September 9, 2014

A Helping Hand


ADOPT ME!


For the longest time, Chris and I have been in discussion about volunteering in our community. Like all good procrastinators, we put it off and put it off. That is until I wrote it down on my official to-do list. The be-all-end-all of to-do lists: 101 in 1001 <-- this list is deserving of a blog post all its own, so we’ll get to that a little later. Obviously once it was written down on an official list, it had to be crossed off. Perhaps one of my favorite past times is crossing things off a list. Seriously. Sometimes I even make a list of things I’ve already completed just for the satisfaction of crossing them off.

I digress. So I finally decided yes! We will do this! The problem then became finding somewhere to spend our weekends that A) would not make us long for our couch and B) actually felt like we were making a difference. I credit Christopher with the discovery of such a place (don’t tell him).


Not only is it where we adopted our two barking fur babies, but we were already spending an exorbitant amount of time there anyways. I loved spending a Saturday afternoon loving on the dogs and cats through their prison bars. I often left in tears because Christopher would remind me that we live in an 1100 square foot apartment that has already exceeded max capacity for pets so, no, we could not bring any more home with us.

Bingo! If I couldn’t bring any more animals home with me, I absolutely could use my energy to find them forever homes elsewhere. And let me tell you…I am LOVING it!

We had our first volunteer shift last weekend, participating in what is called Pack Walk. A group of volunteers meet every Sunday morning to make sure every dog in the shelter gets a 15-20 minute walk through Tom Brown Park, play time, baths if needed, and mental stimulation. Because the shelter doesn’t open until 1:00PM on Sundays, volunteers are able to spend more time one on one with each animal. We learn about their personalities and behavior traits; whether they are potty trained, leash trained, good with other dogs or timid. This knowledge is extremely valuable in helping the dog find the right home with the right family.


There is always a need for volunteers and donations at the shelter. Even more so, there is a need for loving homes for these animals. If you are interest in volunteering, donating or adopting, please visit their website for more information. 

Tallahassee-Leon County Animal Service Center
1125 Easterwood Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32311
850-891-2950

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