Deep Thoughts...

Haven't blogged in awhile so I will start off by saying that  I have managed to get a large number of cats put on Petfinder and adopted, which I absolutely love. I have also see many dogs come in and out of the shelter, which the latter part is the best. Now, one thing that has come to my attention when volunteering for an animal based group is how many options you have and how many opinions can be formed. When you are looking at a problem you may only see it one way, but in reality there are many different ways to look at the same problem and come up with solutions. This theory can be used in almost every scenario in everyday life. Humans are incredibly intelligent creatures and we are made to build our own opinions about everything in our lives and this is what separates us from each other. I have talked a lot about this idea with one of my great mentors and friends. When you step back and look at the problems in the world and the reasons we want to change the world and volunteer, the reasons are limitless. Each person has their own story and no matter how different your story is from theirs you both believe in volunteering. I think volunteering can bring everyone together in a way nothing else can. No matter your cause you put your time, effort and money into something you enjoy and love to do which is exactly what other volunteers do everyday. If any of you are like me volunteering gives you a sense of doing something greater than just living and being on this earth because you are making a difference and changing lives that would never be changed without your help, which is an amazing thing to think about.

This is a very thought based entry and it may seem a little scatter brained because I am just using it to get thoughts down as they come, so I am sorry for that.

After a few weeks of service there is a lot to talk about. One of the main things I do when volunteering is taking pictures of the cats and putting their profiles on Pet Finder. Since I have been doing this I am forwarded the emails from PetFinder that say how much a page is viewed and the results are amazing! It is an amazing feeling going in every week and seeing 10 new faces looking at me. Yes, it can be hard if you find one that you really connect with but, knowing that each one of those cats is now in a loving forever home makes me giddy inside. This week when I went to take pictures there were two girls looking and playing with some of the cats. They were there the whole time I was and one of them had her eye on a certain cat. I was done with all the cats except that one so I asked her if she wanted me to get her out for her and her face lit up. I unlocked the cage and got the little tortoise colored cat out. She held the cat and had the biggest smile on her face. She took some pictures and gave the cat some kisses. When she was getting ready to put the cat back I asked if she would like to name it because it needed a name and that is usually part of my job. She was so excited and in the end she chose Pepper. She was so grateful that I let her hold Pepper and name her and that is what puts a smile on my face. I not only made her happy I also gave Pepper the feeling of love, compassion and happiness, which is my mission. I headed to the shelter afterwards and it had been a tough day so I was extremely excited to go and get my mind off somethings. Walking down the aisle I saw many new faces but I also saw a few faces that had been there since my first day. I have made a connection with many of these and they know I am there to go have fun with them. Two of these dogs have connected with me very well and I am trying my best to leash train them and teach them some good behaviors so hopefully one day I will walk in and see "adopted" written on their cage sign. Trina and Kiara are the two girls that have been there since I have and they are the best girls I have worked with. Both of them are full of energy but eager to please. I let Trina off the leash in the yard and she will go explore but I say her name once and she is right back at my side. She is finally getting the concept of sit and stay down which is awesome. Now miss Kiara is a rocket. She absolutely LOVES to run. She would make a great running partner. At first she loved to chase what you threw and not bring it back, but she has slowly caught onto the fact that I have treats if she brings it back and drops it, which is a huge leap from where she started. O, and then there is Lizzy, or as I call her, Momma. She is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. I let her off the leash and she stays by my side, and if i bend down she is immediately in my lap wanting attention. These dogs melt my heart because they have been in the worst of worst situations yet still have the heart to love you no matter what you are going through. Amazing.

the beginning...

Well I have successfully neglected to start this blog, which isn't a good thing. Ive done 3 weeks and about 15 hours of volunteering already but Im not sure about this whole blogging thing. Through volunteering I came up with a lot of problems I want to solve before I grow old, but I know who I am and I know I will make a difference any many ways that I can not even dream of right now. I am the type of person who is very passionate about everything I do, and this volunteer opportunity is no exception. I am working with Crystal Creek Animal Shelter/North Central Indiana Spay and Neuter. I have always loved volunteering in places like these because the feeling of accomplishment is indescribable. In this short time I have been put totally in charge of getting all the cats available for adoption onto Petfinder, this has proved a little challenging and very time consuming, but I love it when I can take 5-10 cats off the site every two days because they found homes. I also am a very hands on person so I have also been working with each dog individually on basic training and doggy "etiquette", which sounds simple but a majority of these dogs have had slim to none training or even human interaction. I LOVE the challenge of taking a totally crazy hyper dog and working with it day by day and seeing the improvement I have made to this dogs life. What most people don't know is that dogs are built to please, so when they receive that treat and hear my tone of voice change to happiness it is rewarding to them. It is ultimately a win-win scenario because it makes both human and animal happy and hopefully it will help that animal find a forever home which is the goal everyday I walk in there. Working with animals also helps me get away from the everyday stresses of being here at Purdue which I love. It gives me happiness and a feeling of accomplishment when I know I have made a difference.