There are some people who toil endlessly to help others, often with little to no fanfare. To be honest, it is these unsung heroes who I admire most. The people making a difference not because they want to be on a cereal box, but because they want to leave the world a better place than they found it. When I started Fido Loves, my intention was to promote the people, places and things which have a positive impact on the Boston dog community. To that endeavor, I would like to introduce Kara Holmquist, Director of Advocacy for the MSPCA.    

Kara Holmquist, who graduated from Suffolk University Law has spent the past 15 years working from a small, overstuffed office, advocating for animal protection in Massachusetts. She has led her department to make changes which many of us take for granted or would have not known where the initial effort initiated from. Today, Boston has a dog friendly mass transit system, animal cruelty is a felony and animals have a voice when it comes to the laws which effect us all.

I have to admit, as I prepared to meet with Kara I half expected to meet with a completely insane person. Often times you meet people working on a great cause who have become clouded by irrational thought and action. I am not going to name any of the groups, but going forward I was concerned. You would have to be insane to advocate for animals, right?

I could not be more wrong in my expectations (evidently, I am not the only one who has made this mistake). Kara and I spent an hour chatting over coffee and talking about the state of the Boston dog community. I found myself chatting with an incredibly knowledgeable, well grounded and realistic advocate for animals. Kara is probably one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to the needs of animals and their owners living in New England. More importantly, she is willing to share what she has learned during her career.

Kara has created a unique program to teach others to effectively become the voice for animals. Through the MSPCA’s Advocacy Department you can take classes on helping to make needed changes and how to bring awareness to the needs of animals in Massachusetts. This is also a great way to network, work with others and actually make a difference in the world around you.

Boston has a fantastic community of dog owners. Kara Holmquist is one of them, doing her best to leave the world a little better than she found it. For that, I am glad to have taken this moment to introduce her to the Boston Dog Community and other animal lovers. You can usually find Kara working away in her overstuffed office or spending time with her beautiful adopted Golden Retriever. If you would like to make a difference in the world of animals, Kara Holmquist is a very good person to connect with.