Journal

__Journal Entry #1__
 * October 10th, 2010:** Today was my first day volunteering at PETCO. I worked under Katie Tierney, a devoted volunteer with Spay and Save, Inc., who trained me for the job. Here at PETCO, different volunteers take turns caring for the cats that are constantly being brought in and transported to different places. They manage the cages in which the cats reside, which includes changing the litter boxes; cleaning the cages; and giving them new food, water, and toys. Today there were three cats (two kittens and one older cat). The two cats took up the three bins on the top row while the older cat had the whole bottom row to himself. The set-up is very smart; there are windows between each bin that can either be opened or closed. This makes it easier to clean out the cages while keeping the cats secured safely inside, and it also allows cats to be separated from one another if they do not get along. I knew that these three cats were not going to be there when I returned next week, which kind of made me sad. They were adorable and I enjoyed giving them a fresh, sterile environment while they were there. The job only took me about two hours, from 9 AM - 11 AM, so it was not too tedious or arduous whatsoever.

__Journal Entry #2__
 * October 17th, 2010:** Katie Tierney was impressed at how well I worked with the cats and how easily I took to the job. For this reason, she assigned me the Sunday morning shift that I will now take on every weekend. I returned today, at the same time as last week (9 AM), and left at about the same time (11 AM), too. There was no one else from Spay and Save, Inc. there with me this time. I was by myself, and it felt good knowing that Katie trusted me enough to let me do the job alone. Despite being nervous and worried about whether I was doing everything correctly, I completed the job with no problem. Similar to last time, there were three cats (two kittens and one older cat). The kittens were extremely playful and loving, and I had a fun time petting them and playing with them with the new toys that I gave to them. The older cat, however, was not giving me an easy time when I went to clean the cage that she was in. I had to calm her down and assure her that I was not going to hurt her. This made me question what it was about her past that got her to PETCO and how much trauma she endured to be so sensitive to people. Again, I knew that she was not going to be there next week, and it made me sad that I would never find out about her story. Nevertheless, the day went smoothly and I was happy about how I was able to complete the task working alone. I did the same thing as last week, and I plan on going back next Sunday, and for many more Sundays to come.

__Journal Entry #3__ > At this particular event, Finding Shelter set up their own tent at the Farmer's Market. This consisted of a table with different things for dogs, such as stockings; wine bottle covers; and treats that they were selling. The other table had a poster-board of Finding Shelter's dogs with pictures and descriptions of each, in addition to information about the organization for people who were interested. We had several people come to see the dogs, many of which were interested in adopting. I did not think that I was going to be given a dog for my first time there, but I was given Paris, a Chihuahua / Terrier mix for the first shift (9 AM - 11 AM). Paris and I took walks and met many people who instantaneously fell in love with her the way that I did. For the second shift (11 AM - 1 PM), when all but one of the dogs were switched, I did the same thing with a different dog, Sienna. This Pinscher / Chihuahua / Beagle mix was of high energy and attracted many people at the event. At the end of the day, we had many people give donations to the organization and many people who filled out / said that they were going to fill out applications for the dog or dogs that they were most interested in adopting. It was an extremely productive day and I can't wait to work with these people / dogs more in the future!
 * October 23rd, 2010:** Today I attended an adoption event held by Finding Shelter at the Upper Merion Farmer's Market in King of Prussia from 9 AM - 1 PM. After getting lost on the way there, I finally arrived just ten minutes before it began. The dogs were getting in at 9, so until then I talked to all of the members at Finding Shelter, getting to know them better and finding more about their organization. What I learned was this:
 * This organization has not been around a long time; they began last January, at which time they predicted to place (at a maximum) 25 dogs. Right now they have placed 43 dogs, which is a tremendous number compared to what was expected.
 * Grace Herbert, the founder of the organization (along with her husband, Steve) was the Executive Director of another no-kill animal shelter and all of their pets came from shelters or rescues.
 * The adoption process is fairly lengthy, which is required in order to make sure that the dog will be in a good, permanent home. You first fill out an application, then you need vet references, then you schedule a home visit with the dog to see how it interacts with your family / other pets.
 * Finding shelter gets most of their dogs from Kentucky, where they do not spade and nuder dogs, which is why there are so many strays and, thus, more, worse cases of animal abuse and homelessness.
 * Sweetpea, an eight-year-old Chihuahua (that was unfortunately not present for this event) as a breeder in a Lancaster County puppy mill on an Amish farm for 8 years where she produced 16 litters of puppies. The puppies and Sweetpea lived in a rabbit hutch, and when the people at the mill got what they wanted out of Sweetpea, they were going to kill her. But then Sweetpea cared for and raised another dog's puppies because that dog did not produce enough milk. Luckily enough, Finding Shelter discovered Sweetpea and took her as one of their own. This story I will definitely use in my presentation.
 * The people with this organization are INCREDIBLE. They are all volunteers who devote a bulk of their time and energy into planning and conducting wonderful events. They are all extremely nice and loving, and many people commented on how positive and uplifting Finding Shelter's vibe was.

