Travel Time: 40 minutes
Volunteer Hours: 1.5
Total Volunteer Hours: 17
This was one of the shortest times I've been at the shelter. We were really lucky in having a short potty list, made shorter by RAMBO GETTING ADOPTED!!!! It's very exciting when one of the favorites gets a forever home.
My first friend was (Johnny) Cash who was wonderful as usual. He likes to snuggle and I even got a few little kisses from him.
We have a new dog this week, Beowulf, who my partner in crime says we could ride into battle. He's a big boy, about waist high on all fours, but he's a sweetie. He isn't even up on the website yet and given that he's a ginormous, calm, sweet shepherd mix, I don't think we will be seeing him next week.
We also got to check out a play group (where two or three dogs from different dorms under the Behavior Department's supervision get to hang in the Dog Park) of Pongo, Maggie and Gordo. Pongo, a Dalmatian naturally, hung out with us last Saturday and he was unusually calm and well-behaved in the Dog Park. He has become attached to my mother and is not acting like the amped boy in need of lots of exercise he came in as. Which is fantastic and he was so easy and calm in the park. It was a little crazy.
We ended the night with Elsa who was not interested in tennis balls at all.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Blog Topic #7
Two local government units my CP works with are the District Attorney's Office and San Mateo County. The PHS investigates animal cruelty cases and can remove animals from abusive situations but it is the District Attorney's Office's jurisdiction to prosecute. When someone who resides in San Mateo county gives up their animal to PHS, they have to pay a surrender fee which is set by and sent to San Mateo County.
I do not have the whole history of PHS down by heart, but the current president, Ken White, is someone I routinely see when I'm volunteering and he's always very polite and thanks us for volunteering. In addition, PHS is run by a Board of Directors, who are all local residents volunteering their time working to fund PHS. I have a list of current members below, maybe some of you recognize them.
Current PHS/SPCA Board members
Carter Beim
Amanda Brown Chang
Stephen Creager
Barbara Dali
Vanessa Getty
Ken Goldman
Nikita Kahn
Guy Kawasaki
Ian Parker
Rob Solomon
Ken White
I do not have the whole history of PHS down by heart, but the current president, Ken White, is someone I routinely see when I'm volunteering and he's always very polite and thanks us for volunteering. In addition, PHS is run by a Board of Directors, who are all local residents volunteering their time working to fund PHS. I have a list of current members below, maybe some of you recognize them.
Current PHS/SPCA Board members
Carter Beim
Amanda Brown Chang
Stephen Creager
Barbara Dali
Vanessa Getty
Ken Goldman
Nikita Kahn
Guy Kawasaki
Ian Parker
Rob Solomon
Ken White
Friday, March 18, 2016
Time Sheet Entry #8
Travel Time: 40 minutes
Volunteer Hours: 2
Total Hours: 15.5
This was a pretty normal evening for us Thursday potty walkers. My night, though it was still light out, started with Rambo. Rambo has a new harness and since he's so playful with his harness it made it a little slower than usual to get him in it. It also involved him thoroughly licking my face but I'm not complaining about that.
Next I got to tag-team Gordo and Maggie, who were good on the walk but they like hanging out with each other in the dog park more. Mr. Gordo was not so shy with me this time and let me pet him.
My last pair was Mamas and JD who were awesome as usual in the dog park. JD was his happy-go-lucky-loving self, he hung around with my partner in crime, lying near his feet getting petted once he got a toy he could chew on.
Mamas being a herding dog, a breed I grew up with, makes me weirdly more comfortable with her. I know the breed characteristics really well so it's kinda intuitive to play with her. We've had a few herding breeds, including some border collies and Australian cattle dogs, which were the two my dogs growing up were.
I got to work with one that was paired with a shepherd and another volunteer and she had taken this cattle dog out before and wondered how I was getting her geared up so quickly and having such an easy time with her. The cattle dog was deaf and I didn't know any hand signals that would have made it obvious I knew how to work with a deaf dog. And I had to pause and think about it for a moment and just shrug and say I knew the breed.
This volunteer also ended up being friends with the people who adopted the shepherd and herder and said they were having a hard time getting her settled for bed. She wondered if we, me and my partner in crime (brother), had any advice for them. We both said they needed to run her (play fetch with her) before bed and they couldn't stop until the dog was tired. Once they started that regimen she settled down easily.
When I was playing fetch with Mamas and moving really quickly so she'd stay wired and interested I had a moment of realization that if I hadn't grown up with the breed, I wouldn't really know how to work with dog from it.
I had to learn the characteristics of pit bulls and Chihuahuas and I only learned that from working with PHS, but it's weird to think that I have breed experience I can bring to the shelter from my personal life. Which was only possible because we adopted our cattle dog from the shelter.
Volunteer Hours: 2
Total Hours: 15.5
This was a pretty normal evening for us Thursday potty walkers. My night, though it was still light out, started with Rambo. Rambo has a new harness and since he's so playful with his harness it made it a little slower than usual to get him in it. It also involved him thoroughly licking my face but I'm not complaining about that.
