Forgot to blog the first week

ani1.jpg (9.429 Kb)
Week one at the Joplin Humane Society.

I was initially surprised by the appearance of the building and its facilities. The building is very old and has wooden siding and is in what appears to be an older area. However, the building is painted bright yellow w/ green trim, I think in an effort to be more visually appealing.
When I went to ask about volunteering, I talked with a very nice and cheerful woman who seemed genuinely pleased to have someone who wanted to volunteer. She told me that they could use all the help that they could get.

However, my first volunteering experience was somewhat less than chipper. I walked in the door and talked to the manager and he was very nice and told me that I could start by taking the puppies outside one at a time and playing with them for a while. I was glad to do it, and at first I thought that maybe I wasn't going to be taken very seriously. By the end of the day though after taking the puppies out I realized that I probably did the puppies a lot of good. They probably don't get much of a chance to have attention and affection poured out on them, because the people that work there were always busy cleaning cages, bringing in new animals and overseeing customers and adoptions.

I enjoyed being able to cheer up some of the animals' day, but I didn't get to have much interaction with the people that work there. The only time that I was spoken to was when I got there and when I left. It seemed like most of the workers were in bad moods and I didn't really feel all that welcome because no one besides the manager spoke to me. Maybe they were just tired from being so busy because there are a ton of animals there. There are so many animals that it is almost full and they were having a hard time trying to find room for the animals that were coming in.

So I guess to sum it all up, I was glad that I got to cheer up the puppies, but I felt like a total outsider. I also felt like the people either didn't really want me there, didn't think I was capable of being any use, or just didn't like the idea of having to tell someone how to do the everyday things that are second nature to them. I am sure that they are all good people so hopefully, my first impression of them won't stick. Oh, and another thing is that the woman who was nice when I went to ask about volunteering wasn't there that day so maybe it will be different when I get a chance to work with her.

Final analysis MIDS

My final hours are now finished. I will admit that I both enjoyed and disliked doing my service project at times. I enjoyed it because I love animals and I love to volunteer. On the other hand, I disliked it because I had to try and fit in enough hours when I already have to worry about my other classes, which are more difficult and time consuming this semester than they were last semester. Another reason I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to was because of the people I worked with.
I came in many times a week for eight weeks and by the end of my time there, they still didn’t know my name and they didn’t remember that I was there to volunteer. Most of the people who work there are not very happy. It seems like most of them would rather be somewhere else doing something different. I understand that they are very busy with all the animals they have to care for and all of the people they have to deal with, but I would think that they could at least be cheerful once and a while. Now don’t get me wrong, they were always nice to the customers but it was like they were putting on a fake face. I do think that they appreciated my help although they didn’t really show it.
While I was there, I noticed quite a few other people who were volunteering as well, along with people who were putting in time there for community service. I do think that it is odd the way our society uses volunteer work as punishment for those who have gotten in trouble with the law. Volunteering should not be viewed as punishment. I am sure that the courts might say that by doing this service the person will build more character and be able to grow and mature as a person. But I think that the majority of the people doing the community service look at it as a punishment, because it was either do the community service or go to jail.

Volunteering should be something that people are willing and glad to do. In recent times people and societies have changed from what they used to be like. In the past, people would help others whenever they could and not expect any thing in return other than maybe some help when they needed it. I think now more than ever, people are too self-centered and don’t care about the rest of the world, or even the rest of their town for that matter. It is a sad state that most of the people today are in. There are still a few people who do lots of volunteering though, and today they are looked upon as oddities rather than the norm. It would be nice if that view were switched to the opposite.

MIDS week 8 not final

This week was about the same as usual. There were a lot of people their working, volunteering, or doing community service. I think that there were a lot of high school students there.

A lady found two dogs on Rangeline and brought them in. One of the dogs got away from them with a leash still around his neck. He ran around outside for about five or ten minutes before they caught him. The way they wound up catching him was the lady opened the door of her car and he jumped in. I thought it was kind of weird that the dog wouldn’t let anyone get near him, yet he was very willing to jump in the car.

It always amazes me how animals each act a different way. None of the dogs that I took out today were the same. Some were playful while others were bashful. The two dogs that I didn’t expect to be very affectionate were extremely sweet and loving. They both just plopped right down on my lap and sat there.

