“We could never go by the pet store with Stephanie (as a child),” she said. “(If she had her way,) we’d end up with a car full (of animals.) She’d almost always rather be around animals than people, and the more the merrier.”

Although Cindy LaRue said her daughter has moved on from the days of trying to bring home stray cats and dogs, her passion for helping animals has not subsided. LaRue currently works full time coordinating adoptions at the Capital Area Humane Society, 7095 W. Grand River Ave., and also is an undergraduate veterinary technology student. She is surrounded by all the pets she missed out on as a child — and she absolutely loves it.

“It’s all so rewarding, seeing the animals get new homes,” LaRue said. “And I actually feel like I’m making a difference, which is what I like the most about it.”

LaRue began working at the Humane Society as a volunteer during her sophomore year at MSU and also has worked as part of the kennel crew and at the front desk. She currently works about 40 hours per week, and even has taken this semester off from school to focus on her job and other priorities, she said.

On a day-to-day basis, LaRue does everything from cleaning kennels to feeding and medicating animals. She also ensures proper recovery for animals that were abused as well as coordinates the entire adoption process.

Zoology senior Ashley Ayers, another MSU student volunteer, said LaRue was meant to work at the shelter.

“She’s definitely a leader,” she said. “She knows how to handle just about every situation. She’s very kind, trusting and caring.”

After seeing her interact with animals as a child, Cindy LaRue said her daughter has a special way with them that is unlike anything she’s seen.

“She’s like the female version of ‘The Dog Whisperer,’” she said. “She has a very patient, calm way about her that makes animals more trusting.”

After returning to MSU in the fall, LaRue hopes to attend grad school and become an animal behaviorist, which would allow her to perform temperament testing on animals in the shelter to ensure they are safe to be adopted into homes with children or other pets.

Ayers said her friend and coworker has the right balance between compassion and strength to make a career out of her passion.

“You have to be strong,” she said. “A lot of the things you deal with and see aren’t the most pleasant. You also have to have patience and a lot of love to give. More than anything else, these animals want love.”