Service Learning

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 28^th and 30^th 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.