ABC's

I'm a teacher, and therefore I think in teacher mode often. So I had an idea to come up with the ABC's of volunteering at the animal shelter. I've had many friends asking me what I do there and how I can do it. Well....how can I not? There are so many aspects of volunteering, and this is a great way to learn about some of them.

A - Affection: When you get a dog out of their kennel at a shelter and play with them, you get an incredible amount of affection from the dog. They are SO happy to have someone play with them and love on them that they give you tons of hugs and slobbery kisses. It's awesome.

B - Balls: Can you throw a tennis ball? Then you would be great at working with the big dogs! The big dogs just love to run around the yard and fetch the tennis ball. Some of the little dogs do too.

C - Cuddles: The little dogs give THE best cuddles. They just curl up against your chest and snuggle in, often giving this little 'sigh', telling you that they feel safe with you.

Jimmie and I just adored Maison. He was a turkey all right, but we still adored him. He loved to cuddle, and Jimmie would go immediately see him every time she went to the shelter. He was rescued by DFW Humane and was later adopted. Happy tails Maison!

D - Do something: If you want to cuddle dogs, you can do that. If you want to play with dogs and throw the ball, you can do that. If you are great at creating videos, you could totally do that. If you have a knack at photography, boy, we could sure use you. Use your passion and gifts to help the animals. Every one of us has a different talent and gift. If you don't volunteer at the Irving Animal Shelter, volunteer somewhere. If you have a passion for animals, any shelter would be MORE than happy to have you come and help them.

E - Ear rubs and belly rubs: The dogs just love, love, love rubs behind the ears. And when they make those noises deep in their throat, telling you that they are loving it? Well then you know you're doing something right. And the belly rubs? It doesn't happen too often, but when a dog rolls over for you for a belly rub, you know you've done something right because they feel safe with you. Ah, what a feeling.

Lady just loved her belly rubs

F - Fostering: We often need people to step up and foster a dog for a night or even a week. We have people from all over the country adopt dogs from our shelter, and they sometimes can't get the dog for a couple of days or can't get a flight for the dog. I've done overnight fostering several times, and I've even done week-long fostering. Both are rewarding and are very needed. If you would be willing to foster anywhere from one night up to two weeks, please let us know! You can email us at teamirving@outlook.com 

G - Greeting: Most people who come into the shelter have never been there before and don't really know where to go. A simple, "Hi. My name is Angela. How can I help you today?" It makes a big difference making them feel welcome.

H - Happy tails: Oh we live for the "happy tail" stories and pictures...they make it ALL worth it.

I - "I don't know how you do it": We have heard this many times. Some days, we don't either. However, I have NEVER done a more rewarding thing in my life. It is SO worth it. Is it hard when they put 6 dogs to sleep? Yes. Is it exhilarating when one of your favorites gets adopted? Oh yes. My answer to "I don't know how you do it" is....I simply have to. I love them. The dogs are depending on me. And how could I not do it? Just because it's hard is not a reason I'm not going to do something rewarding.

J - Jumping: Some dogs want to get out of their kennel SO bad that they jump up super high trying to get your attention saying, "Pick me! Pick me!" Oh, they make me laugh.

K - Kleenex: There are days when you will go through a lot of Kleenex. I'm not going to sugar coat it. Shelters all over the state and even the country are beyond full. People surrender their dogs for the craziest reasons, sometimes even knowing that they could be euthanized. The shelter is often forced to euthanize for space because there is simply no place for them to go. Most of the dogs euthanized are really good dogs, dogs who do not deserve their fate. Those days are the hard days, the days when you think you simply cannot do this anymore. But then you remember the ones that you did save. You remember the slobbery kisses, the snuggles, and the overwhelming unconditional love. You remember the "happy tail" pictures and stories. And you drive up to the shelter to do it all over again because this is your passion and you KNOW that you are making a difference.

Marco was the reason for my first big cry. He was a wonderful, loving dog, and we all fell in love with him as you can see. He was euthanized not because he was sick or aggressive. He was euthanized because the shelter was beyond full, and they had no place for the incoming dogs to go. I will never forget that day. I will never forget where I was when I heard the news...I was sitting in the teacher's lounge eating lunch, and I immediately started crying. 

L - Leashes: Dogs are in their kennels almost 24/7, and they desperately need to be walked to let out some energy. We have a little courtyard at the shelter where you can walk the dog and runs where you can play with the dogs. Leashes are provided at the shelter.

M - Missing the dogs: Believe it or not, I miss the dogs when I'm not at the shelter. There have been days when I wasn't planning on going to shelter but went anyway because I just had to see them and love on them. They get under your skin and into your heart.

