Dr. Timothy Gilligan - 2023 Gene Thayer Animal Advocate Award Recipient
Pam has always been a compassionate advocate for animals. When she moved to Great Falls from Missoula in 1984 and learned that the Humane Society of Cascade County was in need of a board treasurer, she jumped at the opportunity to offer her time and her expertise.
From injured squirrels, sick baby birds, and even a lost ferret, Pam has aided all varieties of animals in need. However, things changed in 2003 when Pam volunteered at Camp Collie. It was a transformative experience for her and for the other participants. She was soon volunteering with these like-minded and like-hearted people at another rescue case in Stanford.
Pam worked with the Pet Paw-See Rescue group to help obtain its non-profit status in 2008 and has continued to serve as a financial advisor. She is currently the board treasurer. It was with Pet Paw-See that she began volunteering to Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) to help decrease the number of community cats in Great Falls. She fostered cats for the Pet Paw-See and gave her time at Adopt-a-thon events: helping set up, talking with the public about the cats and dogs in need of a home, reviewing adoption applications, and educating people on the importance of spaying and neutering. She has volunteered to clean the boarding cages that the Pet Paw-See has had at Petco and PetSmart. She has also helped facilitate many adoptions, and she has been a mentor for folks who have adopted through the Pet Paw-See’s Seniors-for-Seniors program.
Pam worked with the Pet Paw-See Rescue group to help obtain its non-profit status in 2008 and has continued to serve as a financial advisor. She is currently the board treasurer. It was with Pet Paw-See that she began volunteering to Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) to help decrease the number of community cats in Great Falls. She fostered cats for the Pet Paw-See and gave her time at Adopt-a-thon events: helping set up, talking with the public about the cats and dogs in need of a home, reviewing adoption applications, and educating people on the importance of spaying and neutering. She has volunteered to clean the boarding cages that the Pet Paw-See has had at Petco and PetSmart. She has also helped facilitate many adoptions, and she has been a mentor for folks who have adopted through the Pet Paw-See’s Seniors-for-Seniors program.
She was involved with the Animal Foundation of Great Falls in its early years. She not only helped with the fundraising, she also personally donated towards the construction of the Maclean-Cameron Animal Adoption Center. She first served on the Animal Foundation’s board of trustees as treasurer, and she then served as its president in 2010.
It was through the Animal Foundation’s Spay of the Falls committee that Pam first volunteered at a spay and neuter clinic for low-income pet owners. From sterilizing surgical instruments to helping animals recover as they came out of surgery, and checking in volunteers to loading up supplies, Pam has dedicated her spare time to helping make these clinics a success.
Last year, Pam retired after nearly four decades as a CPA. While some people spend their retirement years travelling, golfing, or maybe buying a sailboat, she has found more time for her passion for animal advocacy. Her financial and tax expertise have proven to be invaluable for our local animal rescue groups. She continues to foster kittens and adult cats as they patiently await their “furrever” homes. She will still wake up before the sun to set traps for the TNR programs.
Almost every single Sunday, she joins a handful of other dedicated animal lovers from the Pet Paw-See at the Animal Medical Clinic as they run a small-scale feline spay and neuter clinic in coordination with Dr. Tim Gilligan. So far, they have altered over 600 cats.
Pam’s extraordinary commitment to making life better for animals, to curbing the overpopulation of unwanted cats and dogs, and to educating the public about animal wellbeing is an inspiration to so many of us. She has shown that through hard work and dedication, and through selfless acts of kindness, we can give a voice to the voiceless, and we can all make a meaningful difference in the lives of animals.
