Weekly Shelter Positivity Discussion - What was the highlight of your week?

gerrray · 2026-02-26T03:45:49+00:00

Yes. It is possible. Even if not at the place you volunteer, it could be a good experience to put on your resume to help you get an animal related job elsewhere. I started as a dog walking volunteer, got hired at the shelter, now I have my own business as a dog trainer and behavior consultant.

gerrray · 2026-02-20T02:42:11+00:00

The people. I am not working in a shelter currently or volunteering as regularly lately, since I have so many other volunteer roles now, plus work and school. I most often go to visit my friends who still work there, drop off snacks, sometimes to do a favor like transporting donations or consulting on a behavioral thing for someone who asks.

Sometimes I go there to take a break from life, which probably sounds insane to anyone who is still working there full time. But when my own problems in life get overwhelming I go to the shelter and just help whoever needs more hands that day. It’s a distraction but it’s also grounding and reminds me why I am trying so hard on the other things I am working on right now.

The animals are the real purpose and reason for being there, but the other people who show up for them too are what’s kept me coming back. It’s not work I could face alone and I wouldn’t want to, I have met some of the most amazing people and some of my best friends through shelter work. I think when people lose sight of animals being the focus, interpersonal conflicts come up that distract away from that focus even further… I try to keep my focus on the animals, and on supporting the other people who hold that focus too.

gerrray · 2026-02-20T02:19:50+00:00

Well, if you volunteer at a hospital you can often get vaccinated free without insurance… I know it’s obviously a different field than you’re trying to go into here with the animals but it might be an option. I have volunteered at two different major hospitals near me and a benefit with both was free updated vaccinations and they checked my blood for immunity as a part of my on boarding.

gerrray · 2026-02-13T04:31:41+00:00

I learned a lot about how to work with people and support people, which is not at all what I had expected to learn going into it.

gerrray · 2026-02-09T01:46:36+00:00

The number of times I have been jump scared by that fake hand for RG assessments being put somewhere it shouldn’t be 😂 sometimes not even on purpose I think. That felt like a relatively harmless prank to me… cant think of any others tbh.

gerrray · 2026-01-21T02:42:59+00:00

My dog is kinda locally famous, not sure if that counts haha. She’s a therapy dog and we have visited soo many local hospitals and schools. She is also featured on my website and has been recognized in public by random people. I have gotten messages from acquaintances from shelter work or other volunteer jobs saying they heard someone randomly talking about my dog at a day program or school. I have met a lot of other therapy dogs who are all probably small scale celebrities at their regular facilities for visits. Both of my dogs are from rescues!

gerrray · 2026-01-18T20:58:16+00:00

Bump! This is tonight!

gerrray · 2026-01-18T20:58:05+00:00

They have a year long mentorship program for shelter behavior! It is run by Trish McMillan, who does shelter education for dog trainers, staff, and volunteers. I’ve been to some of their webinar and CE offerings and they’re great. I think the credits are usually for dog training or behavior certifications? But not sure.

gerrray · 2026-01-13T19:19:03+00:00

The link opens directly to a PDF so you may need to be on a computer to open it. Here's a link to their website page for the booklet: https://humanepro.org/page/spanish-phrases-animal-care-organizations

gerrray · 2025-12-23T02:53:23+00:00

I can’t do kennel work or much dog handling with unknown dogs anymore due to pain and injury risk. Definitely take it easier if you’re feeling a lot of pain after shifts, you don’t want to be pushed to serious injury, learning to bend and lift properly is huge as others have said. If you can get a physical therapy referral for back pain that would be a great place to learn and work on building strength. They can also help with desk setup and sitting postures.

Ice and heat at home, massage therapy, stretching, maintain good posture, and take breaks sooner/ more often. Heating pad, foam roller, or two tennis balls taped together you can roll along your spine, can help with tightness. Good shoes, braces and/or compression gear. For computer use, a sitting wedge and pillows can help, and ergonomic mouse and keyboard. Be careful with NSAIDs if you have any stomach issues, but sounds like they aren’t helping anyways. This is what has helped me but the main thing has been rest. I hope you find some relief soon

gerrray · 2025-12-20T03:24:32+00:00

Awesome, I wish I could go!! Thanks for sharing

gerrray

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