By: Allison Barry
Why did you first get involved with (whatever they are doing/where they work)? What got you interested in this field?
When I was a kid I went to summer camp at the Oregon Humane Society – it was a weeklong day camp where we would learn about different animals and their behaviors, practice training techniques, and help socialize the animals at the shelter. I went as a camper every summer until I was in 8th grade I was old enough to be a counselor. Then I volunteered the next two summers working directly with the campers, and the following summer I was a group coordinator over-seeing the counselors.
Have you always been interested in animals? Tell me a little about how you adopted and about your animal that you adopted.
Because I was always involved with the humane society as a kid, every pet we have adopted has come from there because I have learned and experienced how poorly so many breeders treat their animals and how crucial it is to first look for shelter pets who need homes. That is why I started volunteering at Greenhill Humane Society.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part was seeing a difference in both animals and young campers. Many dogs come with rough backgrounds and being able to help them become more comfortable around people is crucial for getting them adopted. Additionally, watching the kids learn how to properly train the animals is rewarding because by teaching kids to use positive reinforcement and receive results, we are discouraging possible animal abuse.
And the most difficult?
One of the hardest things to see was older dogs in the shelter; everyone comes in looking for a puppy or a younger dog, but there are so many great older dogs that end up staying at the shelter for much longer than the others. It is sad to watch dogs stay there for multiple weeks or months without being adopted.
Why do you continue to do what you do?
Humane societies make little profit and often can only run with the help of many many volunteers. The services these shelters provide are so important and I love being able to help them any way I can. I have had some of the most incredible pets that were adopted from a shelter and I hope everyone else can experience it as well.