Journal Entry the Sixth

In the past, my service experience had been more work based. This included working at food kitchens and participating in certain events such as Operation Christmas Child. I am grateful for these opportunities, but they were not as enjoyable as this class. I would consider taking additional service learning classes to further broaden my horizons and assist in the community in a heartbeat.

Our visit to Athens Pets was an excellent opportunity to assist in the care and adoption efforts of these dogs and have fun while doing it. Volunteering brings a psychological effect that increases one’s mood and sense of community. I enjoyed my time with the dogs, even though the area gave off a distinct smell that was not pleasant. It was fun to watch the dogs obliterate the dog toys we created. The most frustrating aspect was getting the hyper pups to calm down enough for us to be able to photograph them. I hope they are all able to find loving homes as quickly as possible.

I made the mistake of visiting the cats indoors simply to get out of the blistering sun. The kittens were pretty playful, but not as fun as the dogs. One escaped my grasp and it took three people to track him down from behind the cages. The rascal clawed me a few times on my arms, but i didn’t think anything about it. By the time I walked back outside, however, huge welts and rashes had broken out in several places on my skin. It was at this moment that I realized I might be allergic to cats. My injuries were not that serious as the swelling went down within the hour. Nonetheless, my experience at Athens Pets was enjoyable and rewarding.

Overall, I learned that Athens Pets is an outstanding organization that deserves every bit of recognition it gets. I would be happy to volunteer there again, and I know those pups need the love that volunteers provide. Hopefully this experience will lead me to similar service interests in the future.