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   Through senior volunteers’ explanation, we understand how important it is to be with furkids. Here are some tips below for being with them. First of all, help them stay in a good spirit. They feel afraid, helpless and distrustful when they are caught and sent here. Second, they are locked in the cage for a long time and need to get along with other dogs. There might be something wrong with their health. Next, relearning to get along with human beings can increase their opportunities to be adopted. On the contrary, furkids that can’t get along well with others and are aggressive are less adopted. Last, senior volunteers also teach us several skills of walking the dog. For example, when we walk the dog, we should observe the dogs’ sleep, urine, and excrement. Never let dogs touch one another. Hands must be washed and disinfected after touching one dog, and then we can touch another dog. This is to lower the rate of cross infection. When we feed dogs, our movements must be light and slow. Let the dog see the dogfood first, then caress it, let it smell for a while, and then it will help itself to the food. Then, we walk the dog. In the morning, we walk the dogs in the adoptive area and in the afternoon, we walk the dogs in the inner house. The dogs in the adoptive area are more gentle and meek. The dogs in the inner house are more energetic and hard to control. Thanks to the help of the senior volunteers, we successfully walk the dogs and even let them finish a meal, drink clean water and enjoy a little freedom. One-day volunteers can help to solve the problem of manpower shortage. If only staff members work here, it is impossible to walk the dog. In addition, there are not enough long-term volunteers to help solve the problem. One-day volunteers can release the pressure on the shoulders of the staff members and long-term volunteers.
Share with others what we have learned from the experience:
In this activity, we walk three dogs. What impresses me most among them is the second one. Its whole body is black. It has a little cold. It is very skinny and shy. I call it “Little Black.” After playing with it for a while, I found that it is very clingy just like a kid clings to his mom. I like it, too. When we are going to leave, I still think of it and pray in heart for its health. I am worried that it might be mercy killed because of its sickness. I hope it can get well soon and someone may adopt it, love it and protect it. When we go back to school, I tell my teammate, “I miss Little Black so much that I hope he can keep me in mind and get well soon.” My teammate recalls that day and tells me, “Little Black is always running around you. It seems it doesn’t want to stay away from you. If we put the food too far from you, it would rather not eat.” I am so glad that he loves me, too.
其I used to think about keeping a dog myself, but so far I haven’t had the abilities to keep a pet, so after I grow up, I will adopt one. As a matter of fact, I am a little shocked in this activity. Many puppies are so cute and healthy. Why do their owners litter them? I have asked this confusing question of some senior volunteers. Based on what they see, some of them go stray themselves, but most of them are deserted by their owners. My favorite one in this activity is “Little Baby.” It is a mix dog. It is afraid of the outside world. In the beginning, it dares not come out. After the staff’s persuasion, it is willing to come out. I am touched that it finally takes a walk with me and lets me take care of it after my hard work of singing a song to it. In the shelter, the staff members refer to mercy killing. I cannot bear to let them mercy killed, but I can’t do anything to save them. If you love a dog, you must love it throughout its life and take the responsibility of taking good care of it. This is what I have learned from this experience.
This trip to the shelter makes me understand dogs more and I also learn a lot about how to be a good owner: don’t litter them; protect them from any dangers; never get your dog lost or use them to make money. I used to think that these dogs would be mercy killed after staying twelve days. But the long-term volunteers say the old and the sick are the top priorities. Some dogs even have stayed there for two or three years.
The trip to the shelter makes me understand dogs’ habits more. I am happy when I see the dogs’ excited and thirsty looks, but I am also sad when I think of what will happen if no one adopts them in twelve days. These dogs are deserted by their owners because they are sick or they are too noisy. I don’t think they are good reasons for littering a pet. Some dog haters call dogcatchers immediately as soon as they see stray dogs. I hate not only their owners but also those who call dogcatchers.
The second I walk in the shelter is named “Little White” by me. As soon as it leaves its cage, it accelerates suddenly and unintentionally. But not for long, it suddenly stops like the wood and never moves anymore. It is either too outgoing or too manipulative. I finally get it in my control. If I want to keep a dog, I will choose to adopt one like “Little White.” I can give it a new home, more love and care, help it forget about the shadows of being littered in the past, and let it know it is worthy of love. Isn’t it great?
When we walk the dog, we have to tie the walking rope on the dog’s neck to avoid its getting lost or biting passersby. The senior volunteer also teaches me how to use the walking rope. When the dogs go outdoors, I can feel their happiness. They are locked indoors too long, so when going outdoors, they are too excited to stop running and jumping. I feel the walking rope almost snap. When I see the dogs breathe fresh air and get close to nature, I cannot help being happy with them. Dogs are super ka-wa-yi especially when they wag their tails and look at you with their innocent eyes. Through this experience, I fall in love with dogs and would like to take one home, but my parents don’t admit, so I give up the idea. I can only play with dogs when I go back to my grandma’s house.
一When we get to the shelter, the senior volunteers introduce the shelter to us, including the origin of stray dogs, the care for the dogs, mercy-killing and so on. After watching “Twelve Nights,” common people used to think that dogs would be put into mercy-killing after staying twelve days in the shelter. In fact, the old and the sick are their top priority of mercy-killing. After introduction, we start our important task: accompany dogs and take them out for a walk. The first one I walk is “Little Flower.” Little Flower is the dog in the adoptive area. It loves playing and eating. Yin-Ci and I also teach it to sit down. Little Flower cannot bear the temptation of the food and sit down at last. When Little Flower reveals its teeth, it looks like smiling. What a cute dog! In the afternoon, Yin-Ci and I walk Little Black and Little White, too. Little Black is a little sick. The color of its sleep and excrements is not that right. It is afraid of human beings and keeps shivering at first. In the end, it clings to us, lies down by our side and lets us scratch its belly.
When we get there, senior volunteers also teach us several skills of walking the dog. For example, when we walk the dog, we should observe the dogs’ sleep, urine, and excrement. Never let dogs touch one another. Our hands must be washed and disinfected after we touch one dog and before we touch another. This is to avoid cross infection. When we feed dogs, our movements must be light and slow. Let the dog see the dogfood first, then caress it, let it smell for a while, and then it will help itself to the food. There we find a dog which is littered by its owner. We call it “Little Fox.” We feed it, take it to walk, and even take a photo with it when we are going to depart.
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