Found this mama cat and her kittens a while back, they've been living outside my place in Jaigaon along with the street dogs I look after. Built them a little enclosure out of whatever I had lying around. This is them just resting, no drama, just glad they're safe.
Last week I rescued a dog off of the street in my city. Local animal control couldn’t get their hands on her, and she was adverse to traps. I was able to get a slip lead on her with no problem and kept her overnight because I was wary of her going to a shelter that was full. She was a darling with me— sensitive at first, but came around quickly and got super snuggly and sweet. I realized she needed medical attention that I could not provide for her, so I worked with a local officer to bring her into animal control so she could wait out her stray hold and get the help she needed. They told me they were going to release her after the hold was up. These are the texts I got today. I’m in utter shock. Here are photos of miss Pumpkin, I gave her that name because she has such a sweet little round noggin. I wish there was something I could do. I’m devastated.
I'm not sure if I'm in the wrong here but open to learning! I used to volunteer with an amazing shelter for three years quite regularly where I just essentially cuddled and played with dogs and provided enrichment. That shelter was very good with its training and always made sure they informed me upfront of any risks.
Before I worked with any dogs, they assessed me on my training as well as my comfort, and together decided I am not comrtable with super reactive/aggressive dogs that are bite risks or are super big and strong and that I would not be able to safely handle. They were very good about emphasizing that volunteer and dog safety were important, and speaking up was important.
I moved and the new shelter I volunteer with really doesn’t have that same level of training. The other day, they handed me a dog that was really strong (a pitbull- although I really try not to judge based on dog species or type, he was just very strong) and as always, I asked if there's anything I should know about rhe dog and they said no. As I was leaving the building with the dog, someone came in at the same time and he got really reactive. I wasn't able to safely pull him away and it really scared me!
Thankfully no one got hurt but even after that they wanted me to still take him on a walk and warned me he might bite if he gets too close to people. I took him out for about 1 minute and turned right back around and brought him back. Later, I told them my comfort level and how I prefer dogs that are not super reactive/aggressive and are not a bite risk, so I can keep everyone safe.
The staff member I talked to got upset and said all dogs can bite and all they just match people based on what dogs are there. Am I being unreasonable? I don't want to seem too picky! But I also take dog safety seriously and have once seen a dog bite anothrr dog (not one I was handling) and the staff member at the time was able to jump in, but I can't say I would have been physically able to if that dog I had been walking did bite that person.
What do I do?
Hey, all. I recently had an experience volunteering for a rescue/spay and neuter org and felt kind of uncomfortable about it. I had volunteered at one of their events and had a long conversation with their executive director. I felt like we really vibed! But my subsequent volunteer shifts have felt entirely different, and I've seen some things I don't know are the norm or not.
I know this really doesn't matter, but the staff have been really unwelcoming. I had initially misunderstood the timing of my shifts, but I had apologized for my confusion and it was resolved well before I was scheduled to show up. I overheard the volunteer coordinator I had spoken to all but call me stupid to a group of staff as I stood at the front desk to sign in on my first day. And from that point on, staff have spoken to me as little as possible. One word answers, bouncing me around from person to person when I have a question, weird looks, etc. I know none of that matters to the mission, and I have stayed cheerful with everyone. But I had hoped to find some community there and I've been really bummed about how it's been so far.
I know that a low-cost high volume clinic is going to be different from a regular vet's office, but I have some questions about what I saw and was asked to do.
Do you let volunteers disconnect dogs from oxygen and extubate them after surgery? This was one thing I was told I would be doing and saw another volunteer do. When I asked how I would know when they were ready, the staff member tapped next to the dog's eye and said, "You just give them a minute." I have no vet med experience and was not comfortable doing that. I always found something else to do when a dog was coming off the table.
The dogs are put in kennels as soon as the trach tube is out. I never saw anyone look in on the dogs post-op. No one went in that room unless we were putting another dog in a kennel. One dog had pooped, and I don't know how long he had been trapped in there with his waste because no one looked at him until it was time for pickup.
