About Friends of the Pound
Who are we and what do we do?
Our Organisation
We are a not-for-profit organisation who rescue animals from the Tweed Shire Pound. Although we assist in the day-to-day pound operations, we run independently from the pound so are solely dependant on donations and the fund-raising efforts of our volunteers.
Our aim is to re-home the homeless dogs and cats in the Tweed area. By adopting a pet, you will be rewarded with unconditional love and lifelong devotion – and you will also be saving a life.
We also promote the importance of responsible pet ownership and slowly but surely, hope to lessen the increasing number of homeless animals, particularly through encouraging the desexing of animals.
Meet the Committee
Sonia Trichter
President & Cat Coordinator
I joined FoP in 2010 as a ‘newby’ to animal welfare, having always had a dog or cat in my life. When the opportunity of taking on the role of Cat Co-ordinator arose, I became more involved, treating each one as I would my own and celebrating when the right home is found for these lovely creatures! The President’s role has been a learning curve, but with a stable committee, the organisation runs smoothly. Our vision is for a FoP Rehoming Centre, supported by our system of Foster Carers.
Nicole Lovrics
Secretary
Our journey with FoP began three years ago when my daughter and I adopted two kittens. Inspired by that experience, my daughter was determined to volunteer as soon as she was old enough—and this year, we finally joined the team together. It’s been a privilege to transition from adopters to advocates, and I have since been given the wonderful opportunity to serve as Committee Secretary. I am honoured to contribute to a leadership team so deeply passionate about animal welfare. While I take my administrative duties seriously, I truly relish my time hands-on with the cats and am fully embracing my personal progression into ‘official cat lady’ status.
Estelle Williams
Treasurer & Webmaster
Every animal I’ve had the pleasure of knowing has been special, so when I moved to the area, becoming a foster carer with Friends of the Pound was a natural step. A few years later, when Sonia invited me to take on the Treasurer role, I was happy to offer my skills to such a worthy cause.
It’s been a privilege to support the organisation’s growth and to work alongside such dedicated volunteers, whose compassion makes a real difference for animals who can’t speak for themselves.
Penny Payne
Membership Officer
I have always had cats in my life and when I found a Friends of the Pound rehoming centre and had the time to volunteer I did so. What started off as one morning a week soon escalated to becoming Team Leader first at The Pines and then at Corporation Circuit. I also willingly started fostering pregnant and nursing mums and their kittens which is hugely rewarding. It can be quite emotional watching one of ‘my’ babies being adopted into a forever home.
Jennifer Arnold
Committee Member
I enjoy having a hand in several areas of Friends of the Pound’s activities. I like working at our Rehoming Booth and at the Pound, as well as caring for my own pets, all of which are rescued animals. I also take other dogs out for walks to help those in the community who are unable to exercise their dogs due to illness or injury. I drive a sedan and it’s fun to watch 3 or 4 dogs’ heads and bodies leaning from side to side and bouncing around when I take them out!
Cherie Kruse
Committee Member
I’ve resided in Tweed for 18 years, and have volunteered with FoP since 2015. I currently lead the FoP team at ‘Just Cats’ at Murwillumbah, and my role there includes caring for all aspects of our cats and managing the team and premises. I also create covered beds, nestling pillows and padded rings for our rescued felines, that provide comfort and security and make our job of rehoming faster. My background as a Real Estate Agent and Senior Ticket Officer at Singapore Airlines has honed my public facing skills.
Yvette Brown
Committee Member
I have been a resident of Murwillumbah for 40 years, and I have been driven by a deep passion for animal welfare, beginning when I was 12 and volunteering at the RSPCA Pound in Grafton during school breaks and at the Grafton vet clinic, expanding my volunteering in the 90s to include Tweed RSPCA. I began volunteering at Murwillumbah Vet Clinic 43 years ago, and I am still volunteering there. In 1996 I launched a successful boarding kennel on my 350 acre farm. In 2007 I began fostering cats, dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs for FoP and since 2019 I have been caring for Tweed Shire Council pound animals. My commitment to animal welfare grows stronger, and I eagerly anticipate contributing to FoP’s growth.
Kathy Lee
Committee Member
Thank you to our supporters whose support makes our work possible.
