This weekend I did something I've been wanting to do for a long time, which was volunteer as PAWS. I don't know why I finally decided to get round to it this weekend, but I woke up on Saturday morning just thinking "What should I do today? Hmm, why don't I go to PAWS and help out like I always wanted to?"
So I called the centre, asked them I could come along and they said fine, since there's only one of me (I get impression that big groups are a hassle for them). I procrastinated a little bit, ended up having my lunch before I went, so I got there only around 2pm. I popped by Citta Mall nearby to buy some dog food to donate and a pack of dog sampler snacks for the dogs to enjoy.
Once I got to the centre and as soon as I got out of the car out side the shelter, I could hear the sound of dogs barking. As in many, many, many dogs. And when I walked in, I was a bit surprised to see the number of animals there. Easily 200 over dogs, probably closer to 300. I wasn't expecting quite so many. Some walking around in enclosed compounds together with other dogs. And some in individual cages, isolated from other animals or with a few others in the same cage, but not in cramped conditions. And the smell of poop was...bad. But eventually I got use to it.
After introducing myself to the office people, I was told that I had come a bit late, as 2.30pm was feeding time and after that they allow time for the dog's food to digest so I couldn't take any dogs out for a walk. That was ok, I said, I'll just help out in any other way, and I assigned to help feed the dogs. So I followed one of the helpers around who distributed food into very badly chewed up plastic food bowls (which makes me think how I can raise money to buy enough metal bowls for these dogs, which would last longer) and I just put the bowls in the dog cages for them to feed. As I walked around, I got to go into the quarantined areas, where they kept the dogs with some form of skin disease and I was told not to touch them.
Once that was done, I was asked by some other lady volunteers there to hep clean out the store, which next to the quarantine area and apparently was overrun with rat poop, which was a possible infection danger to the quarantined pups. So we were working to hosed down the place with water so all rat poop went into the drain and out of the compound. Not the most pleasant job, but I didn't mind at all.
After that was done, I went round giving the doggy snacks. They all were looking for me, and I was a bit worried if I started giving snacks to them one by one, that they would start going nuts and fighting for it. Surprisingly, the dogs in the enclosed compounds did not fight over the food but waited patiently for me to give them a snack. Even giving one dog one piece, I didn't have enough for all of them, which made me quite sad.
Among all the big sized mongrels, there was one little black and white furred shih tzu. It looked a bit like it has some skin disease, but upon closer look, I think it's only problem was that it hadn't had a shower in a while. It's curly fur was matted and dirty, but that didn't stop me from picking it up. And I picked it up without any whimper from it. Which is great for me, considering I have my own Shih Tzu at home which gets really mad anytime I try to pick it up. This one was sooooo quiet. And as I carried it, it just put it's head on my chest like a baby wanting to sleep. Heart melted!
On the first day, I noticed one dog which was caged on it own at the back of the open compound, away from other dogs. It's fur was beautifully brown and curly and had long drooping ears, so it looked like a cocker spaniel, but the body was the size of a St. Bernard. So I had idea what breed it was. I went closer to it to check it out, and at first it seemed quite relaxed, but as soon as I got closer, it jumped up against the cage and was barking furiously, it's doggy lips quivering. It really looked pretty scary and aggressive so I backed off.
I left feeling quite happy, especially after spending time with the cute and quiet shih tzu (apparently already adopted, just waiting to be spayed). The next day, I was so motivated by my first visit, I decided to go back the next day, early this time so I could have a chance to walk the dogs. And I had an even better experience than on the first day, which makes me glad I went back again.
Will save that story for my next post. :)
So I called the centre, asked them I could come along and they said fine, since there's only one of me (I get impression that big groups are a hassle for them). I procrastinated a little bit, ended up having my lunch before I went, so I got there only around 2pm. I popped by Citta Mall nearby to buy some dog food to donate and a pack of dog sampler snacks for the dogs to enjoy.
Once I got to the centre and as soon as I got out of the car out side the shelter, I could hear the sound of dogs barking. As in many, many, many dogs. And when I walked in, I was a bit surprised to see the number of animals there. Easily 200 over dogs, probably closer to 300. I wasn't expecting quite so many. Some walking around in enclosed compounds together with other dogs. And some in individual cages, isolated from other animals or with a few others in the same cage, but not in cramped conditions. And the smell of poop was...bad. But eventually I got use to it.
After introducing myself to the office people, I was told that I had come a bit late, as 2.30pm was feeding time and after that they allow time for the dog's food to digest so I couldn't take any dogs out for a walk. That was ok, I said, I'll just help out in any other way, and I assigned to help feed the dogs. So I followed one of the helpers around who distributed food into very badly chewed up plastic food bowls (which makes me think how I can raise money to buy enough metal bowls for these dogs, which would last longer) and I just put the bowls in the dog cages for them to feed. As I walked around, I got to go into the quarantined areas, where they kept the dogs with some form of skin disease and I was told not to touch them.
Once that was done, I was asked by some other lady volunteers there to hep clean out the store, which next to the quarantine area and apparently was overrun with rat poop, which was a possible infection danger to the quarantined pups. So we were working to hosed down the place with water so all rat poop went into the drain and out of the compound. Not the most pleasant job, but I didn't mind at all.
After that was done, I went round giving the doggy snacks. They all were looking for me, and I was a bit worried if I started giving snacks to them one by one, that they would start going nuts and fighting for it. Surprisingly, the dogs in the enclosed compounds did not fight over the food but waited patiently for me to give them a snack. Even giving one dog one piece, I didn't have enough for all of them, which made me quite sad.
Among all the big sized mongrels, there was one little black and white furred shih tzu. It looked a bit like it has some skin disease, but upon closer look, I think it's only problem was that it hadn't had a shower in a while. It's curly fur was matted and dirty, but that didn't stop me from picking it up. And I picked it up without any whimper from it. Which is great for me, considering I have my own Shih Tzu at home which gets really mad anytime I try to pick it up. This one was sooooo quiet. And as I carried it, it just put it's head on my chest like a baby wanting to sleep. Heart melted!
On the first day, I noticed one dog which was caged on it own at the back of the open compound, away from other dogs. It's fur was beautifully brown and curly and had long drooping ears, so it looked like a cocker spaniel, but the body was the size of a St. Bernard. So I had idea what breed it was. I went closer to it to check it out, and at first it seemed quite relaxed, but as soon as I got closer, it jumped up against the cage and was barking furiously, it's doggy lips quivering. It really looked pretty scary and aggressive so I backed off.
I left feeling quite happy, especially after spending time with the cute and quiet shih tzu (apparently already adopted, just waiting to be spayed). The next day, I was so motivated by my first visit, I decided to go back the next day, early this time so I could have a chance to walk the dogs. And I had an even better experience than on the first day, which makes me glad I went back again.
Will save that story for my next post. :)
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