s/o Humane Society thread

[Granny_Weatherwax]

DD is taking a Community Service something or other course this year and her assigned job (because her interest is animal science/pre-vet) is working at the Humane Society. Her first day was rough. She was asked to help put down cats that had not been adopted. She had to get them from their cages and carry them to the procedure room. She did not stay in the room when the medication was administered but she did see the bodies afterward. She said it was the most difficult thing she had to do.

 

She was also quite angry because a family brought in 5 young pitbulls and left them there. Their reason - "We just don't want them anymore." DD can see why, the dogs are aggressive and have no manners whatsoever. DD is seething and angry about the irresponsibility of some people. She said something to the effect of "if someone is going to have the puppies the least they can do is make sure the dogs are leash trained and taught basic obedience."

 

She had an eye opening first day.

 

I wasn't too thrilled with her choices of classes this year but I think the practical benefits will be good for her.

[unsinkable]

How old is she?

 

High school or college?

 

That seems like a heavy responsibility for a new (?) volunteer!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

How old is she?

 

High school or college?

 

That seems like a heavy responsibility for a new (?) volunteer!

 

high school.

 

I thought it was a bit much but then with cut backs and loss of staff it is not surprising.

[unsinkable]

high school.

 

I thought it was a bit much but then with cut backs and loss of staff it is not surprising.

 

Wow.

 

Then it is inappropriate, IMO. She is still a minor! And on her first day, she is carrying animals to their deaths?!

 

I'd be furious!

 

At our ASPCA, minors can't even volunteer to walk dogs. You have to be 18.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Wow.

 

Then it is inappropriate, IMO. She is still a minor! And on her first day, she is carrying animals to their deaths?! Carrying them to the room - yes. Being in there when they were put down - no.

 

I'd be furious! I'm not upset about what they asked her to do. It's reality and she needs real world experience. If they had asked her to hold the animal while it was being put to sleep I would have had a problem.

 

At our ASPCA, minors can't even volunteer to walk dogs. You have to be 18.

 

Here it's 12 with parental permission. I have a friend whose DD rides her bike over to the Humane Society to walk the dogs and play with the cats.

[Melinda in VT]

Wow.

 

Then it is inappropriate, IMO. She is still a minor! And on her first day, she is carrying animals to their deaths?!

 

I'd be furious!

 

At our ASPCA, minors can't even volunteer to walk dogs. You have to be 18.

 

I disagree.

 

The OP said her daughter is interested in animal science as a career. And she's in high school. Kids have to grow up sometime.

[unsinkable]

Well, I guess it'll be pointless for me to continue if people are fine with it and want to split hairs about semantics.

[hornblower]

I am SO sorry for your dd.

 

But also SO glad. Because that is one person (& I bet one whole family & network of friends) that will be forever changed by the grim realities of what our "I want it & I want it now & don't tell me what I can & can't do & how I can & can't treat my animals! & I want my cat to have kittens so my kids can have this experience!" society leads to.

 

Here's a firs one for me: A local rescue just took in some dogs who were dumped overnight at a vet's door. The two dogs have been victims of a botched home neuter. :confused: Botched home job ear crops (esp on the bully breeds) we see a fair bit of. But a NEUTER? What the heck were these people thinking??? I want to be a responsible dog owner so I'll neuter my dog but I don't want to pay for the vet so I'll do it myself????

[LauraGB]

Well, I guess it'll be pointless for me to continue if people are fine with it and want to split hairs about semantics.

 

I'm not really all that okay with it, either. I would think the program could have chosen a no-kill facility for this age group. She'd still be able to see the drop offs and know that many of those animals will spend the rest of their lives unloved and in a facility. That would be heavy enough, IMO.

[Hockey Mom]

My DD started volunteering at the Humane Society when she was 15. She was in charge of walking dogs and cleaning cages. There were a couple of dogs she really rallied to bring home, but we were firm with her. She fell in love with the large-breed dogs, and her happiest days were when she got to see them get adopted into good families.

 

When she was 16, she decided to volunteer for a local vet (closer to home). She was taught basic procedures (mostly grooming stuff), and she had to prep dead animals to be sent to the University of Florida for further study. That was difficult for her. However, in working with this vet, it only further inspired her dream of becoming a vet. The vet she worked with was wonderful to her and not only gave her real-life experience in what a vet does, but he wrote letters on her behalf for scholarships.

 

I say if your DD is serious about being a vet, she should stick with it. She will see some awful things, but it will only prepare her better for that field.

[snickelfritz]

I grew up on a farm and some of the realities your daughter faced are not as foreign to rural kids. My point being, if that's what she wants to do, I don't think it's "that" unrealistic.

 

As a sidenote, we got a black lab from one of those "free to good homes" situations. Talked to owner IN DEPTH about our situation and having young kids, etc.... Dog had some extreme behaviors and we spent loads of money ( and time) bringing in a trainer and doing classes. It became more and more apparent that the dog had a significant amount of pit bull in it. I am most upset with the person who gave us a dog under false pretenses to salve her conscience about getting the dog a good home. In the end, we turned the dog over to an organization who would still try to re-home the dog, though they thought she was clearly under a pit bull label. She had never bitten us, but she had some dominance issues that we just were not prepared to deal with.

Edited August 18, 2010 by snickelfritz

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I'm not really all that okay with it, either. I would think the program could have chosen a no-kill facility for this age group. She'd still be able to see the drop offs and know that many of those animals will spend the rest of their lives unloved and in a facility. That would be heavy enough, IMO.

