For this service project I chose to volunteer at the Ingham County Animal Shelter (ICAS) in Mason, MI.
I started volunteering in August when I relocated back to my hometown for this program as it is closer to my
clinical site. Volunteering with animals isn't something new to me. I have been a volunteer with the Franklin
County Dog Shelter in Columbus, OH for over a year prior to this. In order to become a shelter volunteer I had
to complete the Fear Free Volunteer Certification which is a 5 hour online training course. I completed this
awhile back which allowed me to quickly start at ICAS. I contacted Richard the shelter manager and he set up a
date for us to meet and take a tour of the shelter and show me how they operate. This shelter houses all sorts of
animals but my volunteering is only with the adoptable cats and dogs.
When I go to volunteer I usually start by taking the dogs out in their play yard and while there the dogs
like to sniff around, play ball, and some just want affection and cuddles. I usually let the dog tell me how they
want to spend their outdoor time. Some dogs you can tell they need physical exercise and some just need to
have some quiet time away from the sounds of the shelter. This shelter is much smaller than the one in
Columbus, OH which usually has around 150-175 adoptable dogs. At ICAS there are usually around 5-10
adoptable dogs.
After taking the dogs out I’ll spend some time in the cat room. Some of the cats are socialites and like to
get out to roam and some are struggling with being in the shelter and not in the home they once were in. Many
of the cats have outlived their owners, been abandoned in rental properties or their families can no longer care
for them for one reason or another. For the cats that are nervous I just open their cages, talk to them in a soft
calm voice and try to offer light pets or treats to help them feel more at ease. This shelter is very good about
having classical music playing throughout their facility for the animals. I really feel like it sets a calming tone.
Some things I learned from volunteering at the shelter are that the majority of the animals are good
loving pets. Many people have the misconception that there must be a reason no one wants them, they must not
be trained well, they must not be housebroken and these thoughts are simply not true. The main misconception
that is hard to overcome is that “pit bulls” are prone to be vicious and can not be trusted. The majority of the
dogs in shelters today are pit mixes and they are truly so sweet and loving animals. Shelter volunteers spend
time with the animals to teach them leash manners, basic commands and try their best to keep them house
trained while at the shelter. It’s very relaxing for me to go and focus on the animals and try and give them some
much needed outdoor time and attention. This allows them to be their best when an adopter comes to find their
new family member.
I encourage you to volunteer at your local animal shelter. They are so in need of all the help they can
get. Even if you are unable to work with animals because of various reasons you can always wash dishes, do
laundry, make enrichment toys, clean indoor and outdoor areas. I often don’t have time during the day to
volunteer. In that instance I will stop by the shelter, pick up some supplies and make treat enrichment toys while
I watch TV at night. Every little bit makes a big difference to the fear, anxiety and stress a shelter animal
experiences before their adoptive family comes to take them home. Below I have some pictures of me making
treat tubes for the dogs. These are made from paper towel or toilet paper rolls and a dog food of your choice.
Below I have included pictures of some of the dogs I walked on 4/14/2024 at ICAS.
