Daily Inspiration: Meet Paola Vivelo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Vivelo.

Hi Paola, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
We’re coming up to our 3rd anniversary soon! I started back at Heidi’s Village in January 2021 as a vet tech, this was my first job working for an animal shelter in Phoenix, and I instantly fell in love. Heidi’s Village was still extremely new and had yet to be open for a year. I wanted to be more hands-on with the animals in the village; I was able to move positions to Intake and Adoptions coordinator and became the first person the animals interact with when they arrive and the last person they see when they are off to their forever homes. There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve placed an animal into a home that was once deemed unadoptable or was left to a fate of sitting in the shelter for an unknown amount of time. I am now focusing on project and event development to get our name out there more so Heidi’s Village can continue to grow.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The demand for Heidi’s Village has been astronomical, so it has sometimes been challenging. Recently we have been running into animals left in our parking lot because rescues across the country are becoming full; intakes for most places have been halted due to spacing. Our highest priority will always be ensuring our quality of care stays the same and that our staff feel supported in every way. This is challenging work and isn’t always the happiest, but we show up for each other and the animals daily. What makes this journey hard sometimes is seeing or hearing the stories about how these animals have made their way to Heidi’s; ultimately, we are always grateful they landed here with us.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Heidi’s Village was created to foster a community of people and a haven for all animals until they can find their forever homes. We partner with various animal rescues to offer low-cost boarding and veterinary care until they can find a foster or adopter’s home. We are the first shelter like this to exist in the entire country; every state could use Heidi’s Village. We could save so many more animals if this were possible. I am most proud of the ability to work with various rescues to find these animals and their place in this world. I have had many opportunities here at Heidi’s to learn and grow further in the animal welfare world and become a voice for these animals that do not have one. I have learned so much about how to be all these animal’s champion, their voice, and their haven. There is no better feeling than when a cat or a dog realizes they are safe at the end of the day and can stay here for however long it takes to find their forever home.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We are located in Phoenix, Maricopa County. It is beautiful, clean and offers many opportunities to explore natural parks right around the corner!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heidisvillage.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidisvillage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeidisVillageAZ/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidisvillage
• Other: https://linktr.ee/heidisvillage 

Image Credits
Heidi’s Village Adoptable Dogs