Everyone has their passions. Some like working with the young, the elderly, the disadvantaged and others with special needs. Then there are those who prefer to garden and have their hands in the dirt. I fall into yet another category, my calling is to work with animals. I once volunteered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, but realized that my gift is with the winged or four legged.
For a few years, I volunteered at the local Wildlife center. Animals that had been displaced, injured or orphaned were brought in every day. My job was to clean and feed. They had bats, baby bunnies, chipmunks, fox, ground hogs, skunks, squirrels, opossums, snakes, turtles and baby deer, as well as, baby birds, eagles, hawks, owls and vultures.
- The Owl is a resident and is used for teaching. I picked up the Cardinal on the road. He had been flying in circles, probably neurological. The Wren was one that had been caught in a sticky mouse trap.
The majority of my time was spent with the birds. The babies were fun, but I was enamored with the owls. Like all of the animals at the WLC, they had their own special diet. The big owls lived in outdoor aviaries, but the smaller screech owls lived inside. They were fed pinkies which needed to be cut into pieces with scissors. This job was not for the squeamish.
After a few seasons of cleaning the butts of baby birds, I was ready to do something different. Last year, after we adopted a four-month old puppy from Georgia, I knew where I wanted to volunteer, with Soco. It’s a tough job playing with puppies, but someone has got to do it. Of course it involves changing paper and picking up poo, but it’s okay, they are just babies.
Every time I volunteer, I fall in love. For a fleeting moment, my heart makes me want to adopt, but then my brain takes over. Our home has filled its quota of rescued dog and cats.
How fortunate I feel to have the opportunity to work with dedicated dog lovers. These are mostly rescue dogs, as well as, some who have been surrendered. Georgia is a state that does not have a spay/neuter policy. If a rescue operation doesn’t step in, their odds of survival are not good.
Here are just a few photos from today. Maybe you will see a face that says “pick me”, don’t hesitate to go and meet them. If you have an opportunity to adopt a rescue, you won’t be disappointed. They know they are lucky dogs to find a home.
The puppies:
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