speckledbird
10-14-2005, 06:19 AM
From DRAR Volunteer just back from Winn-Dixie Animal Rescue:
I showed up on Monday morning (10/10/05) and left Tuesday afternoon
(10/11/05). I walked dogs (lots, and lots of dogs), cleaned cages, sprayed
fly-away and insect killer on all of the trash cans, helped the army guy
find chairs and tables to set up the med clinic (dragged two big benches
over to the med clinic location, then was helped by the army people), found
large pieces of cardboard to make "Medical Clinic, Free Shots" signs, swept,
fed, watered, cleaned up parking lot trash, drove around looking for dog
that had escaped (theft attempt???) from vet and run away trailing IV, ran
along the levee by Lake Ponchatrain chasing a beagle (tree trim guys had
come and asked us to catch her, as she would come up at night and beg and
they were afraid of her getting hurt), helped load animals for transport to
other rescue sites, untangled a HUGE stack of wire cages that had gotten
meshed together, cleaned parking lot poo, babysat a Pomeranian that was
having issues after being found 30 days after owner left her in house (owner
called for rescue), petted cats through their cages (cats are quiet, so they
don't get as much attention as the yelling dogs), held a wienee dog cross
that was insistent on not going back in her cage (if she had been stronger
she would have been a problem!). cleaned goopy eyes, checked on meds for
dogs, stuffed antibiotics down throats, changed kitty water/food, delivered
supplies ("Gas, cool!"), took requests for things to be sent once I reached
civilization, talked to the cleaning crew next door about plzplzplzplz
picking up a little of our trash (which they started on the next day),
talked to a guy from St. Bernard who was at the tire fixing place(yeah, got
two flats), and took his name/info as he choked up about having to leave his
dogs when the rescue boat came, .....and so on.
Winn-Dixie is not a strict, army type place. It is almost ALL volunteers.
It is basically a triage unit for rescues. Various small rescue groups (saw
"Whiskers on Wheels", among many others) have tents set up in parking lot.
You can come and go as you please, but find it hard to leave the dogs, and I
am NOT a dog person!! They just express themselves so much. They ARE
traumatized. Two momma's came in, both obviously nursing recently. One
(Rotty) kept staring at the cage of puppies three feet from hers, and would
PULLLL towards it whenever you took her out to walk. One puppy had black/tan markings (not a rott, though), and I think she thought they were hers. Another was so depressed she didn't eat the first day, just lay there. The freaked out ones either bark constantly or just lay there and do nothing. I
don't know what is worse. If you could go hold a dog, it would be useful.
When you ask someone "so what am I supposed to do?" 50% of the time the
response is "I don't know, I got here yesterday. You could clean/walk
him/her, though, and that one needs his cages cleaned again, he just threw
up, and you could....". After ONE day I was comfortable with lots of things.
Remember, one day is 15 hours or so. Animals arrive in the evenings,
usually, as the rescuers out that day return. They are checked in, sick are
sent to vet area, rest are placed in crates under the tents. Walked, fed,
watered, petted, then everyone crashes. Generator is turned off at night.
Morning is when the sun comes up. Dogs are walked (fast as you can get them out, that means less poo and pee to clean!), fed, watered, medicated if
needed (check their cards on cages). Then rescue groups show up during the
day to transport out. Had a lady from Arkansas transport 16? dogs that were
aggressive, Florida rescue arrived and took a huge horse trailer full of
cats and dogs, etc. Things pop up, and if you are in the immediate area you
might be asked to help, but mainly just look around! If it needs doing, do
it. Chances are no on else has had time.
Honestly, they are SO busy with the immediate care/feeding/cleaning of
these guys that what would be REALLY great is if someone could come down and do basic organization/labeling/sorting of things.
Like, sort the big leashes from the little leashes and put them in separate bins. Need bins! Bring pens and markers, and put one on each cage so they don't have to play "find the pen" all the time. Latex gloves on every other cage would be SO great, and would save so much time. Just sorting/labeling all of the smaller donations would be good. When you have dogs that needs to go to the bathroom or just overturned a water for the 15th time that day (hyper, freaked out thing), you don't put "wash the dog bowls, sort the leashes into big and small dog piles" on the top of your list. ANYTHING is appreciated. Bring ice. Ice is the new crack; you can sell it by the rock!
P.S. Anyone that gripes about it not being run "professionally" needs to
be smacked with a pee towel. It is just PEOPLE, and they are doing what
needs to be done. If you want to cat food sorted by serial number, get your
butt down there and do it. They are getting animals OUT, and that is what is
important. It is not a shelter, it is a TRIAGE station! No power, it is hot,
not sterilization; it is a doggie/kittie MASH unit! Do NOT go expecting it
to be like volunteering at you local air conditioned shelter. It is camping,
with dog hair.
