Aunt Mary's Doghouse

It's A Dog's Life - Ask Milo

By Mary Cody

What's It Like To Be A Rescue Volunteer?

Volunteers are earth angels. They are individuals from all walks of life that dedicate their time and energy to be of service in the community. They identify a need or cause and use their enthusiasm to participate and make a difference. Their reasons for volunteering are as diverse as snowflakes.

Loving dogs as I do, I was interested in finding out what being a shelter dog volunteer is all about. The volunteer I interviewed, whom I will call Janet Weiss, gladly shared her experience.

As a child Janet loved animals and was encouraged by her family to nurture her interest. Now an adult she has a demanding corporate career that isn't all that rewarding. Janet decided it was time to get involved in some community activity, but she didn't know where to start. Fate stepped in when she found a dog stranded on the Parkway. She didn't think twice about getting involved - motivated to do the right thing to help this frightened dog, she jumped into action!

This single act led her to a tour of area shelters and opened her eyes to the plight of unwanted homeless animals. It also linked her to a network of compassionate people with a common bond. Many of these people volunteer at their neighborhood shelter which can mean anything from dog walking, cage cleaning, feeding, bathing, grooming or attending to administrative details such as fund raising, answering phones and questions, or helping potential adopters fill out the prescreening form and adoption contract.

Janet's role is a little more involved in that she fosters dogs whose time in a shelter has expired and the animal faces immediate death. She brings the dog into her own home to live as a temporary guest until a permanent home can be found. Janet said the most difficult part of fostering is visiting the shelter and having to choose only one among the doomed when she would like to save them all. It also shows her the dark side of the cruelty humans are capable of. But the rewards of this special relationship between dog and volunteer far outweigh the negatives.

Due to the demands of her day job, Janet looks forward each afternoon; to getting home to her foster pet. She has established a nice relationship with a veterinarian who has flexible hours which enables her to bring the dog in at odd times for a thorough exam, evaluation and to get the necessary vaccinations and medications as required.

Some of the dogs are a cinch to rehabilitate. They have no health or behavior problems, may have had a happy childhood, perhaps even lived in a good home, were socialized and adapt easily to change. Others are more difficult in that they have been neglected, abused, never trained or trained in a negative way which requires the long process of reconditioning the dog (with love, praise and reward).

Janet realized she could have a greater impact helping dogs if she had more resources, so she joined a dedicated group of volunteers that takes the adoption process to another level. Every Saturday and/or Sunday morning each volunteer loads up their own car with their foster dog, a crate, food and water, bowls, leash, toys, adoption contracts, posters - and a brown bag lunch. The process is similar to packing for a vacation. Their mutual destination is any one of a number of rotating locations such as the big pet chains like PETCO, PETsMART, NJ PETS or a mom and pop pet shop in the surrounding area. They unload their cars, set up camp and for the next 5 hours they interview, screen, advise and hopefully make a perfect lasting match between dog and new owner.

Janet said the second hardest things about fostering is the attachment you get to your foster dog and the overwhelming responsibility you feel towards the continued welfare of that animal. After all, dogs live in the moment. They don't hold grudges or love you with strings attached to that love. They forgive and they trust. She worries about betraying that trust when she has to make a decision about releasing the dog to a new home. Handing the leash over is always bitter sweet. Either way she returns home exhausted but willing to do it all again.

Once the dog is placed Janet repeats the process with a new dog. Once in a while a dog is returned to Janet. This happens because the new owner isn't willing to put the required effort into the animal. If there's a problem between dog and owner that can't be resolved she doesn't hesitate to take the animal back, work with it and try again. Janet believes in honoring her commitment to each dog - that it will never see the inside of a shelter again.

Janet has learned patience and to trust in the saying "every dog has its day". Eventually the right person or family comes along and it's love at first sight. If Janet and people like her didn't donate their time as volunteers these dogs wouldn't have a chance at a new life. On a grander scale these volunteers are bringing awareness and a spay/neuter solution to the over-population problem.

For no particular reason some dogs just take longer to place than others. Several adoptions can go by and a dog will not get the least bit of interest. Here's an ad for a wonderful dog who, for whatever reason, hasn't found a home yet:

Dog Seeking Humans: Premature Graying Sr. Female, recently dumped because of age -
seeks loving family or individual for a serious committed relationship.
Promises everlasting love and devotion in exchange for
a soft cozy spot at the foot of the bed.
If interested e-mail askmilo2000@yahoo.com

All for now, its time for Milo to take his stroll around his town Montclair and check out the singles scene.

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