We all at some time or another have wanted to volunteer and do our part for the community. This could be anything from volunteering at a Soup Kitchen on weekends, local pet rescues or reading to people living in retirement homes. I was one of the many people who wanted to work in pet rescue organizations because as a huge animal lover, it seemed the best job in the work. Who wouldn't want to cuddle puppies and kittens all day? Yeah, well I'm here to give you the 911. And you wanna know a little secret....it's not easy.
I wish I knew...
How deep my connection to these animals would be. Take this little grey/white tabby cat named Tigg - who acted more like a dog than a cat to be honest. He was one of the best things I had encountered during my summer. Not only was he a great cuddler and listener, but a wonderful companion in my time of need. You see, just a week after starting my job, we lost our family dog of 12 years. She would have been 13 just a couple of weeks later. It was the first time I had ever encountered grief and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Tigg was boarding with us for awhile, in fact it was a whole month, so you could say we became fast friends. He would always be happy to see me on my shifts and if left out, would always welcome me when I walked through the door. Tigg brought such joy to everyone he came across. He was a real special little guy and the day after his pickup was the worst for me. It was just like losing my own pet all over again.
I really feel that working at a boarding kennel helped with the healing process. And I know I will never be completely healed, but life is still precious and I can celebrate it by caring other little "humans."
How exhausting the work itself could be. And no this is not a complaint but an observation. Not only are you physically laboring to make sure the animals bedding are clean, you also can get mentally burnt out. It happened to me a couple of times and it really took my all to wake up the next morning and show up for work.
I'm glad I know...
How awesome working with animals would be! I tell you, there's is nothing as fulfilling as giving all your love to a furbaby and getting it returned back ten-fold. When animals love, they love fully. There's no breakups or time-outs, them feeling disappointed in you, or even getting mad at you. You are their main happiness in life....besides their food and treats of course.
How to be polite when you just want to blow up on people. Working in customer service is never easy but when you add pet parents to the equation its a whole other problem. As a former pet owner (sure I was a kid, but still, it counts), we always made sure our dog's shots, vaccines, and heartworm medicines were up to date. People who have boarded many times before still would get mad when we unfortunately have to cancel their reservation because Bella's parents didn't keep up with their dogs shots. Mind you, 80% of our clients were long-time boarders who should have known better. Still, being sickly polite to the point your smile is literally stretched across your mouth can be exhausting.
What I'm trying to get at is to not consider working with animals just because it seems easy. Nothing is easy in life, so make sure you do it for the right reasons.