Next I got to tag-team Gordo and Maggie, who were good on the walk but they like hanging out with each other in the dog park more. Mr. Gordo was not so shy with me this time and let me pet him.
My last pair was Mamas and JD who were awesome as usual in the dog park. JD was his happy-go-lucky-loving self, he hung around with my partner in crime, lying near his feet getting petted once he got a toy he could chew on.
Mamas being a herding dog, a breed I grew up with, makes me weirdly more comfortable with her. I know the breed characteristics really well so it's kinda intuitive to play with her. We've had a few herding breeds, including some border collies and Australian cattle dogs, which were the two my dogs growing up were.
I got to work with one that was paired with a shepherd and another volunteer and she had taken this cattle dog out before and wondered how I was getting her geared up so quickly and having such an easy time with her. The cattle dog was deaf and I didn't know any hand signals that would have made it obvious I knew how to work with a deaf dog. And I had to pause and think about it for a moment and just shrug and say I knew the breed.
This volunteer also ended up being friends with the people who adopted the shepherd and herder and said they were having a hard time getting her settled for bed. She wondered if we, me and my partner in crime (brother), had any advice for them. We both said they needed to run her (play fetch with her) before bed and they couldn't stop until the dog was tired. Once they started that regimen she settled down easily.
When I was playing fetch with Mamas and moving really quickly so she'd stay wired and interested I had a moment of realization that if I hadn't grown up with the breed, I wouldn't really know how to work with dog from it.
I had to learn the characteristics of pit bulls and Chihuahuas and I only learned that from working with PHS, but it's weird to think that I have breed experience I can bring to the shelter from my personal life. Which was only possible because we adopted our cattle dog from the shelter.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Blog Topic #6
How would you characterize the lawmaking process?
I would characterize it as long, drawn-out and frustrating on the people doing it while they're doing it and very satisfying if a bill becomes law.
Every time I read about the law-making process, I am always hit with how many steps there are, how incredibly long it can take and amazed at how anything ever gets done. But then I read about states that have passed bills allowing rapists visitation rights and I lose what little confidence I have in a lawmakers' perseverance that I've gathered from how long it takes to make a bill law and we are basically right back at square one in terms of my distrust of elected officials.
I understand why the process is so drawn-out in theory, you want a bill to be robust and worthy of becoming a law, you want it to go through the wringer, and get challenged by as many people as possible as a way of showing if it passes, it has the acceptance of the majority of people that represents others. I think it's a cultural inclination to have trouble wrapping my head around inefficiency when so much of American culture pushes efficiency.
I also imagine that dealing with that process often during the year must take a lot out of a person and give a huge boost when all that hard work has paid off.
I would characterize it as long, drawn-out and frustrating on the people doing it while they're doing it and very satisfying if a bill becomes law.
Every time I read about the law-making process, I am always hit with how many steps there are, how incredibly long it can take and amazed at how anything ever gets done. But then I read about states that have passed bills allowing rapists visitation rights and I lose what little confidence I have in a lawmakers' perseverance that I've gathered from how long it takes to make a bill law and we are basically right back at square one in terms of my distrust of elected officials.
I understand why the process is so drawn-out in theory, you want a bill to be robust and worthy of becoming a law, you want it to go through the wringer, and get challenged by as many people as possible as a way of showing if it passes, it has the acceptance of the majority of people that represents others. I think it's a cultural inclination to have trouble wrapping my head around inefficiency when so much of American culture pushes efficiency.
I also imagine that dealing with that process often during the year must take a lot out of a person and give a huge boost when all that hard work has paid off.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Time Sheet Entry #7
Travel Time: 40 minutes
Volunteer Hours: 2
Total Hours: 13. 5
Primary Research : 1 hour looking for topic
We were missing one of our number Thursday evening, but we still did a pretty good job getting everyone out that needed to get out.
This was the first time in two months I had the privilege of working with 'Johnny' Cash, a handsome tan and white pit bull who is also a marvelous walker. He's still as adorable as the last time I worked with him.
Next up was Elsa, who was a little more excitable than usual, but she's super affectionate and I'm just happy that she's filled out since when she first arrived.
Following Elsa was the amazing pair of JD and Mamas, who are one of the easiest bonded pairs I've ever been involved in taking out. They are so well-behaved and chill.
We ended the night shy Gordo, who was interested in seeing me, but was still too cautious to go all the way. We also had Maggie time, who is very sweet and affectionate.
http://peninsulahumanesociety.org/adopt/dog.html
Volunteer Hours: 2
Total Hours: 13. 5
Primary Research : 1 hour looking for topic
We were missing one of our number Thursday evening, but we still did a pretty good job getting everyone out that needed to get out.
This was the first time in two months I had the privilege of working with 'Johnny' Cash, a handsome tan and white pit bull who is also a marvelous walker. He's still as adorable as the last time I worked with him.
Next up was Elsa, who was a little more excitable than usual, but she's super affectionate and I'm just happy that she's filled out since when she first arrived.
Following Elsa was the amazing pair of JD and Mamas, who are one of the easiest bonded pairs I've ever been involved in taking out. They are so well-behaved and chill.
We ended the night shy Gordo