Amazing Volunteers

The people here are amazing. I find it interesting how I can become such great friends with people whose names I don't already know. I feel like I've been here 3-4 days rather than just 2!

When a family comes in to see their pet, the animal comes alive. This is especially apparent with the dogs. Some are timid and withdrawn, but jump up with joy and take on a totally different personality when their family visits them. Several get to go home each day.

The families are so grateful for the care we give the dogs and cats (other animals are housed elsewhere). One man volunteering at the shelter today said he lost everything in the flood except his cat. Despite his loss, he took time to come help others.

Here is a typical day: The dogs are barking wildly with excitement when we arrive. Volunteers come in from the surrounding community. We walk the dogs, clean the stalls/kennels, and give them clean food and water. When we finish the care around lunch, the place settles down. There is the quiet stirring of an occasional dog barking or cat meowing, but most are still. For a couple of hours, the volunteers take care of special needs, manage the paperwork, and prep materials for the afternoon care. Mid afternoon, the place comes alive again, and buzzes with excitement for the afternoon walks, cleaning, and feeding.

Being the lead of an area means I train the volunteers (most are there for the first time), take care of the special needs cats, make sure veterinarians know who needs care, resolve questions that arise, and get paperwork to the right people. We are the caretakers of family pets who are loved - and this is the main reason we are all here.