I Signed Up to Volunteer
I signed up to volunteer at a Humane Society shelter. I did it, y’all. And I left without a dog, to boot. Let me tell you how it all went down, in case you’re thinking of volunteering at your local Humane Society.
Oh, fair warning – photos are fuzzy. Snapping pictures of wiggly puppies who want to be out of their cages is tough.
These three (there’s a brown one you’ll see in a second) caught my eye as soon as I walked in. Yes, they’re Aussie mixes *SQUEEEE* I asked about the adoption fee and 1) 200 bucks a puppy is too much for my Christmas depleted pocketbook, and 2) they’ve already been adopted. The spaying and neutering was just done, so they’re waiting for their new forever homes. Two hundred, I assume, covers the spay or neuter, plus all the shots and worming necessary for puppies. Adults dogs seem to be 100. I’m guessing that covers vet bills and spay or neuter. It’s reasonable, but it will keep me from unnecessarily bringing home a dog. *phew*
Of course I had to play with the puppies. And of course they tried to kill me. Note the video. Wherein they tried to kill me.
How It Works
And here’s how it worked. First, I brought in several rolls of paper towels, a bottle of bleach, some blankets from myself and my mom, and a couple of dog chew toys from my mom. They offered to give me a gift receipt, which I took for blog purposes more than any other. If you don’t do anything else for your local shelter, if you don’t have time every week or every other week to volunteer, they’ll appreciate a cash or supply donation. I figured any place with critters which poop and pee on the floor could use bleach and paper towels.
Second, the paperwork. The form was simple, short. A page for me, explaining how things work, and a front/back page I filled out for them. Contact information, emergency contact, I needed to be over 18 years of age, and they ask for a four hour block of my time, once a week, or once every other week. Walking dogs, playing with dogs and cats. They also had boxes to check for other things I might be interested in doing, like writing thank you cards to donors and adopters, or transporting and staying with dogs when they do adoption days at PetSmart.
I checked the box for photographing dogs. Although, after today’s venture, I’m not sure how successful I’ll be. And I may need to borrow my boy’s real camera instead of using my phone. Sounds like fun, though.
Third, the requirements. I’ll need a uniform shirt, which I’ll purchase through them. I have to make the shift commitment (I signed up for Wednesday mornings each week).
Fourth, there’s a volunteer training course I have to attend. It’s three hours long, and it probably won’t happen till sometime in January. So I won’t actually be volunteering until then.
I asked about bringing my 15 year old boy, since the age limit is 18. The volunteer at the desk said to bring him with me to training and they’ll probably let him volunteer as long as he’s with me.
That’s all there is to it! I’ll definitely be posting more photos as soon as I’m a volunteer there. If you’re local and set on getting a puppy for Christmas, the Tulsa Humane Society shelter near 61st and Sheridan (behind the Whataburger) has a couple of ADORABLE three month old beagle mixes. Go check ’em out. Take some cleaning supplies, old towels and blankets with you when you go. I’ll probably go in again after Christmas and bring a bag of JNC treats.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea
P.S. This is obviously a gently recycled post. No one ever contacted me about the volunteer position. I called a couple of times and asked about times and training but was given rather ambiguous responses. That’s okay. Now, if you bring home an adult dog this Christmas, you will DEFINITELY want to read That Mutt’s article on potty training your adopted adult dog!
