TDS has named Senior Project Manager Lindsay Trustem, an Evansville resident, its most recent Volunteer of the Quarter!
“My love for animal rescue is in my DNA,” says Trustem said. “Growing up, my parents would always take in animals in need of love and care, so I grew up with all sorts of rescue animals. I’m a very empathetic person, but the satisfaction and pride I get from rehabbing these often terrified, abused animals into happy, loving creatures is everything to me.”
When Lindsay turned 18, she volunteered at a local animal shelter. When volunteering, Lindsay learned the harsh reality that all animal shelters are not no-kill.
Despite this, Lindsay continued volunteering with the shelter for three years, doing everything she could to make a difference—walking dogs, cleaning kennels, and helping nurse sick animals back to health. Around this time, Lindsay also adopted her first rescue animal—a cat named Calvin.
“When I was 18 and living on my own for the first time, I adopted Calvin after a friend of mine found him abandoned in a boat well,” Lindsay said. “From there, I started adding to my pack of animals and adopted two pit bull mixes—Mahlu and Ace. That’s when I fell in love with the breed and became passionate about rescue and giving back.”
According to Lindsay, pit bulls are typically the most overlooked, misunderstood, and hardest animals to adopt. For the last 20 years, she’s been an active pet foster, owning at least two pit bulls at any given time. Lindsay and her husband, Jim, currently have four rescue pit bulls in their Evansville, Wisconsin home!
Over the last 20 years, Lindsay has volunteered at several different rescue organizations and non-profits, including The Cats Pawjamas Rescue (Albany, Wisc.), Misfit Felines Rescue (Stoughton, Wisc.), Brown Paws Dog Rescue (Edgerton, Wisc.), Diamond Dogs Rescue (Madison, Wisc.), the Paws Humane Society (Rockford, Ill.), Rescue Railroad (Chicago, Ill.), and Czar’s Promise (Madison, Wisc.). Lindsay also served on the Board of Directors for Fetch Wisconsin Rescue (Madison, Wisc.), where she assisted in fundraising and planning its first annual Fetch 5k Dog Jog.
Lindsay is also heavily involved with Rescue Railroad, an organization that—through its volunteers—helps transport rehabbed animals to their forever homes throughout the country.
“At TDS we think it’s important to give back to the communities we serve and celebrate the associates who live out our shared values,” said TDS Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Andrew Petersen. “Congratulations to Lindsay for receiving this well-deserved recognition.”
Congratulations to our most recent Volunteer of the Quarter, Lindsay Trustem!
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