For Patrycja Linkowski, volunteering at PuppyKittyNY City is the highlight of her week.
"I know it's, like, horrible to say, but I love animals more than people,” Linkowski said. “I just feel like they show a different kind of affection."
What You Need To Know
- Patrycja Linkowski volunteers with PuppyKittyNY City in Middle Village, Queens
- She has loved animals since her time on her family's farm in Poland
- Linkowski has takes care of the PuppyKittyNY City's animals and helps fundraise for the organization
Linkowski visits the Middle Village animal shelter several times a week to care for cats and help manage operations.
"There's so many animals on New York City streets,” she said. “And they're unfortunately not in the best conditions because they're not getting vetted, they're not getting medicated, they're living in the cold, they're not getting fed."
Linkowski’s love for animals dates back decades to vacations to her family’s farm in Poland.
"Spending summers at the farm is honestly probably the best thing that could have happened to me," she said.
Her passion for animal welfare intensified during the pandemic. Linkowski began crafting and donating proceeds from her sales to PuppyKittyNY City, raising thousands of dollars and securing hundreds of pounds of food for the shelter.
"It was like my calling,” she said. “I felt like I found something so perfect. It was so close to home. It involved something that I love dearly."
Now, Linkowski volunteers several times a week, feeding and tending to the cats. She also helps run fundraising events and manages the shelter’s pet food bank, which provides crucial support to pet owners.
"I think it allows people to have that money for when they have to go to the vet," she said.
Meagan Licari, the president of PuppyKittyNY City, praised Linkowski's dedication.
"An individual at her age should be going out having fun with their friends, and she's dedicating a lot of her free time to animals,” Licari said. “So it's really impressive."
Linkowski recently adopted one of the cats herself and hopes her efforts contribute to a brighter future for New York City’s animals.
"At the end of the day, the goal is to have a world where there are no homeless animals," she said.
For her commitment to animal welfare, Linkowski was named New Yorker of the Week.
