It’s My First Post of 2025!

No surprises here, Koko was the first pup I walked to kick off the new year!

After not seeing her for over three weeks (she spent the holidays at a sleepover), I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

Right out of the gate, she was a ball of energy.

Leashing her up was no easy feat.

If there were a “fidgety radar,” Koko would’ve maxed out at level 100. 

She squirmed and wriggled in a way I’d never seen before, it was uncharacteristic for her. 

“You’re acting like a typical husky,” the staff muttered.

Once her collar finally clicked into place, we stepped outside the shelter walls, and just like that, she transformed back into the calm, curious companion I know and love.

With Koko, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected.

As we strolled toward the park to meet my walking buddy and her pup, Koko’s nose caught something on the ground. 

She darted toward it and snatched it up before I could stop her. 

At first glance, I thought it was a stick or a clump of mud.

But then I noticed . . . fur?!

It hit me: she had a dead mouse in her mouth. Gross!

Thankfully, when I told her to drop it, she listened. 

Crisis averted, we quickly moved on so she wouldn’t be tempted to walk around with it.

Koko was vocal that day, barking at a few dogs we passed along the way. 

When we reached my walking buddy, Koko reunited with her new kennel mate and expressed her delight by letting out a couple of howls that required soundproof headphones.

It’s sad to think about the many kennel mates Koko has been bunking with who were all adopted, while she still stays in the shelter, 89 days and counting.

Her latest roomie is Bonnie, a petite, high-energy American Staffordshire Terrier mix.

The two pups were a recipe for chaos and fun. 

Bonnie got so excited she slipped out of her collar and took off running through the park.

Cue my heart-pumping adrenaline rush.

With Koko by my side, I sprinted after Bonnie, lungs burning as I chased her down. 

Thankfully, she didn’t run loose for long. 

Koko, the social butterfly, became the magnet that brought Bonnie back. 

The two wrestled playfully, and my buddy managed to secure Bonnie’s collar once more.

This was the 2nd dog on the loose situation I’ve experience.

What an adventurous start to 2025!

Back at the shelter, the dogs were content and ready for food after their outing. 

Meanwhile I faced a dilemma I’ve been having a lot lately.

Who am I going to walk next?

The Art of Knowing When to Walk Away: A Shelter Volunteer’s Tale

I’ve noticed with the colder weather, I’ve been gravitating to dogs I know well.

I just want go on autopilot and not think so much during my walks.

The cold wet weather is already challenging enough, add a dog that may have some behavior issues or an incredibly forceful leash puller to the mix . . . my mental capacity is spent.

I thought about walking the heartthrob, Smoke but well . . . he was keeping warm by engaging in a particular activity with his kennel mate.

Let’s just say it wasn’t Wednesday, hump day, but inside that kennel it was.

I didn’t want to interrupt them during their intimate time so I quickly walked past the two love pups.

I came across a staff member and asked them if their were any dogs that needed to go out.

“I’ll take anyone.” I pleaded.

They quickly surveyed the area by catching a glimpse inside the kennel windows and noticed a dog with a dirty kennel.

“John has poop in his kennel, you can walk him.”

“How is he?” I asked 

“. . . I’m honestly not sure.” They nonchalantly replied.

I followed them to the locked door that allows access to the kennel hall. 

They swiped a card and the door unlocked.

And they disappeared.

Inside the long narrow hallway, is a row of loud dogs, some lunging towards me through the bars as I walk by.

I briefly stopped my John’s kennel and walked pass.

I seen someone cleaning a stall.

I asked this person if they know which dog is friendly. 

They politely replied, “No I don’t sorry, maybe that dog.”

They pointed to a cute & chubby dachshund mix. 

I didn’t walk this pup because they were still under the review period which meant I wasn’t allowed to walk them.

I later discovered that this person I spoke to was a volunteer and not an employee.

So I returned back to John’s kennel, unsure whether I wanted to walk him or not.

When I opened the gate I was greeted to an uneasy dog who had some of the worst eye boogers (mucus) I’ve ever seen!!!

It was in both eyes and it was thick.

As I stepped inside his kennel, I tried to place the collar on his neck.

Each time I approached, he would slowly back away.

I sensed he was scared and hesitant of me but my stubbornness kicked in, I wanted to succeed in getting him outside so he could go for a walk.

I was probably in his kennel for 1 min.

What snapped me out of my delusion was when he snapped at my hand.

I stopped, went outside his kennel and exited the employee access area to regained my composure.

Deciding on who to walk and the task of getting a dog out of their kennel is becoming challenging.

It’s funny because a few weeks ago, I asked to walk John because I read a Facebook comment saying that he was awesome dog. 

I was unable to walk him that day because he was recovering from neuter surgery.

A came across different employee and asked them how John was. 

