Prelude to Shelter Animals

Prelude 

I work at a full service animal shelter. I give affection, feed, and take care of the animals that are housed at the Shelter. I see many neglected animals, as well as sick and healthy ones too.

Every three weeks, I work in the spay and neuter clinic as a Vet Tech.

I vaccinate all the animals in hopes of keeping them healthy so our Shelter can save as many as possible. Sometimes they are too sick to keep at the shelter due to time and space. When I can I will foster them until they are healthy enough for adoption.

I scan them for microchips hoping and praying that I will be able to find their owner. and reunite them.

I'm also a adoption counselor and I give advice in hopes to ease the transition between the animal and person when the newly adopted animal is leaving our Shelter for it's new home.

I'm also the girl who is called up to the front desk to take your "owner surrendered" pet or better yet... the animal that you say is a "stray" because you are too scared to fess up that it's really your pet.  You see, I can tell this dog is not a stray when it keeps looking back at you as if to say "Why is she taking me" and struggles to get away from me to run back over to you as I try to take him to the back to place him in a holding cage.

Or better yet, when you bring your pet to the shelter because for whatever reason you decide that you don't want them anymore. I go up to find that you brought your little child with you to say goodbye and they are up there screaming at me as I take their pet away as I walk them down the "Green Mile". If you ask me this is not very good parenting skills. You are passing your lack of loyalty skills on to your children. You should know that they learn from you. What if ...... What if.... when YOU have grown old too.. your children leave you behind in a nursing home as your grandchildren watch... What are YOU teaching your children about loyalty?

Lastly, as you probably already figured; I'm a certified euthanasia technician. I'm the one who is holding your pet when it takes it's last breath when you forgot to come in looking for your old dog that we can't put up for adoption due to it's old age or declining health. I'm the last voice that your pet will ever hear, the last touch that they will ever feel. I will hold on to the everlasting memory of YOUR pet that you didn't come looking for until the day that I die. Be comforted knowing that within me, they will live on.

Like most people we encounter, after reading these statements most of you probably have already judged me negatively and say "how could you".... :(

The truth is that if you really knew me you'd know that I was born to save animals, not to kill them. This is my life story and I have chosen to devote life and my blog to tell the the story of the ANIMALS THAT I WORK FOR.

As for all those animal that I couldn't save.. God knows that a candle burns deep inside my heart in memory of them. If nothing else, I'm thankful that I have helped end their suffering at the hands of uncaring humans. Who better to hold them, pet them and talk to them softly when they leave this painful realm to enter the peaceful one when they cross over.

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I also have hopes that this blog will help people who don't work in the Shelter animal field to better understand the realities of the animals living at animal shelters, and better to understand the people and the emotions of those who work there. We aren't doing this for the money. We are people who love animals, we are not monsters. We are true passionate and very responsible animal lovers. By what we see day in and day out, we usually can spot truth and trouble a mile away. You can't fool us so please don't even try. The only one it hurts in the long run is the animals.

~ Author, Jenni (me)