How do you stimulate the cats to wake up from anesthesia? I was rubbing them all over their bodies and blowing on their ears/playing with their feet because I know that's a good way to rage bait a cat. But I feel like the staff was a little rough. Picking them up by wrists and ankles to flip them over, lifting them up the same way and wiggling their bodies, pats on the side hard enough to make them bounce on the recovery bed. I know it's important to get them awake, but I felt like that was rough.
I'm really sad and don't think I will be returning. But before I make that decision, I wanted to know your thoughts? I'm very aware I might just be too sensitive and just ignorant of how things work.
Thank you all for the good work that you do. I know you are overwhelmed, and there are lots of bad actors out there making it harder. It takes a lot of courage and resilience to know how endless the stream of animals in need is and press on anyway.
Anyone out there have reputable rescue or sanctuary resources for high behavior needs dogs? Such as those with reactivity, stranger danger, resource guarding?
Any shelter workers out there have any luck with getting these types of dogs to rescue/sanctuary before a euthanasia decision is made?
I am leaving my current job as an animal care technician to become a foster & rescue coordinator at a larger shelter I volunteer at. I am feeling very melancholy about the whole thing and would love some perspective. I gave plenty of notice and I am just feeling super sad at the prospect of leaving. The shelter I worked at gave me a ton of experience I certainly wouldn't have had at the shelter I volunteer at - their animal care technician role is essentially 3 roles at the shelter I volunteer at. There are downsides to that and I personally believe it is untenable to load as many duties as they did onto us (hence why so many people kept leaving despite amazing benefits & competitive pay compared to other local shelters). But, I'm grateful I went through it as it was like a crash course on shelter operations. I wanted to last there for 2-3 years before going onto another place (I basically will only have been there a year before moving on), but I have personal relationships with many on staff at the shelter I volunteer at and I basically was vouched for and got the job without having to interview.
What is hard is at the shelter I volunteer at, I feel trusted to some degree already, but it was hard for me feeling like at the shelter I worked at that I had to build that trust from ground zero. This felt discouraging at times at the start, but it was completely understandable - I am excited to be working alongside people that already are convinced I have drive and experience. I am also a little sad about leaving the medical side of my job as I loved treating animals and figuring out what methods/medications worked best. I'm in the process of getting my RVT which will no doubt be difficult when I need externships, but I'm willing to suffer through some months with no weekends so I can get that. I am happy to do foster/rescue coordination so I can hopefully build a great program at the shelter I volunteer at. I used to be a project manager at different companies before I got into sheltering, so honestly, this role is probably more aligned with skills I already have. I wish I had more focus on what exact part of sheltering I want to get into.
I feel almost depressed at leaving because of all the memories I made. Maybe I'm just too sentimental. I don't understand how I can find peace in letting go of the animals I euthanize, but it's so hard for me to let go of this place that was so formational to my understanding of sheltering. Like. I was only there a year! It is eating me alive how sad I feel. I've never felt this way about leaving any of my other workplaces before. I have a lot of critiques about this shelter was run, but now I just don't have the fire to think about that, I'm just sad.
That rehabilitation process could take months for some dogs. Rescue organisations routinely assess dogs recovered from suspected fighting operations before determining whether they can safely be rehomed, with treatment plans tailored to each animal's medical and behavioural needs. Guidance from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals notes that many rescued fighting dogs can eventually recover with specialist care and structured rehabilitation.
I've been thinking a lot about the Miranda's Rescue case, where investigators recovered the remains of at least 138 dogs after shelters believed they had been transferred to safety. It made me realize that we spend a lot of time talking about getting animals out of shelters, but not nearly as much about what happens afterward.
Do you think shelters should:
I'd really love to hear from shelter staff, rescue volunteers, fosters, adopters, and animal control officers. I'm interested in practical solutions that protect animals while still supporting the rescue community.
For anyone interested, I recently recorded a podcast that dives into this case and explores several policy ideas that could make tragedies like this much harder to hide.
I don’t usually make posts like this, but I can’t stay quiet after watching what one of my closest friends has gone through over the past two weeks.