__Journal Entry #4__
 * November 6th, 2010:** This chilly morning I attended the Bryn Mawr Farmer's Market with many other great volunteers from Finding Shelter. Similar to the last event at the Upper Merion Farmer's Market, I was there from 9 AM - 1 PM. Also similar to the last event, we brought out dogs for people / prospective adopters to come and meet the dogs. Instead of changing shifts like we did last time, we kept the same five dogs for the entire four hours. Mya, Paris, Maggie, Sienna, and Izzy were the five dogs that came out. If I were to give an award to the biggest crowd pleaser of the day, it would have to go to Izzy. I have developed a true love and affection for these animals, and again, I learned many things, including:
 * All of the volunteers want to find temporary foster homes for the dogs over Christmas break. If Izzy (a two-year-old Rat Terrier/Chihuahua/Cattle Dog Mix ) does not get adopted by Christmastime, I volunteered to foster her over break so that she has a home to be in during this wonderful holiday.
 * Pennsylvania might have already passed / will be passing a law that prohibits importing animals from a different state. If this happens, Finding Shelter will be in trouble, as previously stated, they obtain many of their dogs from Kentucky.
 * Sprout, a small Chihuahua, is the inspiration behind the huge event, Sproutfest. This dog is the smallest, most helpless dog I have ever seen. It is blind, but the cause of his blindness is yet to be determined. Nevertheless, this event that is going to be held next Sunday is going to be a huge fundraiser where 13 other rescue shelters will be arriving with their animals.
 * I also met Ray, another small, blind Chihuahua . It was heartbreaking to see this poor little dog falling down and bumping into things all because he could not see where he was going.

Today, I did not take any one or two dogs under my wing. Rather, I took turns being in charge of all five dogs. This included walking them, giving them food and water, and showing them off to the people that walked by. Despite it being a cold and windy day, we attracted many people and received a good amount of money in donations. Although we were happy about the way things turned out given the predicament of weather and time, we are more excited about the events to come.

__Journal Entry #5__
 * November 7th, 2010:** Today I returned to the King of Prussia PETCO to take care of the cats' cages. This time, there were four small, beautiful kittens. One was white, another was a pale, muted orange, another was gray, and my favorite was black and tan. The black and tan one, Phantom, was the kitten that I fell most in love with. Whenever I went to open one of the bins, she would try to make her way out. I had to just pick her up, pet her, and place her calmly back into the cage. It honestly broke my heart seeing how badly this kitten wanted to get out of the cage. I was also sad knowing that next week I would not be able to see her. Anyway, I completed the same task that I have been, and will continue to do for the cats: changing the litter boxes, cleaning the cages, giving them fresh food and water, changing the towels that they lay on, and giving them new toys. Not realizing that the time on my phone didn't change with Daylight Savings, I arrived an hour earlier than I was supposed to. Fortunately, the manager let me in at 8:30 AM, so I was able to get out of there around 10:30 AM.

