“Seeing dogs reunited with their owners is the most gratifying feeling. When that dog sees its person and runs to them, you know that dog feels safe and loved.”
Are there times when it’s hard on us? Yes! Seeing some of the animals that are with us for long periods of time because they are overlooked for whatever reason, breaks our hearts. We have dogs and cats that are adopted and returned to us within 25 minutes, 24 hours, two or three days or even longer. Why? Here are some of the reasons we have heard:
- Brought back within 25 minutes: Dog threw up in the car on the way home.
- Brought back within 24 hours: Dog had a potty accident in the house overnight.
- Brought back within 24 hours: Cat hid in a corner and wouldn’t come sit in my lap.
- Brought back within 24 hours: Dog is too big.
- Brought back within 72 hours: Cat is under the bed and won’t come out to meet my dog.
- Brought back within 48 hours: Animal tried to escape.
We, that means us at Yavapai Humane Society and you as adopters, have no idea what these animals have been through in their lives. Some come in as strays. Some come in because their person has passed away and they are confused, sad, lonely and most of all, scared. Some come in from horrendous situations with hoarding, where they’ve lived in cages their entire lives. Some must be surrendered to us because of something their person is going through. We understand, and we get that. What we don’t get is when a dog is surrendered that has been with a family its whole life because it doesn’t get along with the new puppy. These are the things that make it hard and heartbreaking, but as I’ve said, caring for animals isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are. And we will do our absolute best every single day to make sure each and every animal is taken care of, walked, fed and most of all, loved, until we see it walk out the front door with its new family.
I asked a couple of our employees what the most rewarding part of working here is. Here are some of the responses:
Stacey said, “The smiles on people’s faces when they adopt their dog or cat, it sometimes brings me to tears, seeing them so happy.”
Jason said, “Seeing dogs reunited with their owners is the most gratifying feeling. When that dog sees its person and runs to them, you know that dog feels safe and loved.”
Lauren said, “Being able to educate people on the health and safety of their animal and the importance of microchipping and vaccinations. No one wants to see their pets get hurt or lost.”
McKayla said, “Seeing some of the animals who have come in from rough situations being treated, taken care of and loved here so they are ready to go to a new home.”
Aiden said, “We get some dogs who come to us with serious behavior issues and it’s really rewarding to see the results of the training and rehabilitation we provide to help them find homes.”
Rebecca said, “Seeing the way some of the animals come to us and how we are able to help bring out their true personalities and earn their trust to help build their confidence and help them get ready for new homes. Probably the most rewarding part is when one of our long-term residents finds their true forever home.”
I think it’s easy to see that the common denominator for all of us is the joy we have in not only taking care of the animals, but getting to know them, loving them and seeing them find their forever homes.
It’s because of the work that each of us do here, we have animals who, though they may start out with a heartbreaking beginning, thankfully turn into stories of hope and success. That is exactly why caring for animals isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are! QCBN
By Loree Walden
Loree Walden is the marketing manager for Yavapai Humane Society.
Leave a Reply