A fair number of my friends have recently decided to get new dogs. Though these six-week-old purebred pups are beautiful, rambunctious and irresistible, I wonder why my friends opted to purchase, rather than adopt, a new companion.
I spent the last summer volunteering at my local animal shelter, the Cleveland Animal Protective League. Each day, I was surrounded by animals of different breeds, personalities and ages. I got to play with tiny kittens and even hung around a Great Dane or two.
While it was fantastic spending all day every day with more animals than people, it taught me so many invaluable lessons about what it takes to actually care for another life. Dogs aren’t as cute when they jump all over you with paws caked in mud or poop on the sidewalk instead of the grass.
My experiences also introduced me to the times when people are not so caring for their pets. I saw the effects of neglect, abuse and inexplicable cruelty in the eyes of those who could not help themselves. I met dogs so timid they would flinch every time I’d try to pet their heads.
One dog in particular, Luna, will always stay with me. She was mixed, probably a lab, with dark gray fur with white speckles on her back and legs. She also never stopped shaking.
I was instructed to take Luna outside, away from the upsetting noises within the shelter, and simply sit with her so she could experience healthy human contact.
The fact that she had not known what it was like to be treated with respect by a human was a foreign concept to me. I sat with her for more than an hour while occasionally petting her. Soon enough, she ?finally stopped shaking.
She began to trust me.
We held the same ritual for the next week or so until she could be put on the adoption floor.
Unfortunately, Luna’s case was not the worst I’d seen during my time at the APL, but it taught me so much about the importance of mutual respect and trust. I learned ?patience and responsibility.
I think everyone should volunteer at an animal shelter at least one time in their lives. The ?Monroe County Humane Association offers volunteer applications on its website. Usually, a quick training is involved and then you’re ready to walk some tail-wagging mutts.
Volunteering also taught me about resilience. I would see dogs taken into the shelter in poor health, battered and afraid. Soon enough, I’d see them getting adopted and leaving happy and hungry for love.
They bounced back.
While adopting a brand new purebred is exciting, I strongly encourage those seeking a furry companion to look no further than their local animal shelter.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