__Journal Entry #6__
 * November 14th, 2010:** Again, I completed my Sunday ritual at the KOP PETCO. Today there were three cats; to kittens on the top and one cat on the bottom. When trying to open the crate, all of the cats would immediately go to the door in hopes of sneaking out. I provided them with fresh food and water, played with them for a while, and again, left after two hours (9 AM - 11 AM). I find myself getting more sad that I will not be seeing the same cats every Sunday; I feel very badly for how they are constantly being shipped around from place to place in search of a home.

__Journal Entry #7__
 * November 20th, 2010:** Today, a girl named Morgan was holding a fundraiser for her own senior seminar project against dogfighting. The event was at the Mount from about 10 AM - 12 PM, during which time there was a 5k race (my dad participated in it) and different sponsors came, including Finding Shelter, and set up tables to help raise money for the event. I got there at 9 AM to help Grace (the founder of the organization) set up, and around 10 AM the Finding Shelter dogs came. Today, Mya; Paris; Daisy; Sienna; and Sprout were there. I was in charge of Mya, showing her to those interested in adopting a pet. The dogs behaved very well considering there were numerous dogs there that people brought in order to support the cause. After three hours, we went home. It was a fun day; Finding Shelter received many donations from people and I'm pretty sure Morgan made a lot of money to donate to a shelter as well!

__Journal Entry #8__
 * November 28th, 2010:** Yet again, I completed my Sunday morning ritual. It was a lot easier this time around because there were only two cats, who, unlike kittens, aren't as motivated to try to escape whenever you open the door. I cleaned the bins with no problem but with much disgust at how much poop there was in the bottom cage. I spent more time cleaning the bottom than I did the top, but still, I was only there for two hours from 9 AM - 11 AM. I gave the cats fresh food, and I could tell that they were both extremely hungry from the way they immediately gobbled down the food. Spay & Save is running low on supplies, so next week I will have to bring more litter, food, cleaning supplies, and towels for the cats.

__Journal Entry #9__
 * December 3rd, 2010:** I did not do any volunteering today, but while on the Finding Shelter Facebook page, I came across a couple videos that I found useful to my project. The first,is about puppy mills, showing how the breeders at puppy mills perceive dogs more as "chickens" rather than companions, which they should be thought of as. The next is an amazing video narrated by Paul McCartney (whom I greatly love), is driven by the saying, "if slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian." It goes through the horrors of factory farming, getting into detail about slaughterhouses and then goes into the unknown truth about fishing. Being a vegetarian myself, this video confirmed the reason for why I chose to become one in the first place. One fact that I found particularly interesting was the fact that by the year 2048, the oceans will be empty of fish, assuming that they continue being captured at the rate that they are currently (by the billions).

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In addition, i stumbled upon an article that expresses a thoughtful response to the Michael Vick case: []. It focuses on the idea of being a good role model and setting a good example, as well as punishing those who commit terrible felonies no matter how famous or how talented they are at a certain activity. The quote, "When you do what Vick did, a second chance should never include the rare gift of an NFL career and the potential bounty it offers" drives the entire article.

__ Journal Entry #10 __
 * December 5th, 2010:** I volunteered at PETCO again today, which may have been the saddest yet. There was only one cat, and you could just tell by the look on her face and body language that she was unhappy. Domino was her name, and she was a white cat with gorgeous blue eyes. I picked her up and pet her for a while after feeding her, giving her water, and cleaning out her cage. She loved being pet, and you could just tell that she really wanted a home. It upset me how she would be stuck in a cage over the holidays, deprived of a good, loving family to take care of her. Again, I was at PETCO from 9 AM - 11 AM, and left with a heavy, saddened heart and a strong urge to want to take Domino home even though I knew I couldn't.

