The first day of volunteering was quite overwhelming. A younger girl named Denver was
there to train me and my friend Brianne. Our jobs for our first day was to walk the dogs. The first
dog that was given to me to walk was a little Chihuahua named Marcie. She was old and gray.
She trembled as I lifted her tiny body out of the crate. I carried her until I was out of the building.
I was told to walk her all the way down to the cul-de-sac and back. Once her little paws hit the
ground I saw a light in her eyes go off. She happily scampered herself all the way down the street
and back. I scooped her back up to bring her back inside. As soon as we entered the room with
all the dogs my ears were flooded with the sound of frantic barking. I brought her back to her
crate and her face had a look of despair as I closed the jail like door. My heart dropped and I
stuck my finger through the bars and grazed her face. The thought of her old and homeless made
me want to throw her in my coat and run out the door. Unfortunately that wasnt a real option.
After Marcie I continued to take dogs out a long with the other volunteers. There was
over fifty dogs there that needed to be let out. Some went out in back while volunteers, like
myself, walked the rest of them. After all the dogs had been taken on their walks they were able
to eat. I unfolded newspapers while they ate so fresh paper could go in their crates. After enough
papers were unfolded, me and Brianne washed and dried an endless pile of dog bowls.
Something that surprised me was there were quite a few families that came in looking to
adopt a dog. I also pictured dog shelters to be like the ones you see in movies: a dark room filled
with bunch of sad old dogs in cages that would stay there for the rest of their lives. I always
thought that most people got their dogs from a breeder or shop. Im not sure if any of the dogs
got adopted that day but it gave me hope for all the dogs in there that there are people looking.
Entry 2:
The Humane society has a large variety of different dogs. Theres big, medium, small
dogs. They have a wide range of breeds, and ages of each dog. All the dogs have a different story
of how they got there. Some were picked up off the street, while others were adopted as puppies
and given away two years later because they were too much to handle. Some dogs there have
different health conditions as well. This one particular dog that caught my attention was Jessie.
Jessie is a mixed dog, a medium size. Shes got short hair thats a golden yellow color.
When I first met Jessie her hind legs dragged behind her as rushed over to the door of her kennel.
I asked the lady in front what was wrong with her. They told me she was born with a
neurological disorder that made it so she couldnt move her back legs. No one fully understands
the disease but the vet worked with her for a while after she was born and she was able to walk
normal for a while. Apparently when she got spayed her hind legs gave out again. Shes about
seven months old and has to use a wheelchair to go to the bathroom. The humane society is
trying to raise money to send her to a vet that specializes with dogs in similar conditions.
I was amazed to hear about Jessies case. I always assumed that dogs with disabilities
were immediately euthanized, yet this shelter goes out of their way to accommodate Jessies
needs while at the same time trying to get her better. I can really see that the people at this shelter
genuinely care about these dogs. The sign outside the doors says, We find pets a forever home.
I truly believe thats their goal.
One day I hope that a person can look pass Jessie Lynns needs but I feel like she will be
at the shelter for a while. Its hard for dogs with heartworm to get adopted, so I feel that Jessie
Lynn will take a long time. Even if she Jessie makes a full recovery shes always going to have
the background of a disability and unfortunately most people will look at that as a main reason
not to adopt her.
have to be stuck an orphan gave me hope for all the dogs in the shelter. They all have a chance to
be loved, just like Kirmir.
Entry 6:
Today at the shelter I was unfolding newspapers while waiting for the dogs to finish
eating so I could help clean up their cages when I saw Christina and Heidi talking intensely.
Heidi and Christina are two of the few paid workers that take care of the dogs. As they were
speaking I see Christina start to tear up and they both leave the room.
Later that day I hear what had happened. Apparently the two Chihuahua puppies had
fallen out of their cage and they were with the vet all day. The cages have a little door on them
that were left unhinged and the puppies fell through because they have no real sense of space.
Their cage was on top of another cage, so it was a good five foot drop. The puppies are about the
size of my palm and thats a pretty big drop for them to face. After hearing this the looks on
Christinas face made sense.
The two seemed frantic all day but the puppies are going to be okay. They both have a
broken leg and will need a little extra care. I never really thought about a dog getting hurt at the
shelter itself. It makes sense because theres so many dogs there and only a handful of people to
care for them. Someone is bound to make a mistake. It makes me cringe to think about the little
puppies falling from so high but at least theyre going to be okay.
Mike, the shelter manager, is talking about getting rid of the stacked cages in the puppy
room. Theyre too dangerous for the little guys. Accidents happen, Im just grateful it wasnt
worse than that. The look on Christinas face was pure horror.
Usually puppies get adopted pretty quickly at the shelter. Christina says theyre usually
gone within a week or two. I wonder if since theyre hurt the Chihuahua puppies wont go as
easily. The dogs with heart warm dont normally get adopted either and thats curable, just like a
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broken bone. Most of the dogs with heart warm are older, around 1 to 3 years old. I wonder how
much harder it is to care for a puppy with a broken leg. Maybe since the puppies are really cute
their disabilities wont get in the way of their adoption too much.
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If a person comes in and sees Paintball sharp teeth baring with drool splattering as he
barks at them theyre not going to want to adopt him. Hes just very protective of his food and
probably for a good reason. Dogs are only mean if theyre taught to be mean. After walking
Paintball I knew he only acted like that because thats how he was taught to eat. If he didnt
protect his food someone or something else would take it. If Paintball found a home and wasnt
stuck eating in a cage surrounded by fifty other dogs Im sure he would be as mean about his
food.
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willing to train him. I understand why the lady didnt adopt him after that but I still wish she
wouldnt give up so easily. She odviously felt a connection to the dog and just gave up on him.
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and the possibility of a home is always an option for them. Its not an ideal life for anyone but
its better than having no chance at all. I understand why shelters euthanize, but at the same time
I am hopeful to think maybe a better solution to this issue is out there.
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excuses and if they shouldnt have ever gotten a dog in the first place. I guess it doesnt matter
what I think though.
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How someone could let a dog be in that condition is inconceivable. Christina finally got him to
go in and he just whined and barked the rest of the day.
Seeing dogs come in to Ruths Memorial Shelter makes me feel angry, and sad for the
dog, but on another level I know this shelter is a place where most their dogs get adopted and its
the dogs best shot at finding a home.
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