#367

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If you are a dog lover – especially a pit bull lover – and you have Facebook, it is likely that you heard about the multi-state dog fighting bust that occurred in August 2013. In total,

Photo from hsus.org

Photo from hsus.org

367+ dogs were seized from throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas after a three year investigation that resulted in the arrest of ten suspects (read more in the Humane Society of the United States’ press release). It was a huge score against animal cruelty.

This past weekend I deployed to the site where these dogs are being held, and I will be volunteering here for five days. The dogs have been at this temporary shelter since the raid – going on five months now – but of course continue to require daily care, which means volunteers are still needed. I jumped at the opportunity to meet and help them.

Because it is a federal investigation, most of the details about the case, including the dogs, are required to be kept under wraps. But what I can tell you is that working with these dogs is one of the most rewarding experiences of my short twenty four years. I have friends who’ve come here over the past few months and told me I’d feel this way, but I didn’t really believe them. I’ve seen a lot of pit bull rescue stuff, this can’t be *that* different, can it? It can.

It’s not a feeling you can grasp by hearing it from someone else. The only way for me to truly feel the effects of working with animals from a cruelty case is to see the dogs for myself: look them in the eye, get to know them as individuals, soak up their entire being. That is what you get to do when you are here volunteering. Sure, you are cleaning and feeding and exercising and working your butt off, but every little task you do is for those dogs. They are with you all day every day, and even the smallest interactions with them give insight into their resilience and strength.

I’m writing this post on night two and while I am completely and utterly exhausted, I’m so happy to know I still have three more days with these dogs, the other volunteers and the HSUS staff who make it all happen.  It’s like a big happy family and a really well-oiled machine all in one – a very exciting operation to be a part of, even if only in a small way.

HSUS and the ASPCA are two national groups who are working with these dogs right now, but there are two additional rescue groups who are making a difference in a big way: Handsome Dan’s Rescue and a rescue many of you should be familiar with if you’ve read this blog for a while now, Jasmine’s House. These rescues are teaming up to take some dogs from this case as soon as the dogs are released (stay tuned for more info on the dogs!). The rescues are going to cover expenses for the transport, medical needs, foster care, etc. of these cruelty survivors. If you’re interested in directly helping these dogs, check out more information from Handsome Dan. If you enjoy really cute puppies, keep an eye on the Jasmine’s House Facebook page because they currently have a 367 puppy in their foster program!

I’ve got so much to say about what I’ve learned from this experience, but I can barely keep my eyes open and have another ten-hour day at the shelter tomorrow so that will have to wait for next week. I will leave you with a quote that has deeply resonated with me in regards to these dogs and what they have faced:

“The willow knows what the storm does not: that the power to endure harm outlives the power to inflict it.”

Photo from facebook.com/humanesociety.

Photo from facebook.com/humanesociety.

Living for the Weekends

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Sometimes, because life is moving so quickly and I get so caught up in the day to day, I forget to sit back and realize how lucky I am to live the life I do. It seems like the grass is always greener when it comes to fostering – when I have a dog I miss the freedom of not having one, and when I don’t have one I really, really want one. This weekend made me realize that I need to embrace the fact that I am in the position to have the best of both worlds right now.  Working at an animal shelter (or volunteering, as the case may be for most people) allows you special opportunities to help homeless animals even when you cannot bring them into your home.

This past weekend I enjoyed the best of both of my worlds. Mark and I spent Saturday at a Tim McGraw concert (any country fans out there? this was my fourth time seeing him and every time it gets better and better!). Then Sunday it was back to focusing on the four legged tail-waggers that make my heart beat.

timconcertI’ve written about it before (in my pre-teaser teaser for Johnnie!), but I absolutely LOVE spending time at adoption events with great people and dogs. These events actually don’t always bring a huge amount of adoption interest for our dogs, but the day out of the shelter is totally worth it. Watching the dogs soak up the fresh air, new sniffs and attention from strangers is priceless! These events started small but thanks to the hard work of some dedicated volunteers, we were able to take nine adoptable pit mixes to the event this time around to enjoy a field trip into the real world!

photo jaycar

photo 4capone photo 3mia photo 2miabay photo jgirl

I fell in absolute love with the dog I brought, an adorable four year old female named Jayla. I’ll be gushing about her in tomorrow’s post – check back then if you want more of this ADORABLE smile!