__Journal Entry #11__
 * December 12th, 2010:** Again, today, I volunteered at PETCO. Today, there were two cats: Domino, who has been there the past couple of weeks, and another cat that I did not catch the name of. She was meaner that Domino and was a lot less friendly with people. I was there from 9 AM - 11 AM again, giving them fresh food and water. I wanted to take Domino home because she looked even sadder than she did last week.

__Journal Entry #12__
 * December 19th, 2010:** Today there were four cats, all of which are planning to be in homes over the holidays. At PETCO they are taking pictures of owners with pets / pets by themselves with Santa hats, getting in the festive mood! It was so cute to see the animals coming in and out of the store... I can't wait for Christmas! Not just for myself, but because I know the animals will be in safe, warm homes. I hope that the owners decide to keep them forever. I completed the same task I always do here, and was again here for two hours.

__Journal Entry #13__
 * January 2nd, 2011:** Another day at PETCO. Today there were two cats, Princess Leah and Linden. They were both so sweet, and I just wanted to take them home with me. Linden, especially, would not stop purring for attention and trying to push the sliding doors open when I had to lock her out in order to clean a bin. I gave them fresh food and water and made sure the litter boxes were changed and the bins all cleaned.

__Journal Entry #14__
 * January 9th, 2011:** Today there was only one cat, Linden. He has really grown on me, and if he is still there next week, I think I might just have to take him home with me! Anyway, I was here again for two hours, doing what I usually do. Even though there was not another cat to feed and clean after, I had to clean the cages to get them move-in ready. It was not as difficult because I had one less cat trying to escape whenever I opened the door or looking at me with sad eyes, making me feel bad for keeping them locked up. Even though I have completed my hours, I intend on continuing to do this volunteer work. Although I do not like waking up early on Sunday morning, I leave feeling accomplished and of significant help, which makes it totally worth it.

__**TOTAL HOURS EARNED**__: 30

SUMMARY OF WORK:
====Thus far, my volunteer work has gone incredibly well and has impacted me in ways that I could have never predicted when I began. With Finding Shelter, an all-volunteer organization, I have attended adoption events for dogs that generally last around 4-5 hours. From farmers markets to larger benefits, all of the volunteers and I have brought out the dogs to show to the attendees of these events. Our job is to show the dogs, inform people of their situations, and persuade interested people into adopting dogs. When doing so, we will not just target any person; we look for the ones who we think could provide the best home for the dog and will take good care of them, unlike their previous owner. I normally am in charge of one dog, which includes walking it; giving it food, water, and treats; and showing them to people. These dogs deserve love and affection from not just us volunteers, but from a good family. Every single one of the dogs has reserved such a special place in my heart, and my love for them and desire to find them a home is the driving force behind my working so diligently when I volunteer. All of the volunteers are incredibly passionate, and people have commented on how good of a vibe Finding Shelter gives people. They rescue dogs from puppy mills, the streets, and other places where they are in danger if they are not taken care of. Two of the dogs are blind—Sprout and Ray—and seeing them warms my heart and makes me remember why it is that I chose to volunteer with this organization in the first place. Finding Shelter also collects donations and sells different dog products, such as Christmas stockings and wine bottle covers, to raise a profit for the organization.==== ====In addition to Finding Shelter, I have been working at the King of Prussia PETCO with Spay & Save, a volunteer-based cat rescue organization, taking care of the cats and receiving insight as to where the cats, along with all of the animals that are at PETCO have come from. Sometimes there are kittens while other times they are cats. My job is to clean out the crates and give them fresh food, water, toys, and towels to lie on. There are six bins, so I start with the top three then go to the bottom three. It is important to close the doors between the three bins in a row so that the cats cannot jump out when you are cleaning that bin. I am usually only here from 9 AM – 11 PM, but every day I leave feeling good about improving these animals’ lives, even if it is just in the way of providing them with food and water. But I also feel sad leaving because my heart goes out to these cats that are kept in these bins all day, having people come over and look at them but not show any interest. It is generally only the kittens that get adopted, not the cats. After I was trained, I have been the only one working the Sunday shift.====