I've completed my first week at my new job. I really like the job, and the people are great. I think that I'll be able to thrive in this environment.
I work 99% in the administration building. I'm manning the phones, completing call reports, dispatching field officers to calls and keeping the office in order. More duties will come as I settle into the position and get oriented. Gotta find my feet.
We have three other buildings that I will pass through occasionally. There is the stray building…that's where the "intake" occurs. People bring us strays that they have found, and we deposit animals that we have picked up there. The public can come to look for their animals six days a week.
We have a quarantine building. This is where we put animals that might be on their way to the adoption center or to a rescue organization, provided that they are healthy.
We have an adoption center. This is where the magic happens. Families meet and fall in love with cats and dogs and arrangements are made to add the furry ones to their family.
I'll be assigned to temporary duty in each of the buildings, so that I can get a feel for how the total operation works. I'll get the opportunity to walk in the shoes of everyone that works there, so I truly understand what happens in each facility.
I pop into the stray building a couple of times each day…to pick up reports, licenses, citations and update case numbers. This building breaks my heart because it is full of frightened animals. They're separated from their families, and I can only hope that their families have enough sense to come look for them. Some of these animals are strays. Cats and kittens sit huddled in strange cages…some are very friendly, some are too frightened to attempt sociability. Dogs and puppies whine at you - they want your attention and can they please go home with you? Sadly, some owners bring their animals here to voluntarily surrender them, hoping that their furry one will find happiness with another family.
I haven't been in the adoption center yet. I look forward to checking it out and seeing families come in and meet the animals. I want to see the connection when it happens. I would love to see an animal walk out the door with a new family.
In the administrative building, I get to hear the calls. Someone is worried about an animal that is home alone while the family is on vacation. People call in that they have found an animal and want to know how to find its family. A family has lost their beloved pet and want to file a report…have we found it yet? Can we please call if we do? Dogs are running loose downtown and are in danger of being hit by a car…can we please send someone out to catch them? Our neighbor's dog is barking…again…at three in the morning. Someone in the neighborhood has a Pit Bull and their fence looks too rickety…would we mind sending someone out to check on that? So-and-so isn't picking up after their dog and the yard next door is a mess because of it, can someone come out and cite them?
That's a small sampling.
Sadly, euthanasia is a fact of life here. I view it as a sad side effect of incompetent humans. Breeders that can't get rid of their merchandise, people that allow their cats to run the neighborhood without spaying or neutering them, owners that are too stubborn to take care of matters for their dogs, and now they've got a litter to tend to. The staff tries every avenue to avoid putting animals down…driving thousands of miles to deliver animals to volunteer and rescue organizations that can take in some animals to find new homes for them. Screening animals that might be a good fit as working dogs. Contacting local agencies that handle specific breeds and might take in a few from us. Some animals are sick when they arrive, and nothing can be done for them. Mercy comes through the tip of a needle, and they can move on to a better place.
I'm making it a policy not to ask what happened to a specific animal when I don't see him or her anymore. I don't want to know the truth, and I'd rather just imagine that they went up front to the adoption center and then right out the door with a loving and caring family and on to a better life. I can't help it…I'm a optimist.
Have you done your part for your furry companion? Have you shown you true love for them? Are they spayed or neutered? Have you taken steps to make sure they can get back home to you if something happens - are they vaccinated, licensed and micro chipped? Have you taken the time and committed yourself to training your dog, ensuring a better companionship experience?
I come home at night and wonder if my furry ones know how lucky they are. Kismet and Taboo have a steady supply of food (and it shows) and a lot of warm and comfortable spots to lay and sleep. Fred is spoiled rotten…he spends his days inside and he has plenty of opportunities to spend time outside when we are home. He has a safe yard all his own. Toys are strewn around the house. Heck…he's even taken over the guest room, so he has his own bedroom in the house.
When my kittens hop up in my lap while I'm tick-tacking at the keyboard, I spend a minute to give them a hug and pet them until they lay down. Fred cuddles with me on the couch and I gladly scratch behind his ears, his back and the middle of his chest.
Having furry companions takes work. I certainly don't enjoy poo patrol...seven years of litter box duty has gotten old, and picking up after Fred has never fallen high on my list of enjoyable activities. But for all the work that it takes to provide for them and give them a comfortable, safe and sanitary environment, it is worth it. They truly are sweet animals, and I can't imagine our home or our lives without them.
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