On Sat, 31 May 2008 00:42:01 -0400, Shari wrote:

Michael,

I cannot imagine how hard it is to work in a shelter. I don't think I
could do it. Watching so many dogs come in and not so many find homes.
How do you handle it?

It is an impossible job, for some people; and I understand that.
Personally, I have to make myself stay away, on my two off days. Mostly,
I just need to avoid some of my coworkers for a couple of days.

I work for 4.5 hours cleaning and preparing for the public. When I clock
out, I do volunteer work, if there are any very frightened and/or
disheveled dogs. A dog that can't be petted, can't get adopted--or even
offered for adoption. Dogs with messed up coats don't even get looked
at. Working with such dogs requires establishing trust ASAP, and knowing
a few grooming tricks. I love correcting those problems, and have a fair
amount of success! Seeing one of those dogs get adopted gives me a
wonderful feeling! Seeing one of them die hurts, but I usually realize
I've done everything I could do.

At our shelter, work as a kennel attendant involves contact with a lot
of filth, deafening noise and a lot of paws and claws, all sorts of
weather, and it stinks! Obviously, I enjoy it.

"You can't save them all." Realizing that fact needs to be one of the
first things you achieve: the sooner, the better. Once you achieve that,
most days go pretty well.

Many shelter employees walk through the kennels and make mental notes
about who will get adopted and who will die. Sometimes, dogs that seem
hopeless get adopted; and wonderful dogs sometimes die.

Occasionally, a euthanasia tech will come for a dog that I consider
fabulous. Getting caught off guard like that really hurts, but I never
make their task harder, by questioning the decision. [Sometimes, its a
dog they love, too.] Sometimes, it takes a day or two to move on,
emotionally, and I wonder if there is a long-term, cumulative effect.

The shelter here serves a human population of about 150,000. We take in
an average of 80 dogs per week [+ cats] and have a kill rate above 50%.
For me, that means there will be about 15 new dogs today, and one or
more of them will need what I provide. They don't know it, but I need
them, too! They help me forget the dogs that didn't make it out alive.

Shelters differ greatly, in every way, but they all have dogs that need
love and attention. If you have some time, aren't afraid of getting
dirty, and call afford a few simple tools, you can make a world of
difference for some very deserving dogs.



_______________________
When I die, I want to go where dogs go!