Back before I had my daughter, I used to volunteer at the old County Shelter, helping with adoptions and placing ads in the PennySaver about adoptable dogs. Yes, the PennySaver. Given that Chloe is now twelve, the newspaper was the only way we had of getting the word out. No Facebook, no YouTube, no Instagram.
Social Media isn't the only thing that has changed in twelve years.
Back then, the County Shelter was a very depressing place. They hadn't yet built the beautiful new facility and the old building felt like a prison. Dogs were crowded together, often six or seven to a kennel. The smell, the noise and the sheer numbers of homeless animals were overwhelming. Even though it was wonderful to see animals get adopted, I left each week completely emotionally drained and exhausted. Once Chloe was born, I just couldn't do it any more.
I'm happy to say that things are very different now. The new shelter is beautiful, clean and filled with volunteers in cheerful red aprons or PB Soc sweatshirts walking dogs, working on training, delivering Kongs stuffed with peanut butter and kibble. Each dog has a raised bed and a warm blanket and it's own kennel. Everyone works hard to keep the dogs as happy and healthy as they can be while they wait for their new forever families to come find them.
On our first day, we got to dive right in. Our group of six new volunteers got a tour of the shelter, learned some basic rules, and then Lysa took us to find a dog so we could practice our walking and basic obedience skills.
Meet Birdy. She is the most muscular dog we'd ever seen...the Arnold Schwarzenegger of dogs. But don't let the muscles fool you, she's a sweetie. Despite our tentative-new-volunteer sits and watch mes, Birdy was a rockstar. Loved getting her back scratched, loved the chicken she got as training treats, and loved being outside taking a nice long walk. Ron and I kept marveling at how good she was, and talking about what an unmanageable beast our Teddy would be if he were in the same situation. I hope she finds a family soon; she's a treasure.
The PB Soc volunteers try to spend a minimum of forty minutes each time they take a dog out for a walk. Often it's the only time the dogs get out of the kennels, and it takes some time for them to settle down and be able to learn anything. We saw quite a few different dogs out walking at the same time we were, and all of them were focused on their handlers, doing great sits and focus work and getting plenty of affection.
Meanwhile, Chloe was whisked away to assist Shannon Skalisky with taking photos of the shelter dogs. Our girl was in heaven, especially when this little guy came along...meet Linus..(adopted!)
From my work at Cast Images, I know how important marketing materials can be and Shannon's photos really prove the point. They show the dogs at their best, polished and posed, well lit and happy. They show that these dogs are cared for and valuable. The sad myth is that something is wrong with the dogs that come to be at the shelter; that they somehow deserve their fate. Even good hearted, animal loving people sometimes have this misunderstanding.
In reality, if you haven't yet had the privilege of adopting a shelter or rescue dog and don't know this already from your own experience, these dogs are just down on their luck. Many are family pets who have been surrendered because of financial or housing difficulties, or because of divorce. Some have just gotten lost. And some do come from less than stellar backgrounds. All of them are evaluated carefully by the shelter staff, and then worked with tirelessly by the volunteers to help them reach their true potential. If a dog isn't quite ready for adoption, they are put on rehab status and everyone works with them so that they can be placed in a good home. Some animals are fortunate enough to go to foster homes and learn there how to fit in with a family.
These dogs just want what we all want. A safe, warm home. A family to call their own. Love.
I'm so happy to be back at the shelter and look forward to playing a small part in helping these wonderful dogs go home. I know from my time volunteering all those years ago that there will be so many good stories to share. After taking a year long break from blogging, it also feels good to be back to writing. I hope you'll come along with Ron, Chloe and me as we jump into this new adventure.
Each of us is going to write posts and I promise we'll make it fun. If any of you know my husband's sense of humor, you know you are in for a treat.
See you soon!
xx
Chandra
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