A Cattery Companion with a Heart for Cats
Suppose you’ve ever wandered into the Hallie Hill cattery on a quiet afternoon and spotted someone eating her lunch and giving head rubs to some affectionate felines. In that case, chances are you’ve met Gwen D’Orazio. A devoted weekly volunteer since 2023, Gwen has quickly become a favorite among the community cat colony and the “Sweethearts,” as she lovingly refers to the sanctuary’s resident cattery cats. Whether offering head rubs or simply providing a calm presence, Gwen has a special way of making each cat feel cherished.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Gwen’s journey has taken her from the Southwest to the Northeast and now to the warm charm of the Lowcountry. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico before launching a 20-year career in Boston as a jewelry buyer and product development design manager for a multi-channel catalog/website company. In 2015, Gwen and her husband traded snowstorms for sunshine and moved to Charleston—and she’s never looked back. Though she and her husband now share their home with a tennis-named pup named Rafa, Gwen’s heart has always belonged to cats. Over the years, she’s adopted three cats and cared for several feral colonies. One of those colony cats led her to Hallie Hill—a feral cat in need of rehoming brought her through our doors, and she says she’ll be forever grateful that we opened both our hearts and our sanctuary to him. By day, Gwen serves as a Content Director for an Amazon agency, but her passion for animals fills her spare time. She enjoys traveling, Pilates, and quiet evenings with her husband, but her weekly visits to Hallie Hill feed her soul. She calls it a “true blessing and honor” to volunteer alongside some of the most thoughtful and kind individuals she’s ever met.

Thank you, Gwen, for your dedication, compassion, and all the love you bring to our feline friends!

Finding himself with lots of time on his hands, Christopher decided to put his love for dogs to good use when he began to volunteer with Dorchester Paws, where he met our own Michele Griffin! After the Covid hiatus, Christopher began looking to volunteer once again with dogs. After connecting with Michele on Facebook, he came out to Hallie Hill at her invitation and the rest is history, as they say! Christopher shared, “The staff and volunteers here at Hallie Hill are a friendly and welcoming group and I felt this was the place for me where I hopefully could make a difference in the lives of the dogs at the sanctuary.” Christopher volunteers his time 3 days a week and is ‘Fear Free’ certified!

Christopher and his wife have had the privilege of owning many beloved animals over the years, the fondest memories created by a pedigreed Bichon Frises, named Jeeves, who was purchased in England and named after the storied British butlers! The collective Bernique pack has been quite eclectic over the years including a Pomeranian, a Toy Poodle, two Bichons, a Chihuahua, and a Chinese Crested. Their current adorable canine master is named Monte, a Silky Terrier who will be 16 years young in May!

We thank Christopher for his dedication to the animals of Hallie Hill – we are ALL lucky to have you with us!

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Mary Malarkey, A Champion for Special Needs Dogs

Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary is fortunate to have wonderful volunteers like Mary Malarkey. Mary grew up in Washington, DC, and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1981 with a degree in Microbiology. After graduation, Mary embarked on a career for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), serving the public proudly for over 32 years. Mary has always been drawn to the water, and after falling in love with Charleston, decided to make it her permanent home in 2021. Mary now resides on Johns Island with her rescue dog Milo Louie, and her Partner, Rob. Mary is a proud stepmom, Grandma Mary to six, Oma to one, and has recently welcomed her fourth great-grandchild.

Mary’s lifelong love for animals was deepened by her 15 years of volunteer experience at a rescue group in Maryland. Upon retiring, Mary wasted no time getting involved with Hallie Hill and has become a valuable member of our volunteer team here at the Sanctuary. Special needs dogs hold a special place in Mary’s heart. She finds it incredibly rewarding to connect with and see these dogs open up after all they have endured. One such dog is Olive, a sweet and shy soul who came to us from an overcrowded shelter. Olive struggled at first and was very timid around people. With Mary’s tender love and care, Olive has begun to open up and make tremendous progress.

Mary’s enthusiasm extends beyond the animals – she cherishes the relationships she’s built with other volunteers and has described it as a privilege being able to work with such caring folks. Thank you Mary for your unwavering commitment to Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary, our animals, and our team.