If you live in Nebraska—especially around Omaha—and have ever considered surrendering a dog to Hands, Hearts & Paws because you thought they would help find your dog a loving home, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read this.
One of my closest friends made what was probably the hardest decision of their life.
Their dog, Lucy, had become increasingly anxious around their toddler. She was deeply loved for four years. She was walked regularly, socialized with people & other dogs, had professional veterinary care, lived inside the home, and was treated like family. But after working with their veterinarian and trying to manage the situation, they made the heartbreaking decision that Lucy deserved a home without young children.
Because of the adoption contract they originally signed, they were required to return Lucy to Hands, Hearts & Paws instead of privately rehoming her.
Before surrendering her, they did everything they could to set Lucy up for success. They prepared an incredibly detailed document explaining her personality, routines, triggers, medications, favorite activities, what kind of home she would thrive in, and—most importantly—that she should not be placed with another dog. They had already been communicating with multiple dog-free families who wanted to adopt her and were simply waiting for HHP to post her.
Instead…
Less than a week later, they were told Lucy had been euthanized after being introduced to another dog.
The very situation they had specifically warned against.
Since then, I’ve watched my friends desperately try to get answers.
They’ve asked for basic documentation. The date. The timeline. Veterinary records. Confirmation of what actually happened. Anything that would provide clarity and closure.
Instead, they’ve received defensive emails, shifting explanations, accusations directed back at them, and ultimately requests to stop contacting the organization.
Watching this unfold has honestly been one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve witnessed.
These are people who cried over surrendering their dog. They didn’t surrender her because they stopped loving her. They surrendered her because they believed she would be placed into another loving home. They thought they were making the painful choice that gave Lucy the best chance at a happy future.
Instead, they’re grieving twice.
Once when they handed her over.
And again when they learned she was gone.
They just wanted transparency, documentation, and honest communication about how this happened. Every grieving pet owner deserves that.
Whether you ultimately agree with the organization’s decisions or not, I don’t think anyone would argue that families deserve clear communication after entrusting a beloved pet to an organization that promised to care for them and place them into a permanent, loving home.
My friends have put together a website containing the surrender agreement, emails, screenshots, timelines, and supporting documentation so people can review everything for themselves instead of relying on social media rumors.
Please read it before forming an opinion.
https://sweetlucygirl.my.canva.site/lucy
If nothing else comes from this, I hope it encourages anyone who ever has to surrender a beloved pet to ask every question imaginable before signing paperwork. Ask what happens if the dog struggles. Ask under what circumstances euthanasia is considered. Ask how behavioral evaluations are conducted. Ask how introductions are handled. Ask what communication you’ll receive if something goes wrong.
No family should have to wonder what happened after entrusting their dog to people they believed would give them another chance.
Lucy deserved a chance to find the right home.
And my friends deserved honesty.
I am often caught having having nonsensical conversations with the animals, or even making up words (lately I've been saying 'who's my splooshy blooshy boo?' and no, I don't know what that means).
I've been taught that talking to animals in a calm voice helps keep them calm. I also feel like it's good to keep talking when you're in low visibility spaces (cages and kennels) so the animals don't get spooked by your sudden appearance. I can only come up with so many one-sided conversations, so after a while I sound like a crazy person lol.
Does anyone else do the same? Talking to/at animals, making up words, singing songs, etc?
tl;dr: A ton of what I think are red flags at new shelter job but not sure.
I just got an animal care position at my local shelter, and it seems to me that red flags are everywhere:
There's more but you get the idea. Should I run?
I'm gutted about an animal that was adopted recently
This is a throw away account. I work front desk as an adoption coordinator and am still relatively new. We adopted out an animal with urinary concerns, which we did tell the adopters she was on a specific diet for this urinary concern when setting up her appointment to meet the animal. I am not sure if any medications that the animal was one for FAA concerns was ever mentioned to them prior.
