Sunday, January 5, 2014

SPCA Sunday: I'm A SPCA Volunteer

I wanted to start out a new Sunday post, sharing something in my life that has become very important to me. I have been a volunteer at the SPCA of Central Florida since last March. I volunteer there every Wednesday and every other Friday.

The SPCA of Central Florida has really become a second home for me. I'm pretty introverted and have always struggled throughout my life to find my "niche" or place I fit in. I can say at the age of 26 (at the time), I found it at the SPCA. The staff and volunteers there are so welcoming, friendly, and nonjudgmental. I've made some true friends here with big hearts and open minds.

Before I get into my volunteer duties, I want to share a bit about the SPCA of Central Florida. The SPCA of Central Florida takes in owner relinquished pets and puts them up for adoption. The SPCA of Central Florida does not euthanize for space or time. As long as pet has a non-aggressive temperament and does not have an terminal illnesses, they will be up for adoption. We've had pets as old as 13-15yrs old put up for adoption, and find homes! We've had pets who have been in the shelter over a year, stay in the shelter until they find their home! I am a direct witness to this. You can find out more about the SPCA of CFL policies, missions, and practices here.

I have 2 volunteer duties at the SPCA:

One, I'm a "Kitty Cuddler"
There is some Kitty Cuddling action for you! As a Kitty Kuddler, my main jobs are to help get cats adopted and to socialize the shelter cats. If a potential adopter comes in, I help answer questions and direct them to a pet that fits their needs. I familiarize them with the adoption price and all that includes (shots/spay/neuter). I also, spend time petting and playing with kitties, so they get as much attention and love as they can in the shelter environment.

Two, I'm a "Kennel Coach"
As a Kennel Coach my job is to help enrich the lives of shelter cats. We have various enrichment activities Kennel Coaches do for the cats each day. Some days we get crafty by making the cats pipe cleaner toys, teaser toys,  and kitty mobiles. We also have "cat nip day" where we use cat nip sprays, cat nip bubbles, and dry cat nip to help entice and entertain the kitties. Then there are tuna tacos and tuna balls which are special treats we give the kitties. All of these things help keep kitties entertained, active, and happy while they're at the shelter.

This is just an introduction to my SPCA Sunday posts. I plan on every Sunday, featuring a shelter cat, with their picture and information. I'd also like to share some of my experiences that week while volunteering. The intent of these posts is to be warm, fuzzy, and fun. These posts will not be depressing or sad, I promise you that. I just want to share a meaningful part of my life, that makes me smile. I hope also that it will bring attention to the importance of animal shelters and pet adoption.

Thanks for reading!
Happy Sunday!

21 comments:

  1. I just loooove this idea of yours! Both of my kitties are rescue cats and they are the most amazing little furballs. Honestly, I think they rescued me! I'm thinking about volunteering at an animal rescue once we relocate, and boy, does being a kitty cuddler look like the BEST JOB EVER. :)

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  2. LOVE THIS!! What a great thing you do and plus we get to see pics of fluffies!

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  3. Becca @ FrankenFemmeJanuary 5, 2014 at 1:03 PM

    Love this, I'm also a huge advocate for rescues so I admire that you're doing this :)

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  4. Awww, I love this. I love seeing the pictures of the kitties on your instagram page. What a good thing you are doing and "kitty cuddler"....that's just awesome!

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  5. I love that you're doing this :)

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  6. I've been thinking about volunteering here at Chicago Animal Care & Control (CACC). The problem that is worrying me is that they take in cats from all over, and try to place them at shelters, as well as adopt out directly from their facility. They are always either close to maximum capacity, or are there. They do euthanize for space, and I don't know how I will be able to deal with that. I'm going to be watching your posts, and hopefully can reconcile to myself the situation at CACC. I think it is very important to volunteer, and animals are my choice.

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  7. That's so awesome! I'd like to volunteer to help dogs (I'm a huge dog lover, and allergic to cats).

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  8. Stephanie GillespieJanuary 5, 2014 at 6:15 PM

    Aww this is lovely! I'm hoping to adopt a dog soon as our family one died a few months ago (he was 18!) well done you for enriching the lives of these kitties xo

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  9. Love this. :-) Look forward to reading next weeks.

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  10. What a great thing to do. I am sure that the animals appreciate it. Those kitties are too adorable!

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  11. How awesome of you! I wish we had somewhere like that around here!

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  12. Thank you! I think the "they rescued me" is very common for people who adopt shelter pets :)

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  13. Thanks! I'm glad you like the kitty photos!

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  14. Thank you, I love doing it!

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  15. Are there other shelters/rescues around that do not have a high kill rate? I couldn't do it at shelter that did euthanize for space. That would be too difficult emotionally for me. Even if you'd be doing a great thing, it shouldn't be something that wears on you. I would encourage you to look around I'm sure there are various rescues that may be suited to you better. These places are always in need of volunteers!

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  16. Thanks! You should look into in your area, shelters/rescues are always in need of volunteers!

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  17. Thank you! Good luck on finding a new dog for your family!

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  18. Look into it! There are typically shelters/rescues in many areas that are always in need of volunteers.

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  19. This is wonderful!!! As a fellow nokill shelter worker, and a nail enthusiast, you are stellar in my book!

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  20. Aww, I really enjoyed this post. :) I prefer dogs to cats, but it really sounds like you volunteer for a pretty wonderful SPCA.

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