Hi, I’m Joyce Walker.  I started as a foster with Wild Blue in June 2017 when one of the neighborhoods strays we had been feeding had kittens under our front porch.  We foster failed on Alyria (fka Gladiola), our little tuxie girl so much purrsonality from that first litter.  We also foster failed on a bonded pair of hissy spitty brothers who came out of a hoarding case that summer, Kyle and Riley (fka) Hyle & Hodor).  Over the next 6 months, I kept raising my hand to volunteer in other areas…adoption fairs, transport team, fostering the touch cases, events, etc.

I was asked in December 2017 if I would join the leadership team as the Fundraising & Events Coordinator for Wild Blue.  It’s been a whirlwind ride with so much kitty love.

My husband Craig and I consider ourselves semi-retired.  We work a little, volunteer a little and play a little.

In my work life, I’m currently an Election Judge Supervisor/VSPC Lead for El Paso County.  I gave up my career in Project Management/System Analysis in 2005 to be an Army wife, which has allowed me to devote more of my time to volunteering.  I have volunteered with American Red Cross, Crosses for Losses, Black Forest Fire Department and now Wild Blue.

In our play time, we like to travel.  As I write this, we are on the last day of our Southern Caribbean Christmas Cruise.  This trip has been the longest time I’ve gone without finding some kitty love along our way.  When we were in Kauai in March, within 24 hours, we were feeding and loving on a feral colony.  We even left a luau to go feed the kitties.

Animals have always been a part of my life growing up…cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, goats, horses, chickens, ducks, geese…but I didn’t get my very own kitty until I was 25.  He was a Siamese with tons of cattitude and I loved him dearly.  Over the years kitties just seemed to find me.  And then by happenstance in 2004, I became the ferret expert in our area and rescued 34 ferrets over an 8-year period.  Now we are a kitty only family with purr babies ranging between 1 ½ and 15 ½.

It’s going to be a FANTASTIC year for Wild Blue with us celebrating our 10^th Annual Fancy Feast in August.  If you would like to help with events in the coming year, join us on the events_team channel on Slack.

Wild Blue has become my family and I thank you all for welcoming me so warmly.