Kerry McCleary

Retail Volunteer, Glasgow Shawlands PDSA Shop

Our Retail Volunteers are all dedicated people with a passion for pets – why else would they give up their time to support us? But Glasgow’s Kerry McCleary doesn’t just go the extra mile for PDSA, she goes 160 miles every day!

“When I first applied for the job, my application was nearly rejected because the Shop Manager looked at how far away I lived and thought I’d applied for the wrong shop. Thankfully, I managed to persuade her that I really did want the role. I travel an hour and a half each way to work in the PDSA Shop, sometimes longer if I get stuck behind a tractor, but it’s worth it.”

Passion for pets

“I’ve always had a strong passion for the welfare of pets but I didn’t have the stomach to be a vet. I still wanted to make a difference to pets’ lives but I wasn’t sure how. During a shopping trip I noticed the PDSA shop and went online to find out more. I stumbled on the volunteering section and knew I wanted to get involved. I started at PDSA in Spring 2015 and within six months I had been promoted to Lead Volunteer.”

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Talking shop

“I love talking with customers. We have some people who nip in for a chat on a regular basis, and we also get a lot of people whose pets have been helped by PDSA that pop in with donations to show their gratitude. As well as dealing with stock donations and dressing the shop, I’m also responsible for encouraging stock donations through appeals in the local press and on social media. I also have to handle phone enquiries, from arranging stock pick-ups to directing people with sick pets to their nearest PDSA Pet Hospital.

Retail rescuer

“During my time with PDSA, I’ve been involved in a couple of real-life rescues. One time I was looking out of the shop window and saw a dog running loose over the road. I was scared the dog would be hurt, so I took a lead from the shop and set out to rescue him. He didn’t have a microchip, unfortunately, so the vet took him to the local rehoming centre. Later that evening they contacted me to say he had been reunited with his owner.

“There’s always something going on at the shop – there’s never a dull moment.”