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No Better Way to Spend the Weekend

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As if working 40+ hours in a week at the shelter wasn’t enough for me, I more often than not find myself volunteering for something dog related on the weekends (as you can tell from this blog).  I keep asking myself when the day will be that I burn out – but so far there is no sign of that. I absolutely love doing all the things I sign myself up for. There are so many perks to volunteering, no matter what cause you’re helping with.  There’s got to be a reason why I continually offer my time to help these animals, and believe me – the “good feeling” isn’t always it. Check out a few reasons why I find volunteering so awesome:

1.  It’s usually FUN! I wouldn’t sign myself up for something I thought wouldn’t be enjoyable. Volunteer opportunities are often a great time to meet new people, hang out with animals (or kids or new adults, whatever your cause may be), and help with activities you’re interested in.  Not surprisingly, there is a reason why thousands upon thousands of people across their country donate their time – because it’s fun!

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2.  You get to open the world up for an animal. This generally only applies to bringing animals to adoption events, but boy is it one of the best parts! I brought this adorable cutie to an event on Saturday, and I can almost guarantee it was the first time she’d been in a place with so many new sites and smells. She’s a versatile little thing, so she loved it (it’s important to keep in mind some dogs may not).  Plus then she slept like a baby when she went back to the shelter that night!

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3. You make really great friends. Hands down one of the best things about being so involved in the sheltering/rescue community the past year and half has been the friends I’ve met. Whether through work, through fostering, or through volunteering – it’s amazing the amount of people you meet and click with when you’re doing something you love! Well, I guess it’s not that surprising considering most of us do it for similar reasons, but it’s still an awesome perk. I know I have made some friends for life through doing this. Volunteering can be a very social experience!

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4.  Once you put in time doing what’s needed, you can spend time doing what’s wanted. After a day of volunteering on Saturday, I found myself curled up on the floor of the shelter offices with this handsome boy named Admiral once all my duties were finished.  Often times if you’re volunteering at an event you have an allotted time you’re needed for help, and then some down time to do what you want.

Here’s a hint: it’s the perfect way to get into an event for free! Don’t take this the wrong way because obviously I don’t want people mooching off rescue groups, BUT I have definitely seen folks who can’t afford to attend an event themselves (usually a gala type or something similar) offer to volunteer so they can still experience the evening while helping out. It’s a win-win for the organization! Plus I have seen volunteers still donate to raffles or buy merchandise, etc. to do their part (in addition to giving their time – did I mention volunteers are awesome!?).

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5.  Resume booster! Volunteering shows that you’re willing to give up your own time for a greater cause, and that can be very appealing to a potential employer.  Not to mention there are a lot of skills to be learned as a volunteer, depending on what exactly you’re helping with.  Don’t think that just because you’re not getting paid means it might not be great experience for a job position!

6.  The “good feeling.” It’s pretty obvious that most people volunteer at least in part because they know how much it helps, and doing your part sure makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I certainly cannot complain about spending an afternoon spreading the word about adoption with a pup who was grateful to get out of the shelter. Sure I could have been out shopping with my friends or relaxing at home, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to try and get more animals adopted.

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I know I’ve spammed you with this message enough on the blog. . . but consider volunteering!  There are so many groups out there who could use your help.  Volunteers are absolutely invaluable to most non-profits.

True Heroes

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Just like comments about giving up a foster dog, if I had a dollar for every time someone said, “I don’t know how you do it” about working in a shelter, I’d be able to buy a Kong for every homeless dog in Maryland. It’s true: working in a shelter is very, very difficult.  But at the end of the day it’s our job and it’s our paycheck. We go home night after night thinking about the homeless animals we care for, only to get back up and do it the next day. Because we love it, but also because it’s our job.

The people who are really something remarkable are the ones who put their entire heart and soul into helping animals on a volunteer basis. I am the minority as a paid shelter employee – most people out there fighting the good fight to save animals not only don’t get a paycheck for it, but they invest much of their own money.  There have been days so tough that, if this wasn’t my career, I’m not sure that I wouldn’t have walked away and never looked back. I can’t believe there are people who are in shelters walking dogs every single day, or people running rescues outside of their 9 to 5 jobs, or people who do transports every weekend not knowing where the animal will end up – and they don’t walk away. They stick it out through the most emotionally taxing times, because they know the animals need them no matter what. That is amazing to me.

