A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Molly Dunne

A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Molly Dunne

Molly Dunne, the marketing and events coordinator of the Humane Society of the Calumet Area, grew up in Lansing, Illinois, but currently lives in Dyer with her boyfriend and dog, Anthony and Walter. She attended college at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame where she studied and obtained a degree in humanistic studies with a minor in business administration.

Dunne took on the position as the marketing and events coordinator of the Humane Society of the Calumet Area back in February, so she is still relatively new to the role.

“We have four subsidiaries: The Humane Society Calumet Area, Moraine Ridge Wildlife Rehab Center, Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic, and The PAWS Resale Shoppe,” Dunne said.

Out of all the four, Dunne is in charge of updating all of the social media websites of each to keep the community up-to-date and informed about adoptions and events planned.

“For the marketing side, I control all the social media. We have Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Our main goal on social media is to get our mission across, post adoptables, and get the word out about what is going on,” she said.

When it comes to event planning, she will not only plan events, but she will advertise it, as well.

“For the events side, I plan, promote, and create fliers and press releases to share with our four subsidiaries, partners, and the community. All of our events are fundraisers and all proceeds benefit the animals,” Dunne said.

One of the events that she jumped on board and helped with right when she took on her position at the Humane Society of the Calumet Area was with their annual gala, which took place at the end of March.

“I came in at the end of planning for our annual gala, but towards the end you have a lot of wrapping up of the last-minute details, she said. “Therefore, I helped promote the event on social media, helped with ticket sales, and planned the auction. It was the first year that the Humane Society of the Calumet Area sold out of tickets for their annual gala, so that was fun and exciting.”

During the event, Dunne was working a lot behind the scenes making sure everything was running smoothly, but she was still able to enjoy the event.

“We had the Moraine Ridge Wildlife Rehab Center come with snakes, owls, toads, and frogs, so everyone really enjoyed that. Also, at the end we had puppies come in, which is always a big hit,” she said. “It was really rewarding to see the community come together for the Humane Society and Moraine Ridge.”

The first event that Dunne will get to plan from start to finish is Paws in the Park.

“Paws in the Park will be held this upcoming September at Community Park in Munster, and it is a free event for the public,” she explained. “We do a walk-a-thon, a vendor fair, and we will have bouncy houses, so it is a family and pet-friendly event. All proceeds for this event will go to the Humane Society of the Calumet Area.”

Dunne’s favorite part about her job is being able to help animals find their forever homes.

“My favorite part about my job is that I get to make an impact on the lives of animals. I rescued my dog about a year ago, and it completely changed my life. So, the fact that I am able to help get these animals more exposure through social media or planning events is such a rewarding experience,” she said.

Outside of working, Dunne enjoys reading and spending time with her family and friends.

Feel free to visit the Facebook pages associated with the Humane Society of the Calumet Region, which includes the Humane Society Calumet Area, Moraine Ridge Wildlife and Rehab Center, PAWS Resale Shoppe, and Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic.