Hopeful
Tails Animal Rescue is a non-profit animal shelter. They bring in dogs that have
been abandoned, abused or neglected as well as other rescues. A quote on their
website says “saving one dog will not save the world but surely, for that one
dog the world will change forever” (http://www.hopefultailsanimalrescue.org/index.html).
I helped at the shelter on April 28th and 30th for 2 ½ hours
each day. The shelter is located in Joliet off of 52 on Republic Avenue.
I
didn’t know anybody there, but everyone was very kind and welcoming. It was mostly
just other volunteers; some were newer and some people had been volunteering there
for a while. While I was there I just did basic tasks like putting food into
bowls for the dogs and picking up after they went to the bathroom. People who
had been volunteering for longer got to take the dogs outside and socialize
them. After a puppy was stolen (but then returned) in February, the shelter is
very careful with who they let do certain tasks. They want to make sure their
animals are as safe as possible.
Most
of my interactions were made up of small-talk. I introduced myself to other
volunteers and we discussed why we were there, where I go to school, and made
small-talk about the animals. Since my service was done for animals and not
people, I spent of my time interacting with dogs. As an animal lover, it is
great to be able to help out dogs that need it. I couldn’t pick a favorite
interaction because I loved spending time with all the dogs.
Overall,
I really enjoyed my experience at Hopeful Tails Animal Rescue. I have had 5
rescue dogs throughout my life and they have all been remarkable pets. Luckily,
I had gotten a puppy 2 weeks before I volunteered because otherwise I would have
been dying to adopt all of the dogs they had. I will definitely volunteer more
at this shelter and maybe others in the future. It was a very positive
experience and it felt great to help animals in need.
