OSA-2022

SAC Outstanding Service Award:  2022

Cathy Walker

Cathy Walker has been a SAC member since 2013.  Since joining she has volunteered as Ontario Director on the Board of Directors, a member of the team organizing the 2014 National Specialty and, most significantly, she is a very active member of the club’s rescue committee. She and her husband breed under the kennel name, WinterFrost Samoyeds.

As a former regional director and co-organizer of the National Specialty, Cathy has already demonstrated a level of club involvement beyond many members, but it is the area of Samoyed rescue that she has gone far above and beyond in her service to the breed.

She helped develop SAC’s current rescue policies and has been responsible for the rescue and successful placement of several Samoyeds including six from Ontario all at the same time. Of late, many of the Samoyeds in need of rescue have come from the Ontario or Quebec regions. Cathy has never refused to help any Samoyed in need and has also mentored others in rescue. She has come to the aid of many Samoyeds over the past number of years. Successful rescue involves picking up dogs – and often travelling some distance to do so – fostering or arranging for fostering homes, arranging vet visits for examinations, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and treatment as necessary, reviewing applications for adopting dogs, arranging for and/or conducting home visits to evaluate future homes for rescued dogs, and following up with rescue families as needed. Rescues often need socialization, training, grooming in addition to being loved.  Cathy has skilfully provided all of these. 

Congratulations Cathy on being the SAC Outstanding Service Award recipient for 2022!