, or if they're participating in maybe dog play groups or dog pack walks. It really kind of falls on the staff members to be able to guide them as well. So they definitely step up.

Tara: I try to make it very you know, important for the staff members to understand how important these volunteers are. We usually have about roughly 20 staff members on our payroll, and we probably have about 200 or 200 animals in our care at any given time, and those aren't including the ones out in foster so we're definitely outnumbered and without volunteers, we absolutely would not be able to Do the things that we do on our facility.

Colleen: Yeah.

Career Journey [4:45-7:48]

Colleen: And how did you become the volunteer coordinator? By accident?

Tara: I originally started in 2018 at the Humane Society, and I came in as an animal care technician, I wanted to be directly with the animals. I loved caring for those guys every single day, and it was nice because you could interact with the pets, and you didn't really have to interact with people, even though, in animal welfare, people are super important to be involved with.

Tara: You also have the negative individuals who, you know, don't care about pets quite as much as others. And you know, some neglect and abuse and cruelty cases come along. But a couple months after I started, that's when I started kind of assisting the individual that was doing the volunteer program at the time, and then when they went on to other opportunities, that's when I took on the role. So I was probably there about six months before I I crossed over to volunteer coordinator been doing it ever since, except for about two years when I took a gap. But other than that, this is my role.

Colleen: This is your role. Yeah, that's a big role. So what did 10 year old Tara think she was going to do with her life.

Tara: Honestly, when I was a kid, I at one point, I wanted to be a veterinarian, and then from there, I kind of wanted to be all kinds of things. I've always been kind of spontaneous, and I changed my mind a lot, so I tend to get excited about one topic, and then, you know, another and another and another. At one point in middle school, I wanted to be a volcanologist, because my teacher used to be one, so I was fascinated with that. And then there was another time where I wanted to be a psychologist. I started that degree, I got my Associates in it, and then I decided to switch my degree to business management, which I never finished, because I realized I don't like business.

Tara: And then I switched to a degree in photography. Completed that, and then I switched into animal welfare, and I got my certification in animal behavior and enrichment. So I've been everywhere, but this last one seems to be the one that stuck.

Connecting the Dots [7:48-10:00]

Colleen: I think it's interesting how some of the pieces can fit together so well for people like I can see real value in having some business management courses and having even the photography right there and there that that can play a role in making things I don't know more nuanced than better for you in your current role. Is that true?

Tara: It it absolutely is. And it's kind of funny, because I've thought about this before, about how all these, this crazy mix of of things I've, you know, gotten degrees in or certificates in I definitely use the psychology on a daily basis. You know, I'm not only having to encourage and motivate my volunteers, but also be there during the hard times, you know, when maybe we're losing animals, or just a general time when they're not, you know, feeling their best. They'll talk to me about it. The photography has been great. You always need great photos of the pets to get them adopted. And then, of course, with the behavior and enrichment certification, I love animal behavior. I'm fascinated with it, which is very similar to psychology in humans, but also enrichment is a huge passion of mine. So about a month after I started at the Humane Society, I actually approached the director with this entire plan that I had written out on ways that we could incorporate an enrichment program using materials already in the shelter that were upcycled into pet enrichment things, or, you know, get some donations from the community for like muffin pans and tennis balls to make puzzles for the dogs and stuff like that. So I really went full in on that to get that started, and we're using most of that to this day, what seven years later. So that has always been each passion of mine, and even at my home with all my animals, I'm very big on enrichment. I love making animals thrive in whatever setting that they're in.

Enrichment Discussion [10:00-17:57]

Colleen: Well, when we were just getting ready to start our conversation, I told you that you needed to hang on for a second while I was filling a few toys and smearing peanut butter on stuff for my dog because I was worried he might be a little too busy during our conversation. So I think enrichment such a cool tool, and one that had that could be used even more, but just wasn't even really thought about for a pretty significant period of time decades ago, like when I started, enrichment, was not as big of a piece as it is now, and I think it's so lovely to see how that's coming more into the to the public awareness, as in addition to, you know, among the professionals, what have you noticed about the population coming into your shelter when they see some of these enrichment things out and about and in use? Are you hearing feedback?

