James 1

Bailey James Jeff Ferlo Pols 1100-05 24 Feb, 2014

Humane Society
Service Learning Component

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Gandhi One of the best ways to enrich our lives is to take a stand for others. When we pour our hearts into helping people (or animals), we grow. I try to walk my talk in this regard. Therefore, it was my pleasure to be involved in this semesters service project and I hope to continue to serve our community throughout my life in the hopes to create a more caring and giving society. Growing up with the constant company of pets such as dogs, cats, birds, quinea pigs, lizards, etc; having a strong passion for animals has and will always be a renown part of my life. Even as a kid, I remember reading up on specific species and watching animal planet documentaries to gain a better knowledge of their anatomy, diet, habitat, and even the animals threats. Today, I am continuing my education to pursue a career helping protect and preserve wildlife and their environment. My dream job would be in Wildlife Rehabilitation or if possible have my own t.v series on Animal Planet. With that being said, for my service learning component I decided to volunteer at the Humane Society of Utah. As a committed new volunteer, I was required to attend an initial orientation meeting before being able to serve within the Humane Society. This orientation demonstrated the duties and responsibilities as well as the proper etiquette used to handle these angelic animals. As a dedicated volunteer, we are involved in walking the dogs, socializing with the cats, or fostering animals who need special care until they can be adopted. Volunteers are also needed to help assist desiring pet owners during their search for a loving companion. Lastly, we are asked to participate in events like Adopt-A-Thons, and other Community Outreach programs held throughout the year to help raise awareness and extra funds for these homeless animals. Working with the Humane Society of Utah was an eye-opening experience and I will admit to being surprised by many things that I learned. For example, I had no idea how much care and resources went into each of the animals that the human society took in. I naively thought that the $50 or $100 I paid to adopt a cat or dog covered the costs associated with its care while at the shelter. I now know that the adoption fees cover only a small portion of the totals costs required to care for each animal and especially those that are hard to place in homes or who have medical problems. In addition, I assumed most of the financial support was provided through government assistance when in fact; Humane Societies, including that of Utah, are primarily private nonprofit organizations that receive no government funding, and are supported solely by contributions, grants, bequests, investments, and proceeds from other retail outlets. This was very surprising to learn that besides the Animal Welfare Act ensured by the Department of Agriculture for regulating standards of care (like in Zoos), the government is emancipated from the lives of homeless animals in the United States. Its actually quite upsetting, in my

James 2

opinion. For even though there is significant support from generous public donors to help ensure that every animal is placed into a loving home, I believe the humane society would better accomplish its goals should it involve some financial collaboration from the government. The amount of support to continue these life-saving organizations is much more than I think people realize. The Humane Society of Utah is an open-admissions shelter, meaning that the doors are always open for any animal they can legally accept. They are committed to caring for and saving around 8,000 dogs and cats each calendar year, which of course regularly includes the price of food, water, beds, toys, sterilization surgeries and other veterinary care (just to name a few). As a result the necessary funding needed for these organizations to succeed grows substantially high. Yet even with the financial burden, the Humane Society has continued to expand and fulfill an even greater impact of the lives of these animals. About 8 years ago, I visited the Humane Society when my gymnastics team helped donate wanted items such as blankets, leashes, toys, food, etc. My team and I were allowed the chance to explore the facility and all the animals under their care. During this time, I remember the small living conditions these animals were placed in, where the kennels did not get much bigger then the animal itself. It was heart breaking to see, however over the years the HSU has embarked on an ambitious rebuilding project to increase holding space and create a more inviting atmosphere for the public. Since the beginning of 2011, two of the projects such as Kitty City and Bunny Bungalow have already been completed. Lastly, set for completion this year is the Dogville and Tiny Town adoption area that will make the atmosphere less stressful on the dogs and allow the public to interact with them in a more natural environment. Its amazing how much the local community has contributed to making all this possible. With the constant support of donors like you and I, the Humane Society of Utah will continue to provide a better environment for each and every animal in their care. This gives me confidence regarding the motives and sole purpose behind these organizations; knowing our funds are not used for selfish profit interests but to improve the welfare of the animals, which is exactly what it should be used for! While working with the Humane Society, I learned a lot about the care and resources that are required to transition unwanted and often unhealthy animals into vibrant, beloved and loyal companions. The level of care and consideration that each individual animal receives while at the shelter is astonishing. Even though there are more than 200 cats and 75 dogs in residence at any given time (and more out in foster homes), each animal had a name and each was treated as an individual with unique medical and socialization needs. A tremendous amount of time (paid and volunteer), money, expertise and marketing goes into making a shelter successful at fulfilling its mission. At the Humane Society of Utah, the adoption staff and several dedicated volunteers come to work each day and pour their energy into handling the most unsavory aspects of animal care with a smile and dogged determination. The people who work for animal shelters are heroes. They work in tough conditions and have to endure a lot of stress - more stress in a day than most of us deal with in a month. They assist people and animals on their toughest days and have to make life and death decisions that are always agonizing. But it is all worth it when a long-time shelter resident finally gets adopted into a loving home. Each hour spent at the Humane Society was a blessing in my eyes. My days consisted of caring for both the dogs and cats held in the facility. I brushed, played, snuggled with every dog and cat I could get my hands on. You could see the joy emanating from the animals with every

James 3

minute spent by their side. I honestly believe working with animals is the most heart-warming experience. I feel as if their unconditional love reaches deep within my soul, encouraging me to become the amazing person they believe me to be. Caring for these homeless animals helped me realize how much influence we have over their lives. Animals are counting on compassionate people like you and I to give them a voice and be their heroes by learning about the issues they face and taking action. This is why I volunteered, to make a difference in the lives of these homeless animals, but in the end it was the loving animals and people of this organization who made a huge difference in my life. Through this inspirational experience I now have a whole new outlook on volunteer work and its endless benefits that come from helping those in need. This has also sparked my desire in politics. In the future, I hope to rally the local and more importantly the national government to be more involved in saving the lives of homeless animals and help fund the hundreds of organizations that care for them. For animals are incapable of demanding their own rights, or protesting against their condition themselves with votes, demonstrations, or boycotts. Therefore, human beings either have the power to oppress animals forever or rise to the challenge by ending the suffering, not because we are forced to do so, but because we recognize that our position is morally depended upon! In that sense, I am eager to continue to volunteer at the Humane Society of Utah along with my attempt to influence new support from all those who are willing to better the lives of these animals. Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. - John Muir

James 4

April 22, 2014 To Whom It May Concern, Bailey James has served over 18 hours of community service at the Humane Society of Utah shelter. !Bailey assists the adoptions staff by walking all of our dogs as well as helping us out at special events & Kitty City. She is a pleasure to work with. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Lesa Essary
Lesa Essary Volunteer Manager Humane Society of Utah (801) 261-2919 X 233 volunteer@utahhumane.org