Jill Newman

“Overall, I think Disney is totally wrong about being the ‘happiest place on earth.’ PAWS is my happy place,” says PAWS Volunteer of the Month, Jill Newman. “How can you go wrong when you are with other animal-loving people volunteering their time?”

Jill Newman has an incredibly rich life. She has 6 (soon to be 7) grandchildren and 5 adopted granddogs. She also travels for fun, plays pickleball several times a week, and tends to a flourishing rooftop container garden. On top of all that, she’s been a PAWS Chicago volunteer since the spring of 2021.  

On Tuesday afternoons, Jill can be found at our Medical Center. She spends several hours with the dogs then completes the day mentoring new volunteers.  

“I so do enjoy showing the new volunteers around the Medical Center and telling them what an awesome place it is. And for volunteers who cannot have a pet at this point in their life, being able to provide love and care to our dogs can be such a heartwarming experience,” says Jill. 

Jill also helps out at PAWS adoption events and seasonal fundraising events, including Animal Magnetism, Fur Ball, and Beach Party. 

Jill adds, “And I certainly cannot leave out how I do transport. My adult children think it is hilarious that I drive the PAWS van with those cute, adoptable pets to events around the city!” 

Jill went on to say, “It is very hard to pinpoint what I like the most. I really do get the best of all worlds when I first get to dedicate individual time to the dogs at the Medical Center, and then I get to volunteer at adoption events where I can see true happiness on adopters’ faces.” 

PAWS recently converted a gravel area in the Medical Center parking lot into a plush, turf-lined place for the dogs, and it’s become one of Jill's favorite spots. 

“I especially enjoy the bench under the trees. So many of our dogs are scared when they arrive. Who knows what they have been through in their lives? Many times, they just need to decompress. Sitting on the bench, providing them with the love they most likely never received, can make a big difference on their road to adoption,” says Jill.  

Beyond her hands-on work, Jill is passionate about the greater No Kill mission, especially our community outreach and spay/neuter efforts.  

“Stopping new litters is the first step. Next is finding homes for thousands of dogs and cats each year. It is truly heart-wrenching to think about euthanasia at Chicago Animal Care and Control, but I am so thankful that PAWS and other shelters step up to try and find forever homes for so many of the dogs and cats,” says Jill.  

For anyone considering becoming a volunteer like Jill, she makes a pretty convincing case to get involved.  

“Overall, I think Disney is totally wrong about being the ‘happiest place on earth.’ PAWS definitely is my happy place! How can you go wrong when you are with other animal-loving people volunteering their time? Plus, the team that works at PAWS is so appreciative of everything the volunteers do. I couldn't even count the number of times team members have said, ‘thank you.’”