N - New and improved: We are always trying new things and trying to improve, getting the dogs more exposure and getting more adoptions. Do you have any suggestions or ideas? We would love to hear them! Email us at teamirving@outlook.com 

O - Orientation: To be a volunteer, you first have to go through an orientation. They hold orientations once a month on a Saturday. Go to www.dfwhumane.com to sign up! It's $25, you'll get a T-shirt, and you'll learn the ins and outs of volunteering.

P - Patience: Sometimes dogs come into the shelter after being on the streets for a while or are even dumped there by their owners. They are scared and don't understand what's going on. They might snarl or growl at you at first. Let them sniff your hand, palm side down. Give them a treat. Talk to them gently. Then leave them alone and come back the next day or in a couple of days and do the same thing. More times than not, they are more receptive to you and more open to come to you. This has happened in my experience several times with several different dogs, and every single one of them came around after a couple of days and felt safe with me. We don't know their backgrounds or where they came from. Sometimes I can't begin to imagine where they came from and whether they were abused or neglected or not shown love. You have to be patient. When that scared dog finally comes around, it is an incredible feeling, and you become very attached. Believe me, I can still tell you the names of the dogs that needed my patience.

Kernel was one of the sweetest dogs, but he was extremely scared. He had been living on his own for 6 months before some good samaritans were finally able to capture him. He was unsure of everyone and everything. With patience, he came around, and one of my very good friends adopted him. His name is now Rizzo, and his mom loves him to pieces. He has really come out of his shell and has become a completely different dog. 

Q - Quirky voices and quirky noises: Robin speaks to the dogs in her "cartoon" voice, and I make the funniest sounds trying to get the dogs to look at me for pictures. The dogs just love it. And when I get that head tilt? I get so excited! What kind of quirky voice or noise do you have?

R - Rescue groups: Many of you have asked why rescue groups don't take more of the dogs. Well, rescue groups are full. Very full. In order for rescue groups to take a dog, they have to have a place for that dog to go. They have to have a foster home ready for the dog. More people need to step up and become foster parents. Rescue groups most often pay for all medical expenses and will help you if you need a crate. You just provide the home and the love.

S - Sterilization: Pet overpopulation and euthanasia are a huge problem. Did you know that just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce an incredible 370,000 kittens! Please be part of the solution. Spay and neuter your pet. Cesar Millan says that "Currently, over 56% of dogs and 75% of cats entering shelters are put to sleep." That's just not acceptable in my opinion. The most important thing we can do is to sterilize our pets and educate others to do the same. Not only does it help prevent unwanted dogs and cats, but it is also better for their health. Like to learn more so that you can educate others? Please check out PETA's website at http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animals/spay-neuter.aspx

T - Time: You can choose how much time you spend volunteering. Some people only have time on Saturdays. Some people can visit during their lunch break. Some people can volunteer during the day or after work. We need people at all hours of the day, every day of the week. You can choose whether you spend an hour a week or 10 hours a week. You can go up there any time the shelter is open.

U - Unconditional love: You can have THE most stressful day at work (believe me...I taught 5th grade), but the dogs at the shelter can make that stress just melt away. It has happened to me many times. They are just so excited and overjoyed to see you - they don't care how you dress, what you look like, or how much money you have. They just want to show you love.

Sunshine put a smile on my face every single time I saw her. Just look at that face! She was such a joy to be around, and I just adored her. She was adopted and is now living the good life.

V - Video: We have just started taking videos of the dogs, showing a 3-D side of the dogs instead of just a 2-D picture. We show them loving on people, playing with the ball, and just showing their personality. We just use our smart phones to video. Do you have a phone you could use for videos?

W - Warm fuzzies: Many of my friends and acquaintances have adopted dogs from the shelter. When they call me and tell me just how much they love their new dog and how well the dog fits into their family, I get warm fuzzies all over. I want more warm fuzzies. So I keep talking about the dogs, taking their pictures, and sharing their pictures. Maybe one day we will do one big family "reunion" picture.

X - Excited: The dogs are SO excited to get out of their kennel. They might wiggle, dance, and give slobbery kisses. The only way they can get out to play, potty, and walk around is if volunteer takes them out. Volunteers are necessary.

Y - You: The shelter needs YOU. The shelter depends on volunteers to walk the dogs, play with the dogs, and love on the dogs.....all of these really help the dogs be more adoptable. YOU make the difference.

Z - Zoo: The shelter is not a zoo. The animals do not stay in cages, not interacting with people. The more they interact with people, the better it is for them...the better chance they have of getting adopted. To interact with people, we need volunteers. We need you.

We would love to have YOU volunteer with us! Do you have questions or ideas? Contact us. We would be glad to help you!

Angela