Kira Krill’s love for dogs has taken her further than she could’ve ever imagined. Krill touches the lives of people and animals everyday, and in turn her own life has been touched by dogs in Portage and elephants in Thailand.
If Krill could bring her 3-year-old Great Dane, Dobby, everywhere, she would. She uses her humor, positivity, and willingness to talk to anyone about dogs to connect with others. However, as a senior at Portage High School a few months ago, Krill was unsure about her career path. It took a call from the director at Lakeshore PAWS about a kennel technician job to help Krill find her “paw-pose” in animal care.
“I fell in love with working in a shelter and providing care to the dogs when I could, and it just evolved to what it is now,” Krill said.
Despite her admiration for the shelter in Valparaiso, Krill left to begin work in June as a kennel technician at Lake Station Pet Clinic. The transition was necessary for the aspiring vet assistant to gain hours to advance. Krill also hopes to apply to veterinary school after she graduates with a degree in biology from Purdue University Northwest.
Krill learned to appreciate life for what it is at Lakeshore PAWS. She advocated for animal rights and ensured the best animal care in her past position.
“I know that things can always be better than what they are, and I would always use my voice because the dogs don't have one," Krill said. “A lot of those dogs are used to street life. Being in the kennels is better than what they had, but at the same time, they can always use more.”
By way of a nomination, Krill was able to learn veterinary techniques at either a domestic or international location through Loop Abroad and WorldStrides. The promise to work with elephants was a deciding factor to choose Thailand as her classroom this past July. The students provided unobtainable healthcare to dogs and cats the first week, while the elephant nature park was saved for the second week. Although they were only allowed to touch the elephants if they were providing medical care, Krill still felt inspired.
“It reminded me that there's so many other things out there,” Krill said. “I always thought that I wanted to do small animals, but now I don't know if I want to do exotic or large animals too.”
The Portage community has been there for Krill throughout her journey. The first time she was recognized in public was by a worker in a Little Caesars Pizza. Flyers about her upcoming trip to Thailand and online fundraising in the forms of a GoFundMe and a Facebook page manifested into something more than a donation.
“That was the craziest thing I've ever experienced,” Krill said. “Since I was young, I wanted to be recognized as somebody doing something good. I spend my time volunteering with these animals to benefit them and benefit the people.”
Giving back to people and animals goes hand in paw. Krill uses photography to help shelter dogs get adopted instead of making a profit off taking photos of people. She also volunteers in the vaccine clinic at Silverstray Social, an organization offering free pet assistance in Gary. While the dogs receive lifesaving resources, it’s heartwarming for Krill to see how happy people are when their dog is vaccinated and/or microchipped.
“Giving back to your community gives you a sense of purpose,” Krill said. “Before I found what I love to do, I was lost. Now that I have really big things that I've done, what I do becomes something.”
Who someone is in their community is more important than where the community is. Krill knows people complain there isn’t anything to do in Portage, but she implores people to realize where oneself is mentally and physically. Krill wants to focus her energy on giving back to the communities that have served her instead of tearing them down.
“When you take a step back and realize what you've done and who you are, where you're at doesn't matter,” Krill said. “Now that Portage is becoming, I think, a better city, it's so nice just to have a good community like that.”
To learn more about Krill’s fundraising journey and trip to Thailand, visit Send Kira to Thailand.