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Robbie Fowler posted:was good, really enjoyed it. although it's sad the dogs are in there (including some that have spent the majority of their life in the facility (14 months old, been there just shy of 12 months), i guess by giving them attention and cheering them up as well as making their pen look presentable, it will hopefully help find them a home. It is sad that animals end up in these places, but look at it this way: at least they're in a shelter where they're getting socialized and have the possibility of going home with a loving family instead of chained in some douchebag's back yard. You're doing a great service to them by helping out, and you should feel awesome because it is awesome to help critters in need. 
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Oct 15, 2014 06:21
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Robbie Fowler posted:Did my first unassisted shift last saturday, worked 5 hours cleaning pens, playing with dogs and cats, feeding them, checking them for tickets and other things that may be suss. Keep that attitude up! You may be the very thing that gets these animals new, happy homes.
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Oct 15, 2014 15:26
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I have volunteered the past year at my local animal shelter. My shelter is where the now-infamous Kiva was dumped. I do cat care once a week, and fill in when I can (I took some vacation time recently, so I'm giving back for those who covered for me). We're a non-kill shelter, and most of our animals stay there less than a month. We had some animals that were there about 4 months, who were senior, cranky, unfriendly, and white haired. They were adopted and surprise, they're actually quite friendly when they live with their owner. We foster out kittens, so they never crowd out our shelter space. They get brought to the shelter on adoption days, T/Th/Saturdays. We also take in dogs, though we tend to have fewer of them. We have a hoarding case right now, so we've got a bunch of dogs barking and making GBS threads up the place while the courts sort it out. I got scratched tonight by a new cat. It happens, and I don't blame the cat. I disinfected and bandaged and got back into it. I also am an assistant editor for the shelter newsletter. I donate cat food to the shelter when I notice funds are down, and assist with events if possible. We in cat care work in groups of 4 for 2 hours, cleaning cages, feeding, jotting notes about voiding and eating habits, and if you're trained, administer medication. I like my teammates, for the most part. I work with two women in their late 30s, a girl my age, and a much older woman. I get annoyed when kittens get played with - the older cats need socialization, ffs, play with them. Who was it that said kittens can gently caress right off? Yeah. We don't have a huge laundry pile. The animals get to sleep in their own familiar blanket unless they get some kind of biological spill on it. I like my little shelter, and being able to help where I can. I couldn't imagine doing this work at a kill shelter. I think my soul would be ruined.
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Oct 18, 2014 02:58
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my darling feet posted:I get annoyed when kittens get played with - the older cats need socialization, ffs, play with them. Who was it that said kittens can gently caress right off? Yeah. Also, I agree with you about the kittens/puppies always getting the attention. I always feel sad when I see a 6+ year animal in a shelter, as most people gravitate towards a young animal over an older one. I often wonder how they got put in a shelter at that age, whether their owners died or moved away, or simply didn't want them anymore. 
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Oct 18, 2014 04:41
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Robbie Fowler posted:Did my first unassisted shift last saturday, worked 5 hours cleaning pens, playing with dogs and cats, feeding them, checking them for tickets and other things that may be suss. It sucks, but it's a good idea to know when to detach. Getting too emotionally invested will just burn someone out 10 times faster than usual. I assisted in a training class over a year ago, fell in love with one of the puppies in class, but then due to a combination of the owner ignoring the trainer's advice and the puppy's genetics, she became way too aggressive to safely handle and had to be euthanized. It sucked, but I knew it was for the best and didn't lose any sleep over it. Can we vent about rescue drama for a moment? There's a bunch of bullshit happening amongst my local rescues lately. I'm not even involved by it's loving draining and painfully counter-productive. Do never get involved in the drama, I don't care how passionate you are, it never brings good things. In other news, I am now teaching dog behavior/training clinics and classes at the local humane society now. I may also be taking on a behavior assistant position there. So, that's exciting.
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Oct 24, 2014 02:05
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