Animal attendants are a special breed
Published Saturday November 28th, 2009
A couple arrives at the Oromocto SPCA to pick up a dog they are adopting, an eight-month-old husky/lab mix.
The nearly pure white dog is excited and jumping around, anxious to go to his new home.
But just before he leaves animal attendant Charlotte McInnis takes the dog into a back room and, with a long needle, pops an identifying microchip into his back.
The procedure is quick and the pup is soon back in the front office, frisky and excited, as he is lead out the shelter door with his new owners.
This is a good day for McInnis. As much as the attendant loves the animals she is never happier than when they go to a good home.
McInnis has been on the staff here for more than three years and her interest in the job has not waned since day one.
She first got involved as a volunteer. When she was graduating from high school there was a job opening and she didn't hesitate to grab it.
Her typical day begins about 9:30 a.m. with feeding the cats and dogs. The shelter has room for a maximum 11 dogs and 30 cats. Currently there are also five rabbits and a pair of doves to be fed. McInnis said the shelter will often take in other animals even though it is more difficult to find homes for them.
Next comes the cleaning of the cat room, a cat isolation room for newly arrived cats, and the dog cages.
The dogs are let outside into their pens once the cleaning starts.
Laundering soiled blankets and dirty towels takes up a big chunk of the day said McInnis.
The shelter opens to the public at 11:30 a.m. From then until closing at 5 p.m. (7 p.m. on Wednesdays) visitors can come in to view the pets and apply for adoption.
"We take them out to see the animals and answer any questions they may have," said McInnis.
An important part of the job is dealing with the public. In fact shelter manager Tracy Marcotullio said it's as important for animal attendants to be people persons as it is for them to love animals.
All of the staff are trained to process adoption applications and to evaluate whether a home will be a suitable placement for an animal. Sometimes the answer is no and the applicants' reaction is not always pleasant.
"We have some people, they understand our reasoning and are really good about it. We have had other people who become quite rude to us," said McInnis.
"But we are here for the animals and to find the best possible home for them."
Much of the rest of the day is taken up with lots of paperwork, another feeding for the dogs around 2:30 p.m. and handling calls from the public. McInnis said there is surprisingly little time to play with the animals. The shelter relies on volunteers to provide that important socialization for the dogs and cats.
Animal attendants are not a squeamish lot.
Sometimes animals arrive in rough shape and they must be cared for medically and emotionally.
The sad days here are when abused animals are brought to them, often by an animal protection officer.
"We've had some pretty bads things, animals hit by cars, chains embedded in their necks and cats that were burned, animals that were shot. We have animals come in that were beaten, " said Marcotullio.
The shelter has also had dogs from puppy mills. However McInnis said it's rewarding to see how much they improve after coming to the shelter.
Most of the training here is done in-house although a veterinarian teaches the staff how to give vaccination needles. Attendants will become proficient in a certain level of medical and emotional care.
For example they learn to look for the signs of an aggressive dog and how to test for aggression.
As McInnis describes it, it takes a certain level of skill to avoid a nasty bite.
In one test they give the animal a bowl of food and then slowly draw it away, watching to see what it will do.
"Obviously we don't use our own hands. We have a fake hand that we use." explained McInnis.
With three years under her belt, McInnis is now able to help train new staff and she goes out to schools to provide humane education for students.
Tracy Marcotullio said animal attendants play an important role in public health and animal protection.
"If there was nowhere for stray animals and abandoned animals to go, those animals would be living in the wild and doing the best they can."
The manager said this is an emotional business and staff have to be a good mix, soft-hearted and empathetic with the animals and able to deal with the emotions of people.
Some people are coming to reluctantly give up an animal they can no longer keep while others are coming to find a new family member.
"You have to be able to deal with people who are sad or irate," explained Marcotullio.
Attendants need to be outgoing and not afraid to get their hands dirty.
The dress code at the shelter is normally scrubs.
Seeing animals come in that are sick, injured, neglected or abused is the difficult part of the job.
"You have to be able to think on your feet, know what to do, not panic. You have to be able to think past it and move on," said the manager.
With a staff of only five the attendants need to work independently but also be team players, able to communicate well with other staff.
To continue to work in this environment the shelter manager said attendants need to maintain their compassion and empathy for the animals and their passion for the work.
"If it ever becomes just a job, we are not selling clothes here, or meat products. These are living, feeling breathing beings and we always have to be aware of that," said Marcotullio.
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
