Personal Stories | Animals I’ve Loved
Evie: The Perfect Rescue Dog
I helped find her forever home.
I volunteered at a local no-kill shelter for several years. Since I’m afraid of dogs I don’t know, I did administrative work. I was the receptionist and supported the adoption specialists and shelter managers for much of my time there.
My life got a little busy and I wasn’t spending much time there when the shelter manager called and asked if I could help in the Intake Department on their most active days. They needed someone who was an able communicator to deal with the public. Of course, I said yes. I loved the Intake Coordinator and knew that working together would be rewarding.
Intake is difficult because people think we should take every unwanted animal when the reality is that when the shelter is full, it’s full. In that case, the only animals we take are strays brought in by the city. It’s not that we don’t want to take every single animal in need, but there isn’t a shelter in the world big enough or well-funded enough to do that. (Adopt Don’t Shop!)
It was hard to hear the stories of the pets left behind by someone’s parents who have passed or gone to nursing home care. The children aren’t able or are unwilling to take them, the animals are lost and confused, the shelter…