 

Unfortunately our area doesn't have a no kill shelter. The closest one is 45 mins away. We consider ourselves lucky to have a shelter.

 

Remember - not everyone lives in large metropolitan areas and has access to a wide variety of programs. Some of us have to take what we can get.

Edited August 18, 2010 by The Dragon Academy

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Well, I guess it'll be pointless for me to continue if people are fine with it and want to split hairs about semantics.

 

Why is it pointless? Everyone can have an opinion and I appreciate your perspective. Would I have wanted my 13 yo to do this? No way. I would have gone over there and requested different duties. DD is a senior and chose to do this. She needs to learn both the fun things (walking dogs, grooming cats) and the grim things. Was it a bit much for the first day? Probably.

[LauraGB]

. Would I have wanted my 13 yo to do this? No way. I would have gone over there and requested different duties. DD is a senior and chose to do this. She needs to learn both the fun things (walking dogs, grooming cats) and the grim things. Was it a bit much for the first day? Probably.

 

I didn't realize she was at the older end of high school. Still, though, a more gentle introduction would have been nice.

 

As an aside, when I was 12 I wanted to be a vet. A vet came out to our house for one of our horses and I was talking to him about it. He looked right into my eyes and told me that he never gets see healthy animals - only the very sick and dying ones. :glare: I didn't want to be a vet after that, and I've never forgotten the tired look on his face.

[creekland]

I grew up on a farm and some of the realities your daughter faced are not as foreign to rural kids. My point being, if that's what she wants to do, I don't think it's "that" unrealistic.

 

I agree. I was working doing minor vet procedures (not neutering or ears!) on our farm ever since I can remember. Death is part of life - esp in fall - and kids grow up knowing what to do when it is needed. My boys have been brought up similarly. Part of my farm kid vet tech training (from a local cc) was watching and assisting with various surgeries or other procedures (from start to finish) knowing the animals being used for training were going to be put down afterward. If they aren't wanted and there is no home for them... at least in the vet tech course their lives were being used for training others. I was between 12 and 14 when I took that course. There were others there with me. It was absolutely "normal" and we didn't think anything of it. I still wouldn't.

 

Sometimes it takes posts like this to fill me in on exactly how differently others live (not saying one is right or wrong - they are just different).

[jujsky]

Well, I guess it'll be pointless for me to continue if people are fine with it and want to split hairs about semantics.

 

FWIW, I agree with you. I would think most people -- especially teens -- wouldn't be volunteering there very long if their first day included walking animals to their deaths. If they've had cut-backs you would think they would want to retain as many volunteers as possible.

[Hockey Mom]

I didn't realize she was at the older end of high school. Still, though, a more gentle introduction would have been nice.

 

As an aside, when I was 12 I wanted to be a vet. A vet came out to our house for one of our horses and I was talking to him about it. He looked right into my eyes and told me that he never gets see healthy animals - only the very sick and dying ones. :glare: I didn't want to be a vet after that, and I've never forgotten the tired look on his face.

 

The vet my DD worked for told her that too. :( He's a solo operation, and he told her that he receives calls in the middle of the night, weekends, and holidays.

 

But he also told her about the lives he was able to save, the babies he was able to deliver, and the diseases he was able to prevent as a result of the care he provided.

[simka2]

I'm really glad she is getting to have this experience. So hard though!!!! There are some truly irresponsible people out there ;( and it is frustrating!!!!!!!

[Plucky]

I don't think that is appropriate for a volunteer's first day at all, especially someone underage.

[The Girls' Mom]

My dd volunteered at the vets office because she has always wanted to be a vet, and also saw some hard things. But it was good for her, because she saw the realities of the profession, and decided that it was something she didn't feel like she could do. She's got a soft heart for animals, and she knew she would never be able to make the tough decisions in putting one down. Thankfully she found this out long before she sunk massive amounts of time and money into a career she would have been miserable in.

 

Sorry for your daughter's tough day, and I hope it gets better.

[Dobela]

I disagree.

 

The OP said her daughter is interested in animal science as a career. And she's in high school. Kids have to grow up sometime.

:iagree: While the first day may not have been the right time, sometimes a bite of reality is just what someone needs as they are considering career choices. My grandparents had a farm until I was 13. I had to help 'put down' animals, take them to the butcher, help pluck chickens, and deal with animal deaths. Generations before us did as well. Before Humane Societies it was not uncommon for unwanted animals to be shot, drowned, or killed in some other way.

[katemary63]

I disagree.

 

The OP said her daughter is interested in animal science as a career. And she's in high school. Kids have to grow up sometime.

 

:iagree:

 

I got my first job working in an animal hosptial at age 13. Among other responsibilities, I helped with euthanasia including holding the animals during the procedure. It was my job to bag them up and put them in the freezer afterwards. I certainly didn't like it, but I learned a lot and handled it fine. Kids can handle difficult things.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

 

I got my first job working in an animal hosptial at age 13. Among other responsibilities, I helped with euthanasia including holding the animals during the procedure. It was my job to bag them up and put them in the freezer afterwards. I certainly didn't like it, but I learned a lot and handled it fine. Kids can handle difficult things.

 

Wow - what an experience at 13. I don't think I could hold animals during the procedure. I would be a blubbering mess.

[Pretty in Pink]

:grouphug: No words, just hugs for your [not so little] girl and her momma.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

:grouphug: No words, just hugs for your [not so little] girl and her momma.

 

Thank you.