Rachael
I showed up on Monday morning (10/10/05) and left Tuesday afternoon
(10/11/05). I walked dogs (lots, and lots of dogs), cleaned cages, sprayed
fly-away and insect killer on all of the trash cans, helped the army guy
find chairs and tables to set up the med clinic (dragged two big benches
over to the med clinic location, then was helped by the army people), found
large pieces of cardboard to make "Medical Clinic, Free Shots" signs, swept,
fed, watered, cleaned up parking lot trash, drove around looking for dog
that had escaped (theft attempt???) from vet and run away trailing IV, ran
along the levee by Lake Ponchatrain chasing a beagle (tree trim guys had
come and asked us to catch her, as she would come up at night and beg and
they were afraid of her getting hurt), helped load animals for transport to
other rescue sites, untangled a HUGE stack of wire cages that had gotten
meshed together, cleaned parking lot poo, babysat a Pomeranian that was
having issues after being found 30 days after owner left her in house (owner
called for rescue), petted cats through their cages (cats are quiet, so they
don't get as much attention as the yelling dogs), held a wienee dog cross
that was insistent on not going back in her cage (if she had been stronger
she would have been a problem!). cleaned goopy eyes, checked on meds for
dogs, stuffed antibiotics down throats, changed kitty water/food, delivered
supplies ("Gas, cool!"), took requests for things to be sent once I reached
civilization, talked to the cleaning crew next door about plzplzplzplz
picking up a little of our trash (which they started on the next day),
talked to a guy from St. Bernard who was at the tire fixing place(yeah, got
two flats), and took his name/info as he choked up about having to leave his
dogs when the rescue boat came, .....and so on.
Winn-Dixie is not a strict, army type place. It is almost ALL volunteers.
It is basically a triage unit for rescues. Various small rescue groups (saw
"Whiskers on Wheels", among many others) have tents set up in parking lot.
You can come and go as you please, but find it hard to leave the dogs, and I
am NOT a dog person!! They just express themselves so much. They ARE
traumatized. Two momma's came in, both obviously nursing recently. One
(Rotty) kept staring at the cage of puppies three feet from hers, and would
PULLLL towards it whenever you took her out to walk. One puppy had black/tan markings (not a rott, though), and I think she thought they were hers. Another was so depressed she didn't eat the first day, just lay there. The freaked out ones either bark constantly or just lay there and do nothing. I
don't know what is worse. If you could go hold a dog, it would be useful.
When you ask someone "so what am I supposed to do?" 50% of the time the
response is "I don't know, I got here yesterday. You could clean/walk
him/her, though, and that one needs his cages cleaned again, he just threw
up, and you could....". After ONE day I was comfortable with lots of things.
Remember, one day is 15 hours or so. Animals arrive in the evenings,
usually, as the rescuers out that day return. They are checked in, sick are
sent to vet area, rest are placed in crates under the tents. Walked, fed,
watered, petted, then everyone crashes. Generator is turned off at night.
Morning is when the sun comes up. Dogs are walked (fast as you can get them out, that means less poo and pee to clean!), fed, watered, medicated if
needed (check their cards on cages). Then rescue groups show up during the
day to transport out. Had a lady from Arkansas transport 16? dogs that were
aggressive, Florida rescue arrived and took a huge horse trailer full of
cats and dogs, etc. Things pop up, and if you are in the immediate area you
might be asked to help, but mainly just look around! If it needs doing, do
it. Chances are no on else has had time.
Honestly, they are SO busy with the immediate care/feeding/cleaning of
these guys that what would be REALLY great is if someone could come down and do basic organization/labeling/sorting of things.
Like, sort the big leashes from the little leashes and put them in separate bins. Need bins! Bring pens and markers, and put one on each cage so they don't have to play "find the pen" all the time. Latex gloves on every other cage would be SO great, and would save so much time. Just sorting/labeling all of the smaller donations would be good. When you have dogs that needs to go to the bathroom or just overturned a water for the 15th time that day (hyper, freaked out thing), you don't put "wash the dog bowls, sort the leashes into big and small dog piles" on the top of your list. ANYTHING is appreciated. Bring ice. Ice is the new crack; you can sell it by the rock!
P.S. Anyone that gripes about it not being run "professionally" needs to
be smacked with a pee towel. It is just PEOPLE, and they are doing what
needs to be done. If you want to cat food sorted by serial number, get your
butt down there and do it. They are getting animals OUT, and that is what is
important. It is not a shelter, it is a TRIAGE station! No power, it is hot,
not sterilization; it is a doggie/kittie MASH unit! Do NOT go expecting it
to be like volunteering at you local air conditioned shelter. It is camping,
with dog hair.
Rachael