Humane Heroes – Meet RHS Volunteer Drocky
The RHS is grateful for the many dedicated individuals and groups who generously give their time and energy to support our mission.
One face you will see regularly at the Animal Community Centre is Thach Tran, who goes by the name Drocky. He who moved to Regina in 2020 from Vietnam to study at the University of Regina, and reconnect with family in North America. While in Canada, Drocky was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, affecting his movement. Drocky found strength and support through his volunteering, mostly walking and spending time with shelter dogs, particularly those who are timid and shy.
Drocky took the time to tell us a little about his journey volunteering with the RHS.
What inspired you to start volunteering with the Regina Humane Society, and how has that experience changed you?
What inspired me to become a volunteer at RHS is learning more about animals to tell stories to my family and my friends about how wonderful animals are. It isn’t easy to change the perspective on animals of Vietnamese people, but I believe each story I tell will slowly change people’s minds, and one day in the future, Vietnam will have a law that protects animals or people’s pets. After one year volunteering at the RHS, I learned that animals have emotions; they know how to smile, cry, be cheerful, and fearful.
Can you share a memorable moment or animal that touched your heart during your time as a volunteer?
The moment I will never forget is when I took care of two dogs named Kanga and Levi. They were shy, fearful, and afraid of humans. I still remember Kanga and Levi both sitting in a corner of the room. Unlike other dogs, they didn’t growl or warn; they just sat like a statue and trembled. I spent more time with Levi than with Kanga because I knew he needed more help than his sister. And a miracle happened when the RHS put Levi and Kanga in one room. Levi was no longer stressed or fearful; Kanga gives him more confidence, he smiles a lot, is jealous when I pet Kanga too much, and most importantly, they are more open with people. And I was there to say farewell to Levi when he got a new forever home! Unfortunately, I missed a chance to say farewell to Kanga, but I hope that was the last time I saw them in a shelter, and I still hope I find them somewhere out there with their new family.
What does being a part of the RHS volunteer team mean to you?
To be honest, becoming an RHS volunteer is a lot for me. Before I came here, I never knew I could make a lot of friends. Instead of going to university and then returning to my room, now I have one more place to go. I came to the RHS to learn only about animals, but somehow, I learned a lot of things from other volunteers and staff teams. The RHS is like a second family to me, where I get positive energy, motivation to pass the hard time ahead, where I don’t feel lonely like in my room or at the university.
If someone was thinking about volunteering at the RHS, what would you want them to know?
For those who are thinking about volunteering at the RHS, you will become an unforgettable part of the memories of the animals here. I don’t know about cats, but “One dog year is equal to seven human years”. In our human eyes, one week is like seven days, but in the eyes of animals in a shelter, one week is something more than that. You are not only a volunteer but a person who brings a lot of love to shelter animals; your stories will help them get a forever home, where they are no longer be lonely, but happy.