Volunteer at an Animal Shelter - So rewarding!

For a long time I have wanted to give some of my time to helping animals. The thought would pop in to my head, and then I would forget about it for a while. I have a chihuahua and 2 cats which are rescues. Im sure you have all seen the adoption days and a local Pet Smart or Petco. It was here that I rescued and adopted 2 kittens about 1 1/2 years ago. It was then that I took notice of the happy people who gave their time to bring the animals to these adoption days. They spent time with prospective people who were looking for their perfect pet. I wanted to give back to the animals also. My pets have given me such love and affection over the years, and I wanted to help the ones that I couldnt have as my own.

I found a web site for the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter, which I had visited in the past. On the site was information about volunteering and a form to complete. The outreach coordinator would get back to applicants with regards to volunteering. In a week or so, I was contacted by the coordinator, Abby. She told me that if I was truly interested, I could attend an Orientation and she provided me with a few dates to choose from. I thought about it a bit more, and then I took the plunge.

I attended the orientation the next week. It was one hour after work, and it went by so fast. Abby, the outreach coordinator, was an excellent presentor of the information. She talked about the history of the shelter, the way they obtain their animals, the adoption process...etc. We toured the facility and interacted with the dogs and cats. I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the shelter. Every cat bed is washed daily. Every pet food and water dish is triple washed daily including a disinfecting bath of bleach and water. The floors are spotless, the rooms do not have even the slightest odor of animals. The obvious priority in this shelter is the care and health of the animals, and to make the dogs and cats as adoptable as possible.

Volunteers can give as much or as little time as they choose. No schedules need to be provided, although they are appreciated. In addition, volunteers control exactly what they want to participate in. There are no demands made on them to give time to specific areas. For intance, I went on my first day for 3 hours. I washed and dried some pet dishes, I helped with the laundry by folding and stacking towels and pet beds, and then started some new loads of laundry. In between I interacted with the cats in the 'free roaming' catteries. The cats get to walk around free, lay in their clean beds, and if they choose to.... greet prospective new owners as they enter the cattery.

The next week I went for an orientation on dog walking. I learned the do's and dont's of the kennel and the protocol for walking the dogs. The main goal here, is to make the dogs as adoptable as possible. They should be taught not to jump on us, not to be too mouthy, and to get over their fears and nerves of people. This was one of my reasons to volunteer. I love to work with the dogs and gain their trust. Walking them is a great experience to bod with them and make them comfortable. They need to know that the world is not such a terrible place.

I look forward to giving more of my time to events and needs of the shelter as they come up. It is truly a rewarding feeling to see these animals find loving and lifetime homes. I have certainly found a wonderful way to spend some of my free time.