2007 Animal Sheltering Expo

[ewarp]

I'm currently in my hotel room in Dallas, TX. I'm attending the 2007 Animal Sheltering Expo (presented by the HSUS). I've attended one workshop (Dealing With Difficult People in the Animal Shelter Industry) and it was spectacular! In a bit, I'm headed down to a meeting for the National Federation of Humane Societies.

Tomorrow is filled with all sorts of different workshops and speakers. I'm so excited, and I highly recommend this event. Next year's will be held in Orlando, FL.

Is anyone else here?

[Ritz459]

I'm stuck in boring old Indiana finnishing up one of my last weeks of school, but it sounds really interesting!

But now you have me curious....how do you deal with difficult people in the Animal Shelter Industry?

[Swiftwind]

That sounds like heaps of fun! Are you planning to work in the animal shelter industry?

[ewarp]

Originally Posted by Swiftwind

That sounds like heaps of fun! Are you planning to work in the animal shelter industry?

Yep! I've been at the shelter I'm at now for nearly two years. I love it.

[Swiftwind]

Oh that's so cool! That would be heaps of fun. I've always wanted to work at a shelter, but I don't know if I'd be able to cope seeing all those homeless dogs.. I get kind of emotional when I visit shelters..

[ewarp]

Originally Posted by Swiftwind

Oh that's so cool! That would be heaps of fun. I've always wanted to work at a shelter, but I don't know if I'd be able to cope seeing all those homeless dogs.. I get kind of emotional when I visit shelters..

It's odd that you say that. My co-worker and I visited a shelter down here in Dallas yesterday. We walked through, and took out a blue heeler mix to visit with. He was blowing snot out his nose and coughing. He didn't want to move. He looked like hell. I started crying as we were petting him. I know that where I work, he would have been whisked away to quarantine and treated for his illness. They weren't treating him for anything. On top of that, their runs are set up so that you can take the dogs out yourself and interact with them, meaning that guests would unknowingly spread his illneses to other dogs. I called my boss to see if we could haul him back with us, but unfortunately, it's not an option for several reasons.

I get emotional at shelters too. That Shiba Inu and the Weim that were brought in recently? Both euthanized. The Shiba was dog aggressive and resource guarded. The Weim was ridiculously dog aggressive. I held the Weim for her last moments. The Shiba tried to take my face off when I went to restrain him for the needle- I have a scrape and a bruise on my chin from his teeth. I spent a lot of that day crying. It's not fair.

I love animals, and it's why I do what I do. It balances out- life is so cyclical. Every moment I spend in tears is balanced by time spent laughing so hard I'm crying. One dog dies, a puppy is born. It is hard, playing teeter-totter with my emotions, but you learn to live with it. If everyone said they couldn't do it because it would hurt too much, who would?