Volunteer companions
Shelter needs more people to work with pets
By Brandy Nance
Friday, October 13, 2006
The dogs at the Emporia Animal Shelter, 1216 Hatcher St., have angels to watch over them.
The angels are the people who volunteer their time to take the dogs out of their kennels and walk them through the community.
Organized by Jennifer Meier, the dog-walking program is held Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Meier said she took over the program at the beginning of August. Wednesday nights are the program’s biggest night, she said.
“It has been kinda going on, off and on, and now it’s more regular,” Meier said. “It’s just to get them out of the kennels.”
Meier said there aren’t a lot of volunteers during the day and the ones who are there focus on keeping cages clean and feeding the animals. Getting the animals out of their cages is where the night volunteers come in.
“They don’t get a lot of outside time during the day,” Meier said. “It’s helped a lot to get them out.”
Shelter Manager Rachel Harris said she would like to see the dog-walking program grow and that more volunteers are needed.
“I wish it would soar a little bit more,” Harris said. “They need exercise desperately. They are in their cages seven days a week 24 hours a day.”
Deb Crowl volunteers to walk the dogs on Wednesday nights. She said the walks benefit her just as much as the dogs.
“It’s a total body workout for me when I have one of the big guys,” she said. “I walk every night anyway, so I might as well help out the animals.”
Crowl said volunteering is very rewarding.
“Just knowing that we’re making their day better,” Crowl said. “They know somebody cares about them. It just makes you feel good too.”
Walking the dogs makes them feel loved, Crowl said.
“I think the one thing is the dogs truly appreciate you being there,” she said. “You can tell. It’s fun.”
Meier also said there are rewards in walking the shelter dogs.
“I guess just knowing that I’m helping the animals find homes,” she said.
She bought orange jackets for the dogs to wear that say “Adopt Me.”
“I think that when they are walked, they get out and socialize and then they get a better show in the public,” she said. “We teach them to sit and teach them basic manners.”
Getting the dogs out makes them less kennel-crazy when visitors arrive, Meier said.
“This will make them more adoptable,” she said. “It’s definitely for the animals.”
Last week, Crowl said, she walked a pit bull.
“He’s so sweet,” she said. “That last block he wanted to run, so we ran the whole way. He wants to be right there touching you. It’s awesome.”
There is a hard part about the volunteer work, Crowl said.
“It’s just so sad when you have to go home,” she said.
Seeing the dogs that she gets attached to is bittersweet, Crowl said.
“I want to give them the third degree to see if they’re going to be good parents,” she said. “You want to have the right parents to that dog.”
Harris said the shelter also desperately needs volunteers in other areas. Volunteers are needed to help clean the cages.
“Even if you can’t come out and help clean, just come out for the animals,” Harris said. “That’s what our volunteer program is for.”
For more information and to join the walking group or other volunteer opportunities, call Harris at 340-6345. The Emporia Animal Shelter hours are 12 to 2 p.m. seven days a week.