A sort of Tribute to Shelter Workers

I'm thinking of joining this animal welfare group, and helping with pet adoption days and what-not. I was thoroughly reading through their site to make sure I agree with all of their ideals when I came across this. I wanted to share it with all of you.

I Could Never Work Here


I commend all of you who do what you do, and I hope to join you all in doing what you can to help very soon!

I get people saying that to me all the time at the shelter I volunteer at. If they stop talking for a moment, I respond simply with this:

I am here because I can't bring any more home. For me, it's a little selfish, because I want more cats, but i can't. My apartment complex won't allow it. I come here to make sure that if I can't give them a good home, I'll do my best to find them one. I'm their voice. Their matchmaker. I give them as much TLC as I can give while they're here, then help them find homes. Because i can't take them all home. I would in a heartbeat, if I could. I give that TLC, and I get purrs and kitty-kisses right back. I don't just give, I get something in return. It makes it so worth it. And if i can do some volunteer time, anyone can.

Thank you for posting that.

A.

I love this quote: "but if you think she can find a home and you want to save her, please go back to the kennel and pick which young healthy dog has to give up it's space here."

My bet is that if you forced a person who turned in their pet to a kill shelter to walk around and pick the animal that would die to allow space for their incoming pet, there wouldn't be as many owner turn ins. Now THAT's an idea!!

Thanks for sharing this - it rings so true!!

Originally Posted by Momofmany

I love this quote: "but if you think she can find a home and you want to save her, please go back to the kennel and pick which young healthy dog has to give up it's space here."

My bet is that if you forced a person who turned in their pet to a kill shelter to walk around and pick the animal that would die to allow space for their incoming pet, there wouldn't be as many owner turn ins. Now THAT's an idea!!

Thanks for sharing this - it rings so true!!

Click to expand...

I'm sure that would change a lot of minds, and might make people appreciate their animals more too!


Ya'll are welcome, I thought it was too good not to share!

I posted this a while back but it didn't get a response and I thought it was an appropriate poem to share in your thread about shelter workers.

Rainbow Bridge - For the Rescuers

Originally Posted by PaulaS

I posted this a while back but it didn't get a response and I thought it was an appropriate poem to share in your thread about shelter workers.

Rainbow Bridge - For the Rescuers

Click to expand...

That was wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing that!

Originally Posted by PaulaS

I posted this a while back but it didn't get a response and I thought it was an appropriate poem to share in your thread about shelter workers.

Rainbow Bridge - For the Rescuers

Click to expand...

That was just beautiful, thank you so much for sharing that.

And I wanna say thank you too to all the wonderful people here who do rescue work, I admire you so much.

thanks so much for sharing that! that's why I do what I do. I volunteer for my local animal shelter and love it and it's hard sometimes. we get thank yous all the time for doing what we do from the public.
and I admire all of you out there as well and thank you so much for what you do.
and the rescue one was good as well and gave me chills.
I admire all you who do rescue work as well so much.

People ask me how I do what I do... I do it because I love animals more than anything else. I have risked my life for them, and will do it again if the need arises.
And who else will do it?

Originally Posted by PaulaS

I posted this a while back but it didn't get a response and I thought it was an appropriate poem to share in your thread about shelter workers.

Rainbow Bridge - For the Rescuers

Click to expand...

This was so sad.

Thats what i thought for ages, the whole 'i could never do what you do' and even though it was extremely hard emotionally i was able to do it anyway. I think once you get there you realise what a rewarding job it is, and you have to press past the sadness when there's an animal you cant help. Because there are so many more that need nurtering. I stil have pictures of some of the kitties that were there at the time. I even go onto VAATs website and see how the new ones are going.

thank you.

You know, I generally have my saturdays free, so I'm going to contact some of the shelters here in the city and see if any of them could use some help. I work full time so would only be able to come a few hours on saturdays. Do you think they would have need of anyone for such a short time each week?

And yes, that poem made me cry my eyes out!

Originally Posted by PaulaS

You know, I generally have my saturdays free, so I'm going to contact some of the shelters here in the city and see if any of them could use some help. I work full time so would only be able to come a few hours on saturdays. Do you think they would have need of anyone for such a short time each week?

And yes, that poem made me cry my eyes out!

Click to expand...

YES! All our shelter requires is 4 hours a week, and weekends are crazy with people wanting to adopt so I bet they would be happy to have you.

Both of those stories were great, and of course I was sobbing during the 2nd one.
I have friends that say they couldn't do it cause they would be bringing home every animal. Well, that's impossible! You can't bring home 50 or more animals a week. And though you get thank yous from people some time, you get them from the animals all the time. They appreciate any amount of time you can spend with them, or a clean cage, or fresh water. That's why I do it.

This thread really should have come with a tissue warning - although I have read the second one before, and knew what it was about!! I too would love to say a thank you to all those who help in whatever way - I am lucky compared to some of you, we have very few kill shelters in the UK, although that does have downsides, as you have to say no that bit more. And that I foster in my own home, so it can be that bit easier, until you realise you have taken in one too many cos of not being able to say no!! It does grate a bit when people say 'I couldn't do it' though. Paula S, I do hope you get in touch with your local shelter and you can help out.

Thank you for sharing that! I do not work in a shelter -work full-time althought this will be my retirement choice to volunteer in the local shelter. I do help them out anyway I can, in bringing in newspapers, food, am a member of the association and my dues go to help spay and neuter cats, plus I give additional donations through the year. I would like to do more and I will once I retire. My heart goes out to shelter workers - how heartbreaking it must be to have to euthanize healthy animals because they are too old or there are too many to be adopted! Our shelter has a policy - if they are spayed or neutered they will not euthanize. Therefore, sponsoring animals for this is one of their promotions, which I definitely support.

Our local county shelter only requires 8 hours a month, but I'm usually there about 3.5 to 4 hours a week. I work a crazy schedule, so I'm there on Tuesdays. but we get plenty of folks in (I was doing Thursdays, but schedules have changed). The lull times are when we get to open the cages and give some TLC...

I believe the local Humane Society requires 12 hours a month... check your local shelters... you won't regret volunteering!

A.