It seems to us that Diane Stana has been a staple at and a big supporter of almost every local animal rescue organization since forever!! If she isn’t out of town, she is readily available and can sell almost anything. We try to book her early before her schedule fills up because she is so in demand.
Possessed of a wry sense of humor, an intelligent brain and a great laugh, she will be welcome at ANYTHING and EVERYTHING White Whiskers produces. And sitting next to her at events is always guaranteed to be interesting and fun!
Thank you Diane for all your years of service to the local animal non-profit world! You are a blessing to us all!
#1 – Q: How long have you cared about animals?
A: I have always loved animals, as far as I can remember. Where our family rented, we couldn’t have a pet. At 7, my Brownie troop visited the ECSPCA. Seeing all those homeless dogs confined in kennels definitely had an impact on my future. As an adult, I adopted my first dog, Muffin, from the ECSPCA. It was the beginning of a long relationship with many dogs and cats.
#2 – Q: Would you rather spend an evening being taken out to a fancy restaurant and wined and dined or sitting on your couch with your pets and watching a movie?
A: Though I definitely like to eat out, fancy wining and dining was never a big thing for me. Whenever possible, my dog Emily goes along for a ride, and it’s take-out in the car, so that she can share in the goodies. She’s not the patio type…she’ll squeal like a pig when she sees other dogs, so that’s pretty much a no, LOL. And, I love having an 80 lb lap dog! And, of course, the cats just think they can sit on my head.
#3 – Q: How many rescues and shelters do you actually volunteer with?
A: Getting older, my volunteering is now limited to helping organizations at their events, usually selling basket raffle tickets. My days of hands-on help are, unfortunately, behind me. I love to support as many animal organizations that I can. My regulars for helping at events are, of course, White Whiskers, and NCSPCA and Hope Before Heaven. I do have many years of hands on experience in the past though. I spent 5 years, twice a week, in the Petco Cat Room for Buffalo Paws and Claws, and helping with the dogs at many adoption events. Helping the scared cats become trusting and happy was a very rewarding experience. I had about 10 years of hands-on volunteering with BPC, prior to their founders moving out of state last year. Adopting my dog Geoffrey from them in 2010, opened my eyes to the rescue community and the wonderful things they did. BPC rescued him from a kill shelter in Ohio. After his passing, Emily was adopted from the Buffalo City Shelter. She was their longest resident at the time – 6 months in their care. Once you open your eyes to the needs in rescue, you can never turn back.
#4 – Q: Once White Whiskers Sanctuary is up and running, what will that mean to you?
A: White Whiskers will be such a benefit to the senior dogs, and to the people who can use some dog-therapy. So many dogs are left in a situation where their owners have either passed on or are no longer able to care for them. Too many people are quick to judge when families aren’t able to unexpectedly care for an animal. WW will be a safe, loving place for those senior dogs to land. And, not being able to have a pet until I was on my own, I know firsthand how much having a place to visit a loving dog would mean to someone. A Win-Win for the dogs in need, and the people who need the love of a dog. Can’t wait to see this become a reality! And, it’s amazing to see so many people have joined on as volunteers! And, by the way, that first dog I adopted as a pup, lived 19 years – and not a day did she have to wonder if she was loved!
– Polla Milligan, Founder & Director
