Olga Smirnova: Not every human should have a dog, but every dog should have a human

27 september 2024

Our September issue of the About People and Good Deeds column features Olga Smirnova, an expert and an activist of the volunteering movement at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex, discussing the problem with stray animals in the region, sharing her observations about how volunteering has affected her personal growth and outlook on life, and offering advice on how to effectively recruit a team of volunteers.

Could you please share with us how you started volunteering and what had inspired you to go down this path?
Over 3 years ago, I started monitoring information either posted on the CLICK platform or featured in corporate newsletters dedicated to announcements of upcoming campaigns, such as activities implemented within the framework of the Green Formula, Separate Waste Collection, or Get Your Child Ready for School projects held within the framework of the Green Formula project. I grew interested in getting involved in these activities and spending my weekends in an informal setting with my family and colleagues, and in general in being useful and in doing something good and kind. Volunteering campaigns that are implemented within the framework of the Green Formula project are my family’s most favorite pastimes as they give us the opportunity to not only spend time together in a beautiful park surrounded by birds, squirrels, wildlife, clean air, and my colleagues bristling with positivity, but also to work together planting hundreds of saplings to make our park even more beautiful for future generations. Our son always accompanies us to these outings. I believe that it is necessary to teach children to love and protect our nature from an early age!

At your place of work, you supervise a company-wide campaign known as Big Help for Little Friends. What types of help to animals that you provide within the framework of the campaign do you consider the most critical and why?
As part of this campaign, we work with the employees of the Amur Gas Chemical Complex to raise funds, as well as collect animal food and cleaning supplies for the animals kept at the local Tvory Dobro (Do Good) shelter. Any help is always welcome. It is also vital for the survival of the shelter that keeps dogs and cats out of trouble. Some of the animals may have been hit by a car or mauled by dogs. As a rule, these animals need expensive treatment. The funds that we raise are used to repay the shelter’s debt incurred when paying for treating the animals. And there is no such thing as enough food or cleaning supplies where it comes to animals’ needs.

What sorts of problems do you encounter when helping homeless animals in your region?
Unfortunately, the situation with stray animals in our region is a very dire one. Almost in every neighborhood you can find packs of stray dogs who make some people's lives uncomfortable or even scare them, while others, by contrast, feed the animals, as they feel sorry for them. Both positions are quite understandable. But we shouldn’t be forgetting that the real reason why there are so many stray animals out there in the streets are humans who, after having taken on the responsibility for their pet, failed to fulfill their duty and simply got rid of their pet in the simplest possible way - by throwing the animal out. I fully agree with what they say: "not every human should have a dog, but every dog should have a human".

Would you share with us some of the most memorable moments in your experience of working with animals?
Despite all the obvious challenges, there are also moments that can bring you joy. I recall a moment that happened a couple of years ago when, walking my dog in the evening, I spotted three very tiny little puppies at an abandoned lot. After feeding the puppies, I started looking for ways to contact local shelters. But considering that the situation in our city is not really great in that sense, I couldn’t, of course, find any shelters that would be ready to take in the three babies at that very moment. The next day I needed to go to a store. I learned that one of the sales attendants at that store turned out to be an active volunteer, who was aware of the situation with the puppies from the previous day. I sent her photos of the puppies, which she posted in various dedicated groups and within just 2 days the puppies ended up getting adopted.

How has volunteering affected your personal growth and outlook on life?
– I think that volunteering has made me a braver and more resolute person. I used to be afraid of a lot of things: afraid to go to a shelter, afraid that I was going to see dogs kept in cages and then worry about their plight for a long time, that I will get upset. True, that was the selfishness in me that I had to overcome. But in the end, all these visits turned out to be as positive, funny, useful as they can get, and ultimately, you stop asking yourself: "What would it be like if...?" You accept things the way they are, and you want to bring those in need all the joy you can give them however short-lived it can be whenever an opportunity presents itself.

Could you tell us about your experience in carrying out volunteering projects with the support of the Formula for Good Deeds program?
Thanks to the support of the Formula for Good Deeds program, I implemented a project I called A Bird Feeder in Every Yard in 2023, which is a project to build, hang and maintain bird feeders in the most needed places around the city. This year I am implementing my second volunteering project with the support of the program, I called it "Give me a paw, friend!".

What are the principal goals of your "Give me your paw, friend!" project?
The "Give me a paw, friend!" project is a volunteering project aimed at creating a spacious kennel with enough space for two dogs at the Svobodnensky Tvory Dobro shelter for homeless animals. We implemented it last summer with the help of volunteers from the Amur Gas Chemical Complex. Our goal was to build a new cozy home for dogs so that they would feel warm and comfortable there at any time of the year. After the kennel is built, the shelter will be able to accommodate two more saved dogs.

In 2024, at the 2nd Forum of Amur Oblast’s Corporate Volunteers, you received a letter of commendation from the Governor of Amur Oblast for your contribution to the development of corporate volunteering and for preserving family values in Amur Oblast. Please tell us more about your family members’ involvement in doing good?
I was very pleased to receive this letter of commendation from the Governor of Amur Oblast awarded to me at the 2nd Forum of Corporate Volunteers for developing corporate volunteering and preserving family values in Amur Oblast. I keep the framed letter in a visible place on my desk at work to decorate my work space. My family is always with me no matter what. My husband takes care of all the men's chores: he nails the bird feeders together, draws kennel designs, he is actively involved in building kennels with the help of volunteers. His contribution to volunteering is no less important than mine. Perhaps it is even greater than mine. Our six-year-old son is always with us, too, as he endeavors to help us with everything we do. But I think the main contribution little Miron has been making is his way of communicating with the dogs. They are really fond of him and they willingly offer themselves to be stroked and groomed.

How do you notify SIBUR’s employees about your new initiatives and get them involved in volunteering?
To get people involved, we issue notifications about upcoming events on the corporate CLICK network, publish newsletters via Outlook, and also hang traditional paper posters on information boards in high traffic locations.

What are your volunteering plans for the future?
I will always be trying to do something good to others. I will keep on managing our company-wide Big Help to Little Friends campaign and, whenever possible, take part in all volunteering activities of the Formula for Good Deeds program.

More information about SIBUR's volunteers and their upcoming activities is available on social media, such as VK and Telegram.

In case you missed our previous issues:
Anastasia Shanulina: "Volunteering is an opportunity to surround oneself with people who care"
Anastasia Akhrameeva: "Inclusion helps break social isolation"
Renat Nigmatullin: "It is neat not where cleaning is done, but where people don't make mess"
Yulia Klochkova: "Volunteering is a norm"
Andrey Khiletsky: "Volunteering is a movement that unites people"
Minzilya Syutkina: "If there is a will, opportunities will follow."

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