Tara: Um, yeah. So we have one thing I want to say is sometimes I have to make them aware of what's going on in the kennel, because oftentimes we'd be doing an orientation, and as we're going through in the dog kennels, there's shredded cardboard boxes everywhere, and those are from our Bark Boxes, which we kind of layer boxes inside of boxes with like treats or kibble in between. And we want them to shred it. We want them to have fun. We want them to, you know, be able to actually enjoy their canine, you know, dispositions like how they're created. So it can get a little messy. It looks like maybe someone dumped a trash can in kennels. And I have to assure them, this is on purpose.

Tara: But one thing we have noticed over the years, even since I started, you know, when I first started, I just remember seeing dogs that after about maybe 30 days, if they were still waiting on an adopter to come along, we would see deteriorate in the kennel. We would see them, you know, starting to go kennel crazy, as we call it, with the repetitive behaviors, and just not doing well mentally. And then we knew from that point, once we started seeing those behaviors, that not only were we losing them mentally, but it was a bite risk waiting to happen. And so once we started implementing the enrichment, we started seeing that not happening for a longer length of time. We were getting a lot more dogs out before it ever even got to that. And then in the last year since we've started incorporating our dog play groups and our pack walks, getting these dogs out and allowing them to socialize with each other has been huge. I don't remember the last time that I personally witnessed a dog going kennel crazy.

Tara: Grand have some that come in that are very high energy in general, and they know they're going to deteriorate a lot sooner. And we can kind of put our programs, in our enrichment more towards certain ones, to prolong them or put them into foster where they can have a more normal life without confinement.

Tara: So it's made huge strides. We have a kitten shower every year in April for all the foster or the little baby kittens that we know are coming in that we're going to have to send to foster. I always teach cat enrichment during the kitten showers. It's nice to be able to show everyone that you know, especially when they're having pet problems in the home, these simple little enrichment things that don't have to cost them any money because they've already got the stuff in the home can completely change the behavior, calm them down, get their energy out in a positive way with something that they should be taking energy out, rather than your furniture, your shoes, the walls. I think I've heard it all, but it's been very beneficial.

Colleen: We talk a lot about dogs on this podcast, I want to ask you a question about cats. What's a simple thing that people could could do as an enrichment thing for a cat, like at your kitchen, shower, what? What are you making? What are you doing?

Tara: One of the most popular things that especially the kids always like to help out with is plastic Easter eggs, just putting a couple pieces of cat treats in there, closing them up, giving them to the cat. So not only do they get to roll them all over the house or whatever area they're in, they can smell the treats, which is even more enticing. And then once that egg does bust open, eventually they get a treat. So it's like a win win. And not only keeps them occupied for a while, but at the end, they get to enjoy what has come out of the egg, finally.

Tara: So those are super easy ones. And then also we use toilet paper rolls. Once they're empty, we can put treats in there, or catnip and just fold the ends in same concept. And we we work a lot with recycled like cardboard and toilet paper rolls, because if a pet does ingest those items, they're not going to get impacted like they would with some kind of stuffing from a toy, because it's organic material and it breaks down. So we we don't really see them ingesting any of it, but we feel better knowing that if they did, it's not going to require a vet that,

Colleen: yeah, the toilet paper rolls are really wonderful because they just keep coming exactly. I wouldn't have thought of the Easter egg for a cat. I would have thought they might have had too much trouble ever getting it out, and that it would be tricky, but I haven't tried it. So now I'm now I'm gonna go set Abby up with some fun, because I do have an Easter egg rolling around my house so

Tara: well, they're kind of one of those things that people get hundreds of them for Easter and then they're either gonna toss them or, you know, just put them up somewhere. Forget they have them and buy more than next year, with us being in the shelter the way our kennels are, they do have, like, an upper level to their little condo and the lower level. So those are good ones in there, because with it being a hard surface in there, soon as they smack it up against the wall, it'll crack open, or if they knock it off the ledge, it pops open. So we've had pretty good luck with them, and they're pretty easy to clean. With them being plastic, we can wash them like we do our dishes, to disinfect them and everything so and they last a while without completely breaking from some kitten being absolutely crazy. So it's a good investment. We get those donated all the time, so we don't have to put out money for that. Everybody's got on laying around usually. So they've been really good at then also prescription bottles. When people have empty prescription bottles taking off the label, bring us the bottle. We can put like a little bell or something in there. And those also last forever and hours of entertainment for them those are and they're so easy to get once people know to save them for you, exactly, yeah, yeah, like, like you could wind up with. So, you know, a perpetual supply once people who would like to volunteer, and if you have 400 active volunteers, presumably just telling a few of them that you'd like toilet paper rolls and prescription bottles, probably gives you a lot of material there might do. Do you have a time when you say, like, please stop bringing us toilet paper rolls? Or have you not hit that yet?

Tara: No, we haven't hit that yet because we haven't even really put it out there. I mean, unless we're trying to get a bunch ready for kitten shower or something, we keep baskets in the restrooms with a sign that says, Please save them. So we just put those in there. And we get so many, with all the guests and volunteers and staff that we don't really have to put out a call for any we have funny and especially paper towels too. You use tons of paper towels. So, yeah, it's a pretty good supply. It's pretty good supply.

Words of Meaning [17:57-22:58]

Colleen: I ask all of my guests to share some words that have meaning to them, and the words you shared are Bob Marley quote, you never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice, tell me more about what this means to you.

Tara: I feel like so many times throughout life. I mean, not just myself, but everybody. We experienced those moments where it feels like it's the worst possible thing, where we've ever gone through, and then once we get past it, you know, obviously it's not as strong in our minds anymore. And years down the road, or months down the road, you know, something else happens. And again, we feel this is the worst thing I've ever gone through, but when we look back, we see just how things we have not only gotten through but became stronger. It kind of gives you a little bit of hope that you know whatever comes your way, you will get through it because you've done it so many times in the past. It makes us stronger, emotionally, mentally. It definitely teaches us how to, you know, approach things differently and and not take the bad so difficult.

Colleen: I think that's so true, that helps you develop a trust in yourself, which I think is the piece That's sometimes missing in those moments of like, this is so hard, there's an element of like, Can I do this? And the more you look back and see I did it, I did that before, and I'm stronger and I did that, and now I'm stronger and I did that, and now I'm stronger there, there becomes this ability to say, I I can handle what comes my way. Don't have to love it, but I can do this, and I can I can trust me. I can rely on me, and that is super helpful for people to feel. And we don't always feel that, but the more often we can feel it the better.

Tara: Yeah, when did this particular quote come into your life? Do you like Do you remember where you heard it? Or are you a big Bob Marley fan? Or how did this come to to you?

Tara: I do love Bob Marley. I in high school. I went very much. And still am. I'm huge on music. I love music. It. Music gets you through everything. There's always a song that's going to correlate with how you're feeling in that moment. So I'm huge on music, especially, you know, everything pre 1979 I love my class talk really all genres. But in high school, that was thing that, you know, I was very much into Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, all those guys, Grateful Dead, all these guys. And it's a hard time going through high school in general. So my music was everything. And I had read a lot of books, you know, everything from John Lennon to Bob Marley to Janis Joplin stuck in my mind from that time, and I've carried him with me ever since, music has always been very big in my life and gotten me through all the hard times. So that's beautiful.

Colleen: Thank you. Is there a song that's been you know in your heart lately that that is meaningful to you?

Tara: Um, I have one just over, like the past year, I have been listening to a song called Pink skies by Zach Bryan, just because last year I did lose my father, and shortly after that is when I first heard that song, and it just kind of reminds me of him. Kind of puts me in comfort, though, at the same time about losing him. So I do find myself listening to that, especially when you know I'm kind of grieving a little bit remembering him. But yeah, Zach Brian is definitely one I've been listening to a lot over the last year.

Music as Connection [22:58-25:54]

Colleen: Thank you. I'll link that one in the show notes so anyone could listen if they'd like. Music is a really cool way of helping us with emotion. It helps us to feel the mix of them, you know, like the grief and the comfort and the and the nostalgia and the love, all of the pieces there.

Tara: Yeah, absolutely, no matter what happens in life, you've always got music there for you.

