Even when she can’t take the animals home, Hockenberry tries to
help them.
Hollister – June Hockenberry really doesn’t like to see animals in cages. She can’t even bring herself to visit the zoo. That’s why Hockenberry’s first visit to the Hollister Animal Shelter seven years ago had such a big effect.
“The shelter’s a very depressing place,” Hockenberry said. “Seeing all the animals touched my heart.”
So Hockenberry – who had never been involved in animal rescue, despite being a lifelong animal lover – decided to help.
She made her house a foster home for the rescue group All Creatures Great and Small. Some of her guests have become permanent residents at the Hockenberry home.
She recalled taking in the newest of her four cats after seeing it had lost most of the fur on its underside.
“Let’s just keep him until his fur grows back,” Hockenberry told her husband.
Years have passed and the fur has grown back, but the cat, named Zorro, hasn’t been kicked out yet.
“My husband is really very sweet to let me do this,” Hockenberry said.
An animal may stay in a foster home for months or even years, and Hockenberry acknowledged it can be tough to bond with the animal and then let it go.
“But I know that by doing this, we’re saving another life,” she said.
Even when she can’t take the animals home, Hockenberry tries to help them. She started a dog-walking program at the shelter, so even the animals who are stuck in the “tiny cages” will get a chance to stretch their legs.
Vivian Kennedy, founder of All Creatures Great and Small, said Hockenberry’s help has been invaluable.
“She’s got a halo around her head,” Kennedy said.
Times are hard at the shelter because a staffing shortage means animals must be put down sooner than later.
“We’re desperate for homes for the animals,” Hockenberry said.
