One small pawprint toward the larger picture

This afternoon I'm off to a good start. Got done with my volunteer orientation down at the local Humane Society. The whole process only took about an hour and a half. The coordinator went and broke down all the areas we would be needed in. I'm most interested in involving myself with the dog care - which includes dog walking and I think some training and obedience. I'd love to do foster care but I'm not sure my parents would be go for that. Then I also put down that I would like to help with their community events and fundraisers.

We also learned about Humane Education and Pet Therapy, which I also put down that I would be interested in, though its a separate entity from the Humane Society. This where the volunteer and their own animal, after passing a training course are able to go out into the community and act as companions to say the elderly in nursing homes or hospitals and even young people. I especially like the idea of their "Paws to Read" program. This is where kids read aloud to animals instead of their teachers or other people who make them feel intimidated about reading. There seems to be a huge response to this in getting young people to read. I would like to get involved with this, so I'm hoping my parents are kosher with it because I'll be using Starr to achieve this. She has a good temperment with people and she just adores the elderly and children...well people in general.

But finally, I'll be getting to work with animals even if it isn't a job prospect but this should help me to have experience at least.

Also, I wanted to add again because I thought I had done it before but I guess I hadn't, because there seems to be quite the list I've added a page that lists mainly wolf and wolf-dog/hybrid rescues and sanctuaries by state and even in Canada. No doubt this list will be growing and expanding as I become aware of other organizations.

And on a last note, a little shoutout to my "cousin" Kimmy up in Alaska for getting an award on a project she did on wolves!! It makes me so happy that someone else in my "family circle" is passionate for these wonderful creatures. Maybe I'll send a little wolf-something in her direction.