But come Saturday mornings, Krider leaves her Washington Highlands home in Wauwatosa to work a shift at the Wisconsin Humane Society, 4500 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, where she is a “rabbit socializer.”

Krider, 43, is one of 800 volunteers at the society, where “socializing” means holding, petting, training and playing with the animals to get them used to human contact and, ultimately, ready for adoption as pets. In 2005, nearly 8,000 animals – 3,500 dogs, 3,600 cats and 600 rabbits and other small animals – were adopted through the Wisconsin Humane Society.

Krider prefers to focus on rabbits because so many other volunteers want to work with the dogs, cats, kittens and puppies.

“Rabbits need special care and handling, which is why I like working with them,” Krider explained, as she showed a Humane Society visitor how to properly hold a rabbit by supporting its back feet to prevent injury to its spine.

She also teaches people what it's like to own rabbits, which are timid by nature and more fragile than many people realize. They require daily exercise and attention, and are not meant to be kept in a cage full time in an out-of-the-way place.

Krider's compassion for animals is so strong that she volunteers her time even though she has asthma and is allergic to cats and rabbits. Their fur makes her break out in a rash.

“That's why, no matter what time of year it is, I wear a turtleneck when I volunteer,” she says.

Her shift beings with a review of each rabbit's chart to see how it's responding that day. She greets the animal by name while it's still in its cage, then gently opens the cage door. Sometimes she offers a bit of parsley to break the ice. The social ones accept her attention easily. She lifts one out at a time, holds it and talks to it, then takes it to the “play room” for exercise. The shy bunnies pull away at first, turning their backs to her and huddling in the corner of the cage. They'll require more attention before they're ready for new homes.

Krider's husband, Paul Smith, shares her love for animals. The couple, who own two cats – Spirit and Moto – have traveled the globe to exotic places just to view animals in their natural habitats.

“The reality is, you always feel good while you're here and often after you leave,” Krider says of her work at the Humane Society. “The more time I spend here, the more likely an animal will be adopted.”

-- Photo caption: Caroline Krider has volunteered for the Wisconsin Humane Society for the past six years. She specializes in “socializing” rabbits, which means getting the animals used to human contact and ready for adoption as pets. “Rabbits need special care and handling,” she says.

-- Julie Sneider is assistant managing editor of The Business Journal and editor of Executive Living. She shares her home with cats Nelly and Lily, who were adopted through a local Humane Society.