Animals are more than just a species or exhibit or a test subject. They are living creatures that deserve the same love, care, and affection that humans receive. In the book The Value of Species, Edward McCord, the director of programming and special projects at the University of Pittsburgh, discusses the perceived thought of how humans view animals and how they are actually viewing animals. He states,
“It may be only ourselves, humans, who have the cognitive grasp to see other species for what they are. So it is ironic that of all living beings we would be the ones extinguishing other species from the earth. But that is what we are doing (McCord 1).”
McCord later goes on to discuss that the population of animals will steadily decrease due to the negative effects of human action. In society, shelters have always had a negative connotation attached to them. Movies have presented them as dirty places to house animals that will never find a loving home. Two shelters though, have effectively broken this stereotype and provide a temporary home for cats and dogs that are filled with love and care.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word animal as “a living thing that is not a human being or plant” (Merriam-Webster, 2014). Animals breathe, eat, feel, and sleep just as human beings do. In an interview with Libby who is one of the main employees at The Animal Welfare League Shelter in Springfield, Ohio, I asked her what her shelter gives the animals that other shelters might not give. She responded straightforwardly, without hesitation, “We give our animals love. These animals aren’t just occupying space. They depend on the love and care that we show them.” This remark from Libby symbolizes the relationship her shelter has with the animals not only housed at the shelter, but also the animals in the community. Libby’s shelter takes in many animals in the surrounding Clark County areas. The shelter also takes cats and dogs from the local Humane Society. The AWL prides itself in being a no-kill shelter. They take in animals ranging from newborns to old aged animals and find a home for them (Animal Welfare League). I observed Libby and her coworkers in their natural environment working with the animals. I saw the volunteers personally walk each dog and spend quality time with them. As I focused in on one volunteer with the dog she was walking at the time, I observed her loving actions toward the dog. She would let the dog take her in any direction he wanted to sniff. She talked to the dog almost as if she was waiting for him to respond to her. I noticed she returned almost an hour later, with the dog by her side looking happy as could be. The employees also greeted each cat and dog by their name. The Animal Welfare League shelter understands the significance of animals. They not only make a personal connection to each cat and dog, but also give him or her the medical care that is needed. All cats and dogs receive the shots they need to remain healthy and are also spayed and neutered (Animal Welfare League). By doing these things for the animals, it is evident that The AWL truly wants to help every animal they encounter.
A chain shelter in Wooster, Ohio is one that is similar to AWL. Wayne County Humane Society, like AWL, names each cat and dog that is housed at their shelter. This is one of their ways to establish the needed relationship between animal and human. While talking to Julia, who is the Director of Operations at the Humane Society, I could easily see how much time she devoted to the shelter. Her actions and words while I interviewed her mirrored Libby’s actions from AWL. Julia was only one of the many workers at the Humane Society that does everything in his of her power to find a loving home for the cats and dogs. Just like Libby, Julia and her coworkers want to give the animals “Everything. We give our animals our time, our love, our commitment, our attention, our concern, and so on.” The Wayne County Humane Society starts their day at 6:00am every single day of the year. No matter if it is a holiday, there is someone at the shelter everyday caring for the animals. From that time on, employees are constantly checking the cats and dogs to make sure they are healthy, interacting with each animal giving him or her their undivided attention, etc (WCHS). The Humane Society knows that an animal needs a loving home with loving people caring for him or her. For the time that the animal is at the shelter, the workers are giving the animals as much as they can to make them feel loved and cared for. These employees are devoted to every single animal that they encounter. I had the opportunity to observe Julia prepare to send a cat home with a new family. I watched as she carefully performed one last examination on the cat to make sure she was healthy and ready to go. I saw how carefully Julia handled the cat and attached love to every touch. I heard in her voice how happy she was that this cat would now have a loving home and loving owners. I also observed how the cat would lean into the hand of the person petting her and purr loudly. She too, was happy to have a new loving home.
“It may be only ourselves, humans, who have the cognitive grasp to see other species for what they are. So it is ironic that of all living beings we would be the ones extinguishing other species from the earth. But that is what we are doing (McCord 1).”
McCord later goes on to discuss that the population of animals will steadily decrease due to the negative effects of human action. In society, shelters have always had a negative connotation attached to them. Movies have presented them as dirty places to house animals that will never find a loving home. Two shelters though, have effectively broken this stereotype and provide a temporary home for cats and dogs that are filled with love and care.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word animal as “a living thing that is not a human being or plant” (Merriam-Webster, 2014). Animals breathe, eat, feel, and sleep just as human beings do. In an interview with Libby who is one of the main employees at The Animal Welfare League Shelter in Springfield, Ohio, I asked her what her shelter gives the animals that other shelters might not give. She responded straightforwardly, without hesitation, “We give our animals love. These animals aren’t just occupying space. They depend on the love and care that we show them.” This remark from Libby symbolizes the relationship her shelter has with the animals not only housed at the shelter, but also the animals in the community. Libby’s shelter takes in many animals in the surrounding Clark County areas. The shelter also takes cats and dogs from the local Humane Society. The AWL prides itself in being a no-kill shelter. They take in animals ranging from newborns to old aged animals and find a home for them (Animal Welfare League). I observed Libby and her coworkers in their natural environment working with the animals. I saw the volunteers personally walk each dog and spend quality time with them. As I focused in on one volunteer with the dog she was walking at the time, I observed her loving actions toward the dog. She would let the dog take her in any direction he wanted to sniff. She talked to the dog almost as if she was waiting for him to respond to her. I noticed she returned almost an hour later, with the dog by her side looking happy as could be. The employees also greeted each cat and dog by their name. The Animal Welfare League shelter understands the significance of animals. They not only make a personal connection to each cat and dog, but also give him or her the medical care that is needed. All cats and dogs receive the shots they need to remain healthy and are also spayed and neutered (Animal Welfare League). By doing these things for the animals, it is evident that The AWL truly wants to help every animal they encounter.
A chain shelter in Wooster, Ohio is one that is similar to AWL. Wayne County Humane Society, like AWL, names each cat and dog that is housed at their shelter. This is one of their ways to establish the needed relationship between animal and human. While talking to Julia, who is the Director of Operations at the Humane Society, I could easily see how much time she devoted to the shelter. Her actions and words while I interviewed her mirrored Libby’s actions from AWL. Julia was only one of the many workers at the Humane Society that does everything in his of her power to find a loving home for the cats and dogs. Just like Libby, Julia and her coworkers want to give the animals “Everything. We give our animals our time, our love, our commitment, our attention, our concern, and so on.” The Wayne County Humane Society starts their day at 6:00am every single day of the year. No matter if it is a holiday, there is someone at the shelter everyday caring for the animals. From that time on, employees are constantly checking the cats and dogs to make sure they are healthy, interacting with each animal giving him or her their undivided attention, etc (WCHS). The Humane Society knows that an animal needs a loving home with loving people caring for him or her. For the time that the animal is at the shelter, the workers are giving the animals as much as they can to make them feel loved and cared for. These employees are devoted to every single animal that they encounter. I had the opportunity to observe Julia prepare to send a cat home with a new family. I watched as she carefully performed one last examination on the cat to make sure she was healthy and ready to go. I saw how carefully Julia handled the cat and attached love to every touch. I heard in her voice how happy she was that this cat would now have a loving home and loving owners. I also observed how the cat would lean into the hand of the person petting her and purr loudly. She too, was happy to have a new loving home.