City of Redlands Honors Volunteer + 'Dog Whisperer' Cyndy Dunham

Redlands volunteer Cyndy Dunham was recognized at Tuesday night's council meeting for her work with the Redlands Animal Shelter and her pet-of-the-week adoption program.

Dunham cried a little and she was speechless for a moment, but she smiled a lot too.

Tabetha Wittenmyer, the city's Volunteer Resources Coordinator, read a statement from city employee and Redlands TV video technician Cheryl Williams:

"I first met Cyndy in 2006 when I learned she worked two jobs, one full-time and another part-time position at the Redlands Animal Shelter," Williams said.

"She was the person who always took an animal home that may not have been given a second chance and would nurse it back to health and if needed she would have a special fundraiser to help with the costs for any special vet bills.

"That wasn’t all, she would then go the extra mile to make sure she found the perfect home for each of these pets," Williams said.

"She was the person that would take a pregnant dog home so the mother could deliver her puppies in a less stressful environment," Williams said. "She wanted to allow the puppies to grow strong healthy immune systems so they weren’t exposed to the many harsh elements at any shelter. Again, she would take extra time to find each one a great home."

Dunham recently retired from the shelter out of necessity, but she still volunteers there as much as possible and in any way she can, Wittenmyer said.

"As a side note, I can personally attest to this having briefly worked side by side with her at a car wash the animal shelter held last year," Wittenmyer said. "Cyndy was like the energizer bunny working as hard as possible to get those cars to shine so donations would be as high as possible. Cyndy is truly a voice for all the animals at the Redlands Animal Shelter and a true reason both animal and human lives are enriched and saved there every day."

Animal Control officer Bill Miller called Dunham a "small dog whisperer," Wittenmyer said. Miller said Dunham has raised several litters of puppies with and without their mothers, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty, and she is always diligent about ensuring the animal shelter is properly cleaned.

The City of Redlands Volunteer and Intern Resources Program promotes volunteer and internship opportunities for all city programs supporting progressive development in the community, Wittenmyer said.

For more information contact Wittenmyer at at (909) 798-7540.