海角大神

The animals who find us

When I submitted an application to volunteer at a local animal shelter, I thought I鈥檇 just be walking dogs outside 鈥� a good fit for my solitary nature. I couldn鈥檛 wait to let them out of their kennels to roam and sniff and enjoy some fresh air. That lasted two weeks.

Because where I was truly needed, it turned out, was the front desk. This was command central of a busy community hot spot, and way outside my comfort zone. I鈥檇 be answering phones, helping with adoptions, and doing intake on everything from chinchillas to fallen baby owls to sunburned pigs.聽

My first hurdle was the phone. I assumed callers鈥� questions would be along the lines of, 鈥淲hat are your hours today?鈥� or 鈥淒o you have any calico kittens?鈥澛�

I assumed wrong. During any given shift, no two calls were ever alike. They ran the gamut from 鈥淚s it legal to shoot a wild boar with a bow and arrow?鈥� to 鈥淗ow do I get a snake out of my garage?鈥� to 鈥淭here鈥檚 a skunk under my house, and I don鈥檛 want it to spray. What should I do?鈥� My standard response became, 鈥淗old, please.鈥� These calls were above my pay grade (which was zero) and sent me running for the nearest vet tech or manager.聽

One thing I loved about my shifts, however, was never knowing who鈥檇 be there when I walked in. Like Delta the pig, who鈥檇 been found alone in a park, sunburned, eating weeds. Where else would a city girl like me get a chance to sit and bond with a 200-pound porker?聽

During the course of one afternoon, Delta knocked over trash cans, destroyed a bookshelf, and tried to eat my shoes. I was enchanted. When she spotted a feisty bulldog in the lobby, she knocked down a gate to come say hello. She ended up getting adopted by a woman who worked at a vet clinic.

I began to embrace my involvement with the community. Several people told me that they鈥檇 love to volunteer at the shelter but it would be too sad for them. While it鈥檚 true that many abandoned animals showed up in bad shape, and heartbroken people called trying to find a lost pet, it鈥檚 equally true that once we became involved, the animals were on their way to a better life.聽

Levi, an older cattle dog who was going deaf, had been at the shelter for several weeks when a man came in one day on his Harley. After a trial sleepover, he fell in love with this loyal old mutt and returned to fill out adoption papers. The dog loved riding on the motorcycle鈥檚 side cart with his new owner, who had a custom leather jacket made for Levi to match his own. I don鈥檛 know what this dog鈥檚 life was before, but I鈥檓 sure it didn鈥檛 involve hot wheels and sunglasses.聽

It was common for people who鈥檇 recently had a beloved pet pass to come in and donate their leashes, toys, and food.聽

One day, an older man who seemed heartbroken came in to donate his dog鈥檚 belongings. He said he鈥檇 never want another dog as he 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 go through that again.鈥� Just then, an adorable peagle (Pekingese mixed with beagle) came bounding into the front office to go for a walk.聽

It caught the eye of the man, whose face lit up as he started to smile. 鈥淲ho is this?鈥� he asked, as the puppy ran over to him. I didn鈥檛 always know how these stories would end. Sometimes I just got to witness the beginning.聽

My years spent volunteering at the animal shelter changed my life in countless ways. I鈥檇 gone into it hoping to meet some great dogs. But I also met some great people who renewed my faith in humanity.聽

A retired couple stopped in one day, and the woman said, 鈥淪how us the cat who鈥檚 been here the longest.鈥� That was Bella, a sweet black-and-white feline who鈥檇 been living in a cage for 18 months. She鈥檇 gone on multiple sleepovers with different families but always came back.聽

As soon as we brought her out, the couple said, 鈥淲e鈥檒l take her.鈥� She was adopted that day. They didn鈥檛 want the prettiest or most affectionate cat or a certain breed or color; they wanted the one who most needed a home. Angels walk among us, I thought.聽

My home life changed as well. A three-legged French bulldog named Sugar was found one morning in a parking lot and brought into the shelter. She had health issues and poor eyesight. The entire staff fell in love with her and encouraged me to adopt her. I did, and she returned with me each Tuesday to 鈥渨ork a shift鈥� in my lap at the front desk.聽

Up until then, my family had only had a purebred. But now, three shelter dogs later, I鈥檇 never have anything but a rescue. I鈥檓 a sucker for a happy ending.聽