Back home, my family has a bunch of pets that I absolutely adore. And, as you would expect, I miss them now that I've moved out! My apartment building doesn't allow most pets, so I was having a tough time figuring out what to do to...fill the void, so to speak. As a kid, one of the things I wanted most was to work with animals. (I wanted to be a veterinarian, but blood and guts really aren't my favorite thing.) This year was a big one for me--I graduated college, which was a huge step. (This is the first time in my life that August hasn't meant "back to school." It's so weird.) So, instead of going back to school this August, I decided to start working with the Central Missouri Humane Society. It's been a lot more fulfilling than I would have thought.

I don't do too much at the shelter since I work 40 hours a week, but when I do, I spend most of my time socializing with the animals. The biggest thing that I've learned with these animals overwhelmingly is that they just need someone to pay a little bit of attention to them, which is great for their health and well being. Some of the shelter cats are shy, but overwhelmingly I've found that they won't turn down some TLC. There's Lord Firefly, the FIV+ kitty, whose absolute favorite things are sleeping and snuggling. If you get too close to his cage, he'll stick his arm out and tap you gently as if to say, "Hey, just reminding you that I'm here. Y'know, in case you forgot." Kaylee is a sweet mama kitty. When you open up the door to her cage, she'll climb out on your chest and lean against you like you're her favorite person. And then there's Adonis. Adonis is huge. You'd think he'd be a big tough guy, but he's even more chill than Lord Firefly. He's always got this air of, "If you pet me, that would be sweet. But if not, that's cool; this nap is rad."

And of course the cats aren't the only great ones. Cheyenne is an energetic little lab mix who looks like she could knock down a building with all her energy, but when you take her for a walk, she strolls along beside you as if you're best buds. Rex is similar. Big and tough looking with a wrinkly face, Rex loves to smell everything. (He flinches at the sound of tractor trailers driving by, but you can't really fault him for that.)

I knew volunteering at the shelter would help the staff and animals out a bit, and I knew that it would be a great experience for me. But I guess the thing I didn't expect is just how much those animals love love. I'll spend two hours watering the cats, just going from cage to cage in the small room checking their water and then giving each of them a couple minutes of the love and attention that I know they deserve. And I'll do the same with the dogs--cage to cage, checking to see how each of them are doing. Sometimes I'll take a dog for a walk so that we can both get some exercise.

These aren't just animals. They're pets, and even though I know that some of them end up staying in cages for longer than intended, I can look at each of those furry nerds and know they're going to end up loving someone with all the passion their sleepy little hearts can muster.

So if you have a pet, hug them for me. Let them know you care about them. And if you don't have pets, stop by the shelter to give one or two of them a hug. I know it'll do you both some good.