Background on the animal. When the animal came in, shelter care takers notice urinary issues with missing the litter box and whatever else they noticed (animal had also came in sweet and started becoming agitated with human interaction). They are some point got a urine sample and test for UTI symptoms and she was started on medications (antibiotics and pain meds and a urinary diet), the animal had a follow up urine showing some crystals but it overall looked cleared for UTI concerns at that time.
Despite being clear the animal was still quite agitated with handling so after UTI was cleared they were started on fluoxtine and gabapentin for FAS. The medicine dosing was input in the computer wrongly stating the fluoxetine be given BID, not SID as regularly prescribed, gabapentin was put in correctly with BID dosing. The shelter staff was giving it SID for fluoxetine and BID for gabapentin (the documentation error comes into play only because the prescription label ended up printing with the incorrect dosing instructions, showing BID for fluoxetine)
So, when the pet was adopted (which we were so excited for since the animal had been at the shelter for a while with no interest, and we knew the pet was sweet once they were comfortable), the other front desk staff forgot to hand over the medications after finishing adoption paperwork.
We called them as soon as we noticed but no one answered. I used a text number (not my real number) to see if they would see a text message sooner, to come back before we were closed. I had said in that text if they could not get here until tomorrow that would be okay because the fluoxetine was given in the morning (and to my knowledge) was given once a day. Missing just the gabapentin dosing would not be an issue.
The person did reply to the text stating they would come in the morning, most likely a significant other would pick it up.
Medication gets picked up I verbally tell the instructions for meds based on the labels on the bottle noting to the pick up person that the fluoxetine was showing BID and that I was sorry I said SID in the text, and usually the dosing is SID and I was unaware of this dosing schedule for this pet. And that it was given in wet food, since the adopter had asked that last night in the text. We asked how the pet was doing and they said great, very affectionate and they went on their way. The adopter did text midday about questions on the dosing and I told the adopter if they could send and email with their questions I could try and get a caretaker to answer them (they don't have direct phone lines since they are rarely at a desk). We never got an email during the day or any more messages.
That night we got an email (we were closed) so we did not see it until the morning, asking questions about the dosing and other questions and then stated the pet had not yet urinated since being home. As soon as I saw that emailed I called the adopter and got the voicemail so I left a reply to her questions and said to her if you are getting this and the pet had still not urinated it would constitute a medical emergency and they should contact their vet right away. I then immediately replied to the email and reiterated what I said in the voice mail.
Hours later they replied they were at our emergency vet in the area and that they had a lot of urine taken out of the bladder and were looking at possible overnight monitoring. Then looking for further clarification on the UTI in the med records they could see (our program sends our shelter records digitally). Wanting to talk to the vet that the animal saw etc.
I spoke with the shelter manager to try and not have like anymore people thrown into anything confusion since we had an error with the fluoxetine medication already. They tried calling the adopter and had to leave a voicemail mail. We then replied to the email with the UA results we had and let them know we did not have a vet in staff and we work with the surrounding vets in the area to get vet checks done, so we didn't have a way to connect them with the vet that saw the pet originally.
We haven't heard anything back yet. I have just been gutted about the pet needing this medical care so soon after adoption and at the ER vet... Where things are not cheap. I am assuming the stress of being moved caused this?? I feel bad that the adopter feels mislead by the medication error and I hate that it doesn't make our shelter staff look great for this error.
I'm just struggling with this feeling of sadness for the pet and adopters (but this on top of all our other daily stress of shelter life).
So, I guess just looking for thoughts or feedback or just I don't even know really, had to get it off my chest in the end.
TLDR: pet adopted just a couple days ago had to go to ER vet and adopters already were frustrated about not knowing about pet being on FAS medications, and that we got the medicine label wrong on one of them. I'm just sad for the pet and adopters and I guess I needed to get it off my chest.
I’ve been meaning to volunteer at an animal shelter in my city for a while now so I can have more to put on my résumé. I was talking to my sister about it and she brought up the possibility that I might bring fleas and similar kinds of parasitic insects home, possibly infecting my household with them and even worse, potentially giving my cat diseases transmittable by blood from other cats like FIV.
