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I volunteer for the municipal shelter in Seattle and it has spoiled me as far as my expectations of what a shelter can be goes. It isn't well funded by the city by any means but it does okay and it has a volunteer created and ran non-profit that supports it and supports it well. The foundation paid for the dog kennel area remodel last year and is paying for an all new cat and critter area this year. It, along with grants from PetCo, pays for "free" cat adoptions for older cats during the summer when we get inundated with kittens and need the space. It pays for medical care ranging from UTI meds to bladder surgery. It does this while competing with the Humane Society for donations (which it doesn't do well against, HS gets a ton more money locally every year) and while competing with the perception that if you take your animal to the shelter (or donate money to it) you are effectively killing them because that is what shelters do. I don't know the feasibility of setting up a similar non-profit in other areas but it is worth looking at. Seattle is a pretty well-off city as far as the population is concerned and they love to donate to stuff - money, things, whatever, they like to give it - so it might be a right place, right time sort of thing. Still, it doesn't hurt to take a look or maybe get in contact with the foundation here to see if they have any tips (Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation) Anyway, as stated, I'm spoiled about these things, but I can't imagine not being able to interact with shelter animals. We have a "fit with fido" program that pairs up runners with dogs that need to run and they go out twice a week. We take some of the dogs on walks around a local lake. Some can't do either of those things so they get taken for short walks around the shelter or just taken out to the meet & greet corrals for a little bit of play time (or just played with in their kennel.) They get toys and soft beds and kongs with treats. No expiration dates. No euthing for space. Sick? Diagnose and if it's treatable then treat it. Behavior issue? Figure out what it is then work with the animal to manage it. That isn't to say that animals aren't euthed, they are. We had a cat that would randomly attack its owner get euthed because it was batshit crazy and unadoptable. We had a dog with the prey drive to end all prey drives leap an 8ft fence to go after a toy poodle being walked down the road near the corrals. It seriously injured the poodle and earned itself some euth-juice. Same for the dog that turned on one of the animal control officers and did some damage. Then there are the animals that are just so old and sick that there is no other choice but to euth them. So it happens but it happens for reasons other than "no space" or "been here too long." Volunteering is both the best and worst thing I do with my time. Best because I get to do things like help a little kid find that pet that they'll remember forever as their first. Best because I get see older animals get their second chance. Best because I get play with kittens yet not have any responsibility for them whatsoever. Worst because of all the reasons you can think of. But I still do it.
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Aug 29, 2014 19:59
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| # ¿ May 20, 2024 12:52 |
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