Their response, “He’s okay, he just pulls on the leash.” 

Hearing this overrode all logic in my brain.

This dog snapped at me once and for some unknown reason, I believed I could handle him.

My thinking, “Let’s give John a 2nd try, they said he is good after all.”

Once again, the employee swiped their card and here I was face to face with John.

I figured this time I’ll approach it from a different angle.

Instead of stepping inside his kennel, I attempted to leash him from outside the gate, hoping he would walk straight into the collar.

Sounds like a perfect plan right?

I could feel his hot breath while I stood outside his gate.

I slowly opened the door with the collar open wide, he lunged and made brief contact with my finger.

Thankfully I moved away quickly.

I said to myself, “NOPE, not dealing with you!”

That was it. 

I shut his gate, walked out of the kennel area and exited the shelter.

I joined my walking buddy outside empty handed.

They were waiting for me with their next four legged walking companion.

A pup named Goliath, who was eager to walk. I’ll introduce you to him shortly.

“I’ll just walk along side you and Goliath.” I told them.

They asked if I was sure and I replied yeah, it’s fine.

My walking buddy is very kind; they went back inside to bring out another dog so I could walk Goliath.

Lessons Learned: Essential Tips for Volunteer Walkers

✱ Trust your instincts. Don’t allow stubbornness or emotions override clear warning signs (I know this is something I need to continue practicing)

✱ Leave handling problem pups to the professionals to minimize harm to yourself and the dog

✱ Take vague comments from staff (like “He’s a good boy”) with a grain of salt always ask for more details

“Could you elaborate please, how is he a good dog?”

“Does she do well around people, are they shy or more importantly, do they have a habit of snapping at people? “

I don’t mean to be picky about this.

It’s not like I need a full history report on the dog since I’m just walking them and not adopting but I feel shelters need to provide extra care and guidance to their volunteer walkers to minimize potential accidents.

The 1st Step To Keeping Shelter Walkers Safe

One thing I wish the shelter would put into action, is bringing the leashed dog to the volunteer walkers.

They can even arrive in a slip leash, a type of leash that is typically used in the shelter to move dogs from place to place.

And when the pup arrives, the walker can put the real collar and leash on.

They did do this in the beginning but I guess they figured we’ve been walking the dogs for a while now, it’s time for us to grab them from the kennel ourselves.

Which I have no problem doing if I’m familiar with the dogs personality and walked them a couple of times in the past.

Granted, I’m aware that animals are unpredictable and a dog you walked multiple times and built a good relationship with, could one day be having an off day and bite you out of no where.

My point is that sending untrained volunteers into the lion’s den, or in this case, the kennel stall, can lead to accidents that could have been avoided.

I want to note that the shelter is taking steps to protect their walkers.

They recently implemented a system to help volunteers identify which dogs were safe to walk and which required extra caution.

Dogs with names written in red font indicated those who might be more challenging.

A Helping Paw: Why Volunteers Need a Dedicated Staff Contact

The last topic I want to talk about when it comes to volunteering at a shelter; is I don’t like bothering employees when they’re busy at work.

The shelter maybe closed to the public on the days that I volunteer but inside there are a handful of employees hard at work keeping the shelter together.

When it comes time to selecting a dog to take out, I have to hunt down someone to unlock the door so I can gain access. 

I understand the security reasoning of locking the doors . . . I heard their was an incident of a random visitor coming in and taking (stealing) a dog.

But sometimes feel like I’m getting in the staffs’ way.

(I know this is just my own interpretation of the situation, no one ever said anything to me about being a nuisance)

The staff is constantly hauling dogs left and right.

Knee deep in poo . . . okay that last part maybe an exaggeration but they’re at least ankle deep, cleaning the kennels by hosing them down, drenched in water, transporting soiled bedding into the laundry hamper, feeding the pups, the list goes on.

And here I come, interrupting their work asking if they could unlock the door so I can take out a dog.

I know I know, I have issues when it comes to dealing with feeling like a bother or being an inconvenience. Thank you people pleaser trait for that

I’m the type of person who would rather spend mins in a store hunting down an item vs going up to an employee and asking for help.

All of this is to say, I wish there was a designated staff member that walkers could go to, to help match dogs with walkers and provide support when needed. 

It would make the experience safer and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

I’m curious how other shelters operate their volunteer walking program.

Howl At Me – Share Your Opinions

For my 1st post of 2025, this article turned out way longer than I expected . . .

If you made it to the end, Thank You Very Much!

And if you volunteer at a shelter, how does your program operate? 

What systems or practices do you think make the process smoother or safer for walkers? 

Are there things you wish were different?

Share your thoughts below, I’d love to hear your perspective!

Howl at you soon!

This adventure took place in mid January, 2025