Colleen: Yeah, my husband's a big music person. I'm not as much of a music person, but there are absolutely songs that are that are the ones that strike me deep in my soul. But he had so many. I think that's interesting, too, how we gravitate to different things. Different people have different I was gonna say comfort mechanisms, which is true, but that feels too surfacey for what I'm actually saying, like that there's something deep and profound and meaningful about music, the vibration, the connection, the experience of it feels hardwired to me, into the human experience.

Tara: Absolutely. I mean, when you look around at like, what really connects people, it's food and it's music. You put those two things with a huge group of people, everybody comes together. You know, those are kind of the only two consistent things that bring people together, unless you want to throw in animals too, which probably applies to most of us. But then you have some that aren't fond of animals, so it kind of excludes them. But everybody eats. Most people listen to music, yep.

Colleen: And in fact, the word companion is based on one who I share bread with, which I think is so interesting. I learned that from Kathy sadeo, but I think it's a fascinating piece of that. It is Is fundamental to relationship.

Colleen: So for the listener, if this part is getting glitchy, it's because my internet is having a meltdown. I have hardwired it into the wall, and we're still having issues where I'm freezing here. So I'm hopeful that our audio tracks are good. So if you know when you're listening to this episode, if it feels like we skip a few words here and there, that is my internet and I'm very, very sorry. It is. It's not that Tara and I don't have words for our sentences. It's that some of them are being deleted without our permission.

Magic Wand Question [25:54-27:28]

Colleen: So Tara, if I could give you a magic wand and you could grant a wish, you could bestow a blessing upon pet professionals everywhere, what would that be?

Tara: If there was one thing that I would want to give everyone, it would be the ability to have compassion for others. One thing I see often is working in kind of a difficult and stressful industry. We have a tendency to let one little thing kind of trigger us and then set us off into a rampage. We tend to say too often that we hate people when we have bad days working in animal welfare, but we have to remember, you know, we have to have empathy for others. We would not be able to get these pets foster homes or permanent adoption homes. If it wasn't for people, we wouldn't have all the funding that we do have available. If we didn't have amazing people that donated, we certainly wouldn't get as many things done within the shelter we didn't have people volunteering. So I would definitely want pet professionals to just have empathy. Remember, we don't hate people. People help us. We have to work together with people and just have compassion for others and give ourselves grace as well.

Colleen: That's beautiful. Thank you. And so true, and the perfect philosophy for a volunteer coordinator, yeah, lots of practice over the years. Yeah, yeah.

Wrap-up [27:28-30:05]

Colleen: Well, thank you so much for joining me today to talk about all of these things. It's been a really interesting conversation with you today. Tara,

Tara: Well, I'm glad you had me on. I actually didn't know when we talked in the past that you actually had a podcast. And I do want to mention that when I went and and looked up the podcast and started listening to it, I noticed that a couple episodes ago you had Karen Deeds on your podcast, and I was completely fan girling. I actually spoke with her. I saw her presentation in 2019 at Texas unites for the animals in Austin. And from that point, I was obsessed with this woman, her knowledge of canine behavior blew my mind. I had reached out to her after the conference, and she shared all of her presentation with me, her slides, everything. She was amazing. I love that woman, and she is one of the reasons that I got certified in animal training, in enrichment, because she was awesome, awesome woman. So I was so excited that you had her on here, and hopefully a lot of other people, um, got a lot of value from her too, as much as I did. So I'm excited.

Colleen: Well, I'm so glad to hear that I will link to her episode in your show notes, so that anyone who wants to hear Karen's as well can can check that out there. That is awesome. Yeah, I I feel so privileged that so many amazing pet professionals are willing to talk to me on this show, because everybody has something to offer. It's so exciting and wonderful to share. So it is a pleasure that Karen came on, and a pleasure that you came on, and I'm really happy that we had this conversation today.

Tara: Absolutely thank you for having me.

Colleen: That's our conversation for today. If something we talked about resonated, I invite you to sit with it. Notice what feels true and what you want to explore further, you don't have to have it all figured out to start moving toward what matters. Whatever showed up for you today, clarity, questions, even resistance, trust that it's pointing you towards something important. For more support, join my weekly notes at Colleenpelar.com and until next time, remember you are enough, always just as you are. You.