I am blown away when I talk to the people who do this as essentially their second job. I know we don’t do it for the money, even those who get paid – but hearing how much passion and drive are in some of these volunteers is inspiring.  They fall in love with the animals they work with just as much – if not more – than others do.

Last week a poem circulated that a volunteer from a local shelter wrote. I’m really not one for words, especially poems, but when I read this the lines jumped off the screen and straight into my heart. This poem really showed me how much these volunteers take on when they come into a shelter and put their love on the line for these homeless animals.  This volunteer is so attached to this dog, almost like it’s his own.

The air is crisp, my paws sense the cold concrete floor.
I’m encaged in metal that lacks an inviting decor.
Another season begins and I am still here.
Are my days numbered? I shiver in fear.
You see I live a sheltered life devoid of endless fun.
On most days I get no more than 20 minutes out in the sun.
Patrons pass over me cuz I’m a misunderstood breed.
Unfairly prejudged no matter my plead.
So I whimper and lick the lock on my door.
Oh why can’t it be your hand, your face? Rescue me, I implore.

So thank you to those who volunteer so much of their lives to helping these animals. Shelters, rescues and advocacy groups could not function without you – and not nearly as many lives would be saved without your help.

Note from a Shelter Worker

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It’s a very different side of the fence, working at a shelter. On any given day you can experience both ends of the emotional spectrum.  You can lose and then restore your faith in humanity in a matter of minutes. You can leave feeling on top of the world because your favorite animal finally got adopted, or exhausted and defeated because in the hour before you left, the shelter received dozens of stray or unwanted animals. It’s an emotionally taxing yet incredibly rewarding job, one that not everyone is cut out for.

I work back in the administrative offices, so I don’t experience nearly as much of what I mentioned above as the kennel and office staff do. I commend them for the job they do day in and day out. But we all work in very close quarters, and often times we share the same emotions that come with working at a shelter regardless of title: frustration, happiness, sadness, anger, hope, compassion and love – to name a few. We’re like a family because we experience things the outside world doesn’t have to deal with.

We watch as someone gives up their 12 year old dog because they just don’t want it anymore. We keep our mouths shut when someone dumps a litter of underage kittens because they thought it would “be fun to have babies” then realized it was a bad idea. We watch as bunnies flow in after Easter, and we see time and time again puppy store puppies that didn’t grow up to be the cute and cuddly dog they were at eight weeks old. But we also learn not to judge those who use the shelter in times of struggle or when they’re doing the right thing. It is important to be polite to all who come in – even if they are giving up an animal – because when times get better for them, we hope then they will remember the experience and choose adoption.

The tough parts can be almost too difficult at times, but the rewarding parts of our job make it all worth it. Watching your favorite pit mix get out of the shelter after six months, seeing the “golden oldie” cats get adopted by senior citizens, making the perfect match for a family that is new at adopting… these are all things that keep us going every day. The best part? Taking your favorite dog (or cat!) out for a walk and watching them bound around in happiness can bring you out of any bum mood.

To some people it may be difficult seeing the animals in the shelter, but we know how much love and attention gets poured out to every single one. Of course it is not the ideal place for them, and we wish no animal would ever have to come here, but we do our best to keep them happy and comfortable while they are with us. We rely heavily on our volunteers, and appreciate them as much as the people who give the animals forever homes. Many of our efforts are supported by the generosity and compassion of those who have resources we need; we simply could not function without them.

So thank you to those who support your local shelter. If you volunteer with a rescue group you are still helping your local shelter because we rely so much on rescues pulling animals from us. There are also many other ways to volunteer and support, even past the money and fostering. Transports are needed to take animals to rescues, every shelter has an endless wish list including simple things like newspapers and old towels, volunteers are needed at special events – there is something for everyone who wants to help out. We know that many people cannot handle seeing the hundreds of faces of homeless animals, and we totally respect and understand that! We just want you to know there are many other ways to get involved as well. No matter what way you help, you are appreciated beyond words – by the staff, the volunteers, and most importantly the animals.

If you have any questions about animal shelters or the best way to get involved with your local organization, feel free to email me at peacelovefoster@gmail.com.