I guess what I’m looking for is in the title. How do I keep fleas off of me? Is there actually any way to prevent this all together? Thanx.
Hi, I am new to this community but really wanted to discuss my feelings with people that may be able to understand/ relate and give advice/support.
I work at a cat rescue centre. I love my job but as many of you know this has been one of the busiest kitten seasons we have ever faced. This week at work really broke me and I am struggling to remain positive.
We had a mum and 5 kittens come in. They were riddled with fleas and in turn had flea anemia. They saw a vet and we gave them what we could when they are so young. The mum stopped feeding a couple of them so we sent them to a foster who hand rears where unfortunately after a couple of days they passed away. One of the kittens we kept at the centre passed overnight. I had to take that kitten to the vets for cremation and seeing their lifeless little body was heart breaking. The two remains kittens were doing well until one of them lost the use of their back legs. My colleague took her home but after a few days there was no improvement so she had to be put to sleep; we believe it was a blood clot (a possible risk with fleas anemia).
The one remaining kitten is with mum, he is being supplement fed milk as the mum is very stressed and only feeding occasionally. He is so gorgeous but I feel so scared of getting attached to him with how all of his siblings have gone. I'm trying to remain hopeful but he is still losing weight and his gums are still pale.
Then the final blow. A kitten of around 5 months had been with us for a month. The vet initially wanted to PTS for concerns about previous behaviours the owner had mentioned but from what we had seen he was playful, eating well and just genuinely full of life. Yes he walked with his feet a little outward but otherwise he seemed okay. He met a lovely family who were meant to be taking him home today. Unfortunately I came in on Wednesday and he just seemed off. It's hard to explain but he seemed zoned out; he wasn't vocal (not like him) and his tongue was permanently stuck out. I checked him over with a colleague and noticed his eyes were pulsing. He was taken to the vets were it was determined he had a seizure overnight and he was put to sleep. I was heartbroken. He was such a sweet and loving cat. His adopters were devastated too.
Then my colleague let me know we had to clear out and clean his unit as we had a kitten that needed to be brought in. The poor boy had only been over the rainbow bridge for a few hours. It felt so wrong to be clearing out his home for the last month. My colleague asked if I wanted to name the new kitten coming in but I said I didn't want to as they might pass away too and I don't want to keep having my heart broken.
I snapped at someone who said the usual 'your job is just playing with cats', normally I laugh this off but I just couldn't this time. I know I am lucky to work with animals but weeks like this make me want to do a job I don't care about where lives aren't involved. I am struggling with the lack of time to grieve and process. I am not a robot and can't shut off my feelings and even if I could I wouldn't want to. It's so important as it helps me to be good at my job to care as much as I do about these cats.
There has also been happy and amazing moments this week (including a cat giving birth, I got to see a kittens first breaths!) but I am struggling to focus and appreciate them with all the loss. We also had a good number of adoptions too.
Has anyone else experienced this feeling? Do you have any advice on how to cope with and process times like these? Or if you just want to talk about the cats as I really don't want them to be forgotten. I understand we are busy and that as soon as a space is available there is a cat or kitten waiting to go in it but I believe these cats are important and should be given time and treated and remembered as individuals.
Thank you.
I’m starting a new job as a care technician at a cat shelter. In the interview I was warned that while I’ll see a lot of good, there will also be some awful situation. Especially if I integrate into the medical side of things (which isn’t a surprise).
I was just scrolling FB and found a sad post about neonatal kittens at a shelter and it broke my heart. I’ll think about these things for hours and be heartbroken, I’m so soft.
Do your shelters have guidelines or set timelines where someone who has found a pet or has been caring for a pet becomes the "owner" for the pet?
If so, does this apply to people feeding stray cats and then bringing them to you? Is it based on a city/county/state law or legal definition?
I am worried that because our team has set an arbitrary number of days for someone to be caring for a pet before it becomes "theirs" and goes from being a "stray" to an "owner surrender" we're putting people who are trying to do a good thing by the animal in a bad position. How do your shelters handle this?
