Time Sheet Entry #1

My volunteer work at the Peninsula Humane Society is as a purple dog TLC volunteer. Let me explain what that means. TLC (Tender loving care) is a group of volunteers that work with cats/dogs, usually one or the other at a time, socializing, exercising and hanging out with the animals at the shelter. I originally worked with cats when I was in high school. I have since moved on to doing the dogs. The dogs are color-coded so that volunteers and their various skill levels are prepared for a dog. It goes green, yellow, and then purple.

Green dogs are coded for new volunteers and volunteers who haven't either: completed three months as a green or taken later classes to move up a color code because they like the greens. Green dogs tend to be small with no behavioral issues. Yellows are small to medium-size dogs usually that may have a behavioral issue or may just be a little bigger and stronger and requires someone with a little more experience. Purple dogs can be of any size, but are usually physically strong, larger dogs that need some basic training. Green volunteers can only take out green dogs, yellow volunteers can take out green and yellow and purple volunteers can take out an animal of any color code.

In addition, I am part of a group of volunteers that come in on a certain day of the week and time of day to potty-break dogs that are house-trained. I am part of the Thursday night crew. We get the dogs out between 5-8 so dogs that hold their business are not waiting to relieve themselves until the next day.

Potty breaks tend to be short walks, just so the dogs can do their business, instead of thirty minute walks where we are trying to exercise them. They are still enough time to get to know a dog and socialize with them. The main idea is that for two or more hours, you are there for an animal. You are focused on giving a particular animal care and attention and that is your primary focus. It isn't about you, whatsoever. It's about the dog.

Thursday 28th of January: two hours of TLC work potty-breaking the dogs.

I got out four dogs last night. And because I love them and am fairly certain they are still up for adoption, I am going to attach the link to adoptable dogs to this blog. I encourage you to check them out because they're adorable. Here are the names of the four I got out.

JD / Rambo / Daisy / Pepper

http://peninsulahumanesociety.org/adopt/dog.html

The way PHS keeps track of whether or not volunteers are volunteering is through another website, my volunteer page, where you report your hours, they check to see if you've actually signed any dogs out that day, and then they approve your hours. It's a private site so I don't know if Professor Andrews, you would like me to login and show you my hours, or have me ask for physical sign-off.

Though if we are adding hours of travel, it would be a total of forty minutes roundtrip.

Blog Topic #3

I know for a fact that my CP, PHS cannot run without citizens in two very important ways. Citizen involvement meets two major needs. In order to get the animals the attention and care they need, PHS needs volunteers. It also needs citizens to adopt its animals and give them a loving home. 

In term of potential adopters, actual adopters or just members of the public visiting a facility, they interact simply by visiting and looking at the animals, donating to PHS, asking questions of staff and/or volunteers regarding the animals, adopting animals, dropping off at-large animals, getting their animals spayed/neutered, etc.

Volunteers tend to spend at least two hours a week working with dogs, cats, wildlife, small animals, helping them with socialization and exercise, along with other tasks. Volunteers also interact with the paid staff.

Without interest in either volunteering or donating or wanting to have a pet or just help animals, there is no way for the Peninsula Humane Society to run. It needs citizen participation to exist.

Blog Topic #2

Tensions exist between state and local governments for several reasons. One is that state and local governments are always vying for control. Different states give their local governments various amounts and types of power.

Another cause of tension is when states place mandates on their local governments. Local governments have to follow the mandates whether or not they agree with what those mandates are directed at. Further tensions arise when those mandates are unfunded, meaning, the local government has to pay for something they are required to do by the state. When mandates are at least partially funded and pertain to infrastructure and public safety, at least in the case of Minnesotan local governments, officials do not mind state mandates as much.

Tension isn't necessarily a bad thing. Having local and state governments arguing over what is best to do in that local government's area, especially if the arguments of the local government are being listened to, means that the likelihood of the needs of citizens getting railroaded by far-off group is decreased. It keeps government attached to reality.

Blog Topic #1

My first choice for CP is the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) in Burlingame. They are a nonprofit no-kill shelter that my family adopted our second dog from fifteen years ago.

PHS has many programs beyond housing at-large or surrendered animals waiting for adoption. They have a spay-neuter clinic, animal rescue and control and a wildlife care center. They provide obedience classes, pet loss grief support, and microchipping along with many other services.

In terms of providing for local needs, spay-neuter clinic is the effective way to reduce pet overpopulation in San Mateo county. Animal control and rescue takes in animals reported at-large. Wildlife nurses wild animals back to health. Obedience classes teach new owners and new pets how to coexist in their home. Grief support for pet loss provides a place of solace for grieving owners. Microchipping provides owners peace of mind that if PHS picks up their animal, their pet will be checked for a microchip and they'll get a call to pick them up.

I think local government do not fulfill this need because animals are not humans or citizens and cannot pay taxes or vote.

My CP is not directly affiliated with the national ASPCA and so receives no funding or direction from them. I am unsure whom my CP is accountable to besides the county in which it resides.

The surrender fee taken by the PHS from owners who give up their animals is set and forwarded by San Mateo County. That is not a federal constraint but a local government constraint. I am unaware of any federal constraints placed on PHS.

First Post

Success