I feel like the people who work there are used to me now. I still don’t really feel like I am very wanted there. Or maybe I should say that I don’t feel like I’ve been accepted into their social circle. No one really interacts with me that much or if they do they are very short spoken about it. None of them seem to ever be very happy. It seems like when they have customers they put on the cheerful face and when they leave they are quite and maybe slightly depressed. I just don’t understand how people can be so lifeless. I don’t think that I have ever seen them joke around with each other. It makes me wonder what the rest of their lives are like.

Week 7 MIDS

The more time I spend at the shelter, the more I see the true personality of the people who work there. I feel kind of bad about my initial impression about them. I realize now that they love what they do and they genuinely care about each and every animal that comes their way. They do their best to get those animals adopted and prevent more animals from being homeless. It was nice when I finally realized this. I feel like I really do make a difference with the animals. I feel like they do me a lot of good, and I do them a lot of good as well.

Since I have been at the shelter I have seen many other people picking up forms to become a volunteer. There are still people out there that care enough to help out the community. I also see people at the shelter who are doing community service as some sort of punishment for their wrong doings. Why do so many people think of volunteering as a form of punishment? Is it because they have to take time out of their lives and stop doing what they want to do? I think that is part of the reason.

week 5 MIDS

I used to get irritated when no one at the shelter ever remembered who I was, but now it is not that big of a deal. This week I worked a lot with one of the other honor student that is volunteering there. I actually got to clean cages and feed the animals with him. I told him that every time I had asked if they needed any help in the back they said no or did not respond, either because they were too busy or didn’t know that I was volunteering.
I have always liked animals, but the more I volunteer at the shelter, the more compassion I have for them. I feel like I should be doing more to help them get adopted. In a way, I have seen the fruits of my labor. I take the dogs out and play with them and in turn they are happier. The other day, I took a golden retriever out and shortly after I put her back in her run, she got adopted. It was then that I realized that I actually am making a difference. I felt then that it had been worth my time to volunteer there. Now, I am not saying that I don’t enjoy making the animals happy, but I enjoyed seeing what my actions lead to.

week 4 MIDS

Last week I realized that there is a lot more going on under the surface of what you see at the animal shelter. Sometimes the people may be tired, but it is only because they are working really hard. All day long they are on the go. They have to take in animals and adopt them out. There are cages to be cleaned and animals to be fed. Also they have to help customers and answer the phone. I can see why they are tired, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t care about their job.

Week 3 MIDS

This week was a good one at the shelter. I took the dogs on the adoption row out and played with them. I had not done this job yet so I was glad to do something different. There were also quite a few animals adopted out this week. I was glad that the animals got new homes because they are really sweet.
I met some different employees this week, and they seem more sociable than most of the ones I have met previously. They actually took the time to talk with me more and acted like they appreciated my help.
It takes a lot of work to run the shelter. There are always cages to clean, animals to feed and animals coming in and going out. On top of that, the employees have to help the customers. They are always really busy which makes me wonder if they ever have time to love on the animals themselves. It seems like the volunteers are the only ones who take the animals out and give them attention. I have come to realize that my job of taking the animals outside is an important one for a couple of reasons. If I don’t take the animals out and play with them they do not get much play time. Also, the more the animals get to play and get attention, the happier they are and the more likely that someone will adopt them. I have realized that the job I once thought to be minuscule actually is very important.

Week 2 MIDS

Once again, I went in to the animal shelter. I learned a couple of new things this week. I found out that the shelter has people there that are serving community service hours. The employees were saying that they were having a hard time dealing with the person. The person was not doing any work, and they were signing themselves in and out on the time sheet when the employees were supposed to do that.
I think that most of the people who work there really do care about the animals that they take care of. However, I think the employees at the shelter need to care about the people who come in a lot more. They are not mean to customers, but they are not all that pleasant to deal with. I guess it could be described as somewhat gruff and maybe even a little cold. I think that a lot of them are tired of doing the same thing everyday and are not as sincere about doing their job well and accommodating the customers as well as they used to. I know that I have heard one of the people that work there say that they hated the job. However, I am not totally positive that this person was actually employed or doing community service. This person deal much with customers though, so they don’t have to see his distaste for the job.
I have noticed that although customers come in nearly everyday, not that many come in, and it seems rare to have many pets adopted out. I think this is partially due to the fact that the people who work there are tired, grouchy, and bored. If the workers would just cheer up a little bit and be more cordial toward the customers, I think a lot more animals would have new homes.