Anna Proleika has always been a dog lover. She grew up with dogs and is passionate about animal welfare. When she moved to the Charleston area 10 years ago, she learned that Charleston Animal Society had many programs and was very active in the community.
A friend mentioned CAS’ Paws Around Town program, which allows members of the community to take adoptable dogs out for a field trip. Per CAS, “Paws Around Town allows us to give a shelter dog a day off. The stress of a shelter can be very overwhelming for dogs and a day out on the town is the perfect getaway they need. It also allows people to spend time with our dogs without having to commit to adopting.”
“For the first six months,” said Proleika, “I had a 100% success rate for having the dogs I took out adopted!”
Today, Proleika goes to CAS to walk their adoptable dogs. “While the facility is remarkable,” she said, “the dogs still stay in small spaces and need mental stimulation away from the noise of the shelter environment.” In addition, she volunteers her time at CAS’ Saturday adoption events with the goal of helping the dogs get adopted.
Proleika is currently working on a dog training certification, with which she hopes to help adoptable dogs even more. By using her dog training skills with shelter dogs, she aims to mold them into better companions and give them a better chance of finding their forever homes.
As if that weren’t enough, Proleika also fosters puppies and kittens for Palmetto Paws, in addition to caring for her own dogs and working full-time as a consultant. Working remotely allows her control over her schedule, which she manages seamlessly — always making time for those who need her most.
“I am fueled by this work,” she said. “The dogs are so grateful; they light up and you can see it in their smiles and bodies.” She often spends a couple of hours at the shelter between her other responsibilities because getting “filthy with the dogs” is as fulfilling for her as it is for the dogs she exercises.
Proleika started volunteering in 2022 and has fallen so deeply in love with companion animals that she also started a side gig as a dog walker and pet sitter. Anna’s Happy Tails is the culmination of all she has learned from the shelter, the pets and the pet-loving community. She even offers wedding and special event handling services, in which she looks after pets as they participate in their humans’ most memorable celebrations.
With enviable energy and a heart as large as the Lowcountry, Proleika’s dedication to the pets does not go unnoticed. When asked about her many contributions, Proleika responded, “I wish I had started this sooner.”
By Isabel Alvarez Arata