Whether you are human or animal, one thing is for certain when you work with Graham and Nicki Hird, it’s going to be an adventure!

Graham and Nicki have a warm presence about them that comforts people and animals alike. They have been married over 50 years, and after retiring from their joint travel agency business, they are taking

the time to do the things they love most, which is helping animals!

They began volunteering with ARL after losing their two beloved Golden Retrievers. Knowing they were not ready to adopt another dog, they thought volunteering would be a great way to spend some time with dogs in need.

Volunteering quickly turned into fostering, and fostering eventually led to adopting! They “foster failed”, which is what we call the kind people who end up adopting their foster animal. Both Graham and Nicki were surprised they fostered as many dogs as they did before adopting their pup, Big Red.

Since adopting, the couple has shifted the way they support ARL. They are active participants in ARL’s Roving Rover program! This program is designed for volunteers to take shelter dogs out for field trips.

For Nicki and Graham, this often means bringing a dog for a ride and going to the beach, or even just going to run errands at the many dog-friendly Cape Cod businesses!

Graham and Nicki agree that one of the most important aspects of volunteering is feeling your time was well spent, and they certainly feel that way after spending the day adventuring with an ARL dog. They also take comfort in the fact that all the dogs happily and willingly return to the Animal Care & Adoption Center after their outing, highlighting the quality care all the animals receive there.

In addition to their volunteer support, Graham and Nicki are also members of the Anna Harris Smith Legacy Society®, a special recognition for donors who name ARL in their estate plans/wills. Nicki wishes that more people understood that you do not have to be exorbitantly wealthy or leave an organization all of your money to make a planned gift, saying, “I think the fallacy of leaving a “Legacy” connotes massive quantities of money, so many people do not consider it. The amount is not relevant. You are leaving a gift from your heart to something that is important to you, and that’s what really matters!”

Did you know August is National Make-A-Will Month?

Just as animals have touched your life, you can forever touch the lives of animals by including the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) in your will or financial plans.

Learn how to leave your print and make more than a lifetime of impact for animals.

When you include ARL in your Will or other plans, you become a member of the Anna Harris Smith Legacy Society® and join the company of compassionate supporters like Graham and Nicki, who want their dedication to the well-being of animals to continue long into the future.

Have you included, or are you thinking of including ARL in your will? Let us know so we can thank you! Please contact Jackie at jsmith@arlboston.org.