TW: bites, and euthanasia
Hello everyone! I'm a member of an adoptions team for a local animal shelter, and recently I think I've hit a wall. I'm very grateful for my job and all it's taught me. I've learned so much about animals from it, I mean I've learned about body language and behavior, as well as anatomy, first aid, and how to vaccinate, and microchip them. I'm an entirely different person from who I was a year ago, and I've learned so much. However, lately, I've been noticing the major issues that come with animal welfare. The biggest one for me is how it doesn't feel like there's any impact. I checked recently, and I've done almost 600 adoptions in the year that I've worked in this field, and the animals. keep. coming. We spay and neuter every animal we adopt out and the babies. keep. coming. Whether it's new intakes, or returns for all the reasons I'm sure we've seen a million times, it keeps coming. From cats not using the litter box reliably because they're terrified, or sick, to teenage puppies who are going through mental growing pains I'm pretty sure I've seen it all. Then we are extremely understaffed, so all the employees are spread thin both practically, and mentally/emotionally. So much so that I, as the second lowest position in the shelter, am tasked with vaccinating, and microchipping animals with very little education, simply because these things have to happen. Not to mention the stress that just comes from walking through a kennel room. Seeing so many animals that need love and attention, stuck in a small kennel, extremely frustrated and scared. It feels like this system does not work. We do all these things, we see all the bullshit, we hear all the adopters rambling on about dominance theory, and nothing has changed. I try to remind myself that the hope is the 600 or so animals I've adopted out will hopefully have a new lease on life with an educated parent, but so often that isn't the case. So many people I speak with think they know better, and in many cases lie about using aversive training in home, until the dogs come back for a vaccine with a prong collar on. I am discredited when providing counsel, and then forced to deal with the aftermath when ultimately the animal isn't respected or treated properly and comes back to be euthanized after a level 4, or higher bite, because they didn't want to listen to me about resource guarding, or whatever it may be. Not to mention the countless animals that come in emaciated, or from horrendous hoarding cases. How have y'all come to terms with the state of animal welfare? How do you navigate the constant trauma, and burnout that comes with working in such a difficult field? I don't feel like I can be optimistic forever when this keeps on happening. I'm sure I'm making a difference, and I promise myself I'm doing all I can, but there's always the thing you feel like you could have done. The adopter you could have been more stern with, the fractious cat you could have been more fear free with when you vaccinated them, the dog you could have spent more time with to make their shelter stay even a little bit easier. There's always so much more to do and so much more on top of that, that you should have been able to do if you could have had the time. So yeah, any thoughts, advice, or sympathy? This is a traumatic field in a way I couldn't have even understood a year ago, and I need help navigating it.
Quiero asociarme a protectores de animales colaborando con un hogar temporal hasta llevarlos al hogar donde tienen todos los cuidados necesarios.
Ya encontré contactos, pero no me dejan tener animales en mi casa. Mi mamá dice que voy a ser como Lisa que se encariña con todos los animales y se los queda.
Estoy muy frustrada, se que les puedo guardar un lugar en mi casa por unos días hasta llevarlos al hogar, pero es "mi techo, mis reglas" :(
Esa era la única ayuda que puedo dar. No tengo nada de dinero para donar.
Shelter Behavior Hub is currently accepting applications for their scholarship program! Recipients will receive partial or full coverage for the cost of their year-long Shelter Dog Behavior Mentorship program. I am not associated with this program in any way, just passing along the info:
>Shelter Dog Behavior Mentorship
This year-long deep dive into shelter behavior will help you create evidence-based policy and procedures for your shelter behavior department. Biweekly zoom meetings, homework, and an alumni discussion list allows us to help one another.
>Scholarship Criteria
We award scholarships based on need and impact. We want to make our courses available to those in need, and to those who will use the education they receive to help animals in need. We allow students in need to receive a scholarship once a year.
If you work or volunteer at a shelter or rescue and are interested in a full or partial scholarship for our flagship course , please fill out the form below for consideration! We would love to help you help even more dogs have better lives and find homes!