imagine.change. is more than just Ricoh’s tagline. It’s the ethos that our employees embody so that they can focus their imaginative thinking to drive change. Over the next few months, we’ll be featuring a series of articles about Ricoh employees who have actively changed their communities, teams, and workplace for the better. We consider them to be the true Ricoh Change Makers.
This week we’re wrapping up our Change Maker series with two employees who both have a passion for helping dogs. After receiving help from three animal rescue organizations, Nicole Cottrell and Glen Jace were motivated to do more for these animals and the people who bring them into their families.
A bond without borders
After the loss of her 14-year old lab in 2019, Nicole was introduced to DIBS (Dogs in Better Spots), an organization dedicated to placing homeless, abused and abandoned dogs from Mexico in forever homes here in Canada. Despite the pain of losing Zoey, it wasn’t long before Nicole and her husband Ian were ready to bring another dog into their lives.
“We always knew we’d get another dog, and we only lasted a few weeks before our hearts were bursting with love to give. For us, our dogs are a huge part of our family unit.”
They searched the site and almost instantly found their girl: Dixie Belle. DIBS worked closely with Nicole and the dog shelter in Mexico to arrange for the adoption and her journey to Canada.
While Nicole found her Dixie Belle online, Glen found puppy love in person. On a trip to Cuba with his fiancée, he came across a pair of homeless dogs. Unfortunately, because of the country’s lack of veterinary care and animal shelters, the dogs were in poor health, particularly Luna. Glen knew immediately he wanted to help her (along with the companion who never left her side).
“We decided we would do anything to adopt her… [but] we couldn’t separate them, so we decided to adopt them both.”
In a time of need
Both Glen and Nicole were inspired to volunteer for the very organizations that supported them in their time of need.
For Nicole, it was Lost Paws Inc. an organization that provided search and recovery of lost dogs across southern Ontario. A few days after Dixie Belle had settled into her new home, she spooked and ran away. After a harrowing week-long search with exhaustive efforts, resources and volunteers, Dixie Belle was reunited with her family. Having experienced the impact this had on her, Nicole remained close with the founders and began volunteering her time with both Lost Paws Inc and DIBS.
“Everything I was given: all the people, all the help, all the resources, all the support from businesses [and police] and strangers, I had about 200 volunteers – after getting all of that, you must give it back. You must.”
Unlike the outpouring of support Nicole received from her local community and various animal rescue agencies; Glen was faced with a severe lack of resources. Unfortunately, in Cuba animal shelters and dog adoption organizations are few and far between – and even considered illegal.
