Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynda Dickinson.
Hi Lynda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have had an affinity towards animals my entire life. Starting at a young age, I would bring home all types of stray animals (much to the chagrin of my parents) including ducks, cats, dogs, reptiles, etc. I have always had a soft spot for animals, and I naturally gravitated towards conservationism and any types of topics related to animals. Growing up, I knew one day I wanted to end up in a career that involved animals. When I turned 18 and went to college, I started volunteering at a few local animal shelters. Once I graduated from university and found myself with a little bit more time, I started fostering for rescue organizations. In early 2024, Femme Felines reached out to me, and asked if I could foster for their organization. I quickly connected with the founder and CEO, Emy. We bonded quickly over our love for animals, amongst other things such as how we view the world, and even our favorite places to shop. Fast forward to today, Emy and I are now rescue partners running Femme together! I am approaching two years with Femme Felines, and I know this journey has just gotten started. After all we have accomplished the last few years, I can’t wait to see where it will take us next!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has been far from easy running a rescue organization. There are always constant moving parts, and lots of layers behind each adoption. When dealing with live animals, it is never an easy feat. I think the biggest struggle my rescue partner Emy and I go through is handling young kittens. Young kittens are extremely fragile, and often times it feels like a never ending cycle of keeping them alive and healthy since they are so susceptible to diseases and other things. Another struggle we face is dealing with people on a daily basis. Since our organization is entirely foster based, we rely heavily on our foster homes to help us care for our kittens. More often than not, things don’t go perfectly according to plan, and we always have to be mindful of everyone’s respective schedules. Often times, I find myself moving around my own schedule to make things work for other people. As the Foster & Adoption Executive, I am also constantly in contact with our foster’s and adopter’s. Naturally, with the sheer number of people involved, there will always be conflicting view points. My role in Femme has really taught me to be patient and have a more open mind.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am actually currently enrolled as a student to be a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant). Aside from loving animals, I really gravitate towards helping people, and I think I would really excel in a healthcare setting. I think the thing I am most proud of is how far I’ve come in life. I have dealt with a lot of adversity, and have never wavered from who I am at the core. I am really proud of myself for sticking to who I am, and never comprising who I am for other people. I believe what sets me apart from others is how empathetic I am. I truly care more about the people closest to me than I do for myself sometimes.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to me most is my family, friends, and my pets. I think in a world that is built to be so materialistic, it is important to remember the things we usually take for granted. I often times like to take a step back and remind myself how beautiful my life is, and how lucky I am to have the opportunities that I do.
