Allison Liddle
24 July 2016 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Pawsitive Connections
Penny Pumphrey
(559)-977-5125
I
had many preconceptions about adoption agencies before becoming a
volunteer with Pawsitive Connections. The biggest of all being that I
felt most places wanted good homes for the animals they care for, as one
would expect, but were too strict about who can adopt. For example,
when I was two my mom wanted to adopt a dog, but since my sister and I
were so young, adoption agencies did not want us to adopt because our
age made us a liability. I felt, and still feel, that this was extremely
unfair because we would provide an amazing home for any animal we
decided to rescue, but these agencies were far too strict. So going into
my first day, I made adopting out the animals my main priority.
However, after my first three visits as a volunteer, I quickly realized
why rescue agencies are so skeptical of the people wanting to adopt. As a
volunteer, I spent a lot of time with the dogs and formed bonds with
them. I knew just how great these dogs were and how happy they would
make their future owners. This made adoptions even more difficult
because I now felt responsible for the quality of life these dogs would
have after being adopted. The volunteers' main job, other than taking
care of the dogs, was to talk with potential owners about the dogs. This
meant that I had to learn everything about 20 to 30 different dogs at
each adoption event. I also had to analyze the people looking to adopt
to make sure these dogs go to good homes, which is sad because you would
think you shouldn’t be so picky. However, a huge issue today is the
mistreatment of animals. In fact, they are making animal abuse a federal
crime that can result in prison time. Essentially, my job is to make
sure the dog is the right fit for the family and also make sure the
family is able to treat the dog well. I now understand why shelters are
so picky about who adopts.
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