What Got Us There

I think back on this past year and wonder what event or idea crossed my mind that triggered me to suggest to my mother that we should consider volunteering at a shelter. I still do not remember precisely, but I’m relatively sure that our intense love for our own family dog, Shadow, a German Shepherd mix rescued from a shelter had a great deal to do with it. That’s the beauty of finding what some have aptly named one’s “forever animal”. These special animals come into our lives, connecting with us in a way so profound that the result is not only a new cherished family member, but often a drastic modification of how we view our lives and perhaps the world around us.

Getting Started

Once this volunteering concept revealed itself, it was only a matter of finding the right match. Most imperative to us was being able to have contact with the dogs, as dogs were our specific interest, and with luck, to be able to affect them on a regular basis. Proximity was a factor as you are most likely to do something reliably if the aspects surrounding that task are generally easy. We made it known that we specifically wanted to help with dogs and were told that individuals willing to walk and socialize the dogs was precisely what was sought. We attended an orientation and training class and were quickly en route to our first mentoring session.

We learned the procedures of interacting with the dogs, including taking them out of their kennels, putting the harness on those that needed one (not as easy as it may sound, but not rocket science either), the areas we were allowed to walk, approaches to teaching basic commands, etc. This went rather seamlessly and we were soon prepared to strike out on our own.

A Clear Purpose

After the first visit we realized that we were engaged in something that we should’ve been doing for years. It’s difficult to describe how “good” it feels to know that you’ve made things a little easier for dogs of all sorts going through perhaps the most stressful period of their lives. Shelter workers and volunteers are sometimes criticized for overdramatizing the affect they are having on the world. Some will try to minimize the work by questioning the time spent helping animals rather than people. Ninety percent of the time these same critics are not helping people, animals or the world in any way.

Domesticated animals are almost completely reliant on humans to live. As we have bred and taught dogs to have these particular traits that make them dependent, we now have a responsibility to hold up our end of the bargain. Minimally, exercising and teaching dogs manners will help calm them as well as enable them to be more attractive to potential adopters. Socializing and allowing them to see humans as friends to be trusted is integral to adoption. These may seem like simple and meaningless acts, but there’s no way to quantify how much of an affect this may have on a dog. Some of these dogs have known nothing but pain in their lives, both from humans and the surrounding world. Suddenly when it seemed utterly hopeless this one human comes along to give it love and bond with it through walking and time spent together. For the lucky dogs, this might just be business as usual. Most of the dogs coming through the Baltimore Humane Society are not so lucky and seem overjoyed by this new love and attention.

We have encountered many dogs. Numerous pure Pit Bulls or pit mixes that almost certainly never knew a day of kindness before crossing the Baltimore Humane Society threshold. The transformation in most of these dogs is profound. These canines have a unique ability to forgive and trust while asking little in return. While this may seem like an overwhelming amount of emotion and thought simply as a result of regular volunteering, a decision to jump on board will reveal that most of the volunteers experience this frequently. Speaking with staff and volunteers, it becomes exceptionally clear that few can “leave it at the shelter” and most of us think about the dogs and other animals as constantly as life will allow…but in a positive way.

Truth of the Matter

I’d like to mention one of the most common responses I get from people who either find out that I volunteer with the dogs or are just considering volunteering on their own:
“I’d love to volunteer with the animals, but I know that I wouldn’t be able to bear growing attached to an animal and then seeing and coping with them being adopted. It would just be too hard for me to deal with”.

While this statement makes some logical sense to me, I can relate through my own experience that this is not the way it goes. You will fall in love with many dogs; however, you are overwhelmingly happy to have these special creatures find a permanent home that your own sense of loss and sadness are minimized greatly. The great part is that different people bond with a variety of dogs, so every animal that comes in, has a staff member or volunteer completely smitten with their special animal. You leave from your volunteer session excited that you have made a new friend, continued a friendship or found your past friend a great home or helped them through their transition. These feelings dominate those of loss or sadness when seeing an animal adopted. You know that you will soon be encountering your next special friend as they continue to come in. So please, don’t let the quote above be what keeps you away from a special experience that can be repeated as often as you choose, leaves you feeling good about yourself, potentially enormously helps an animal, and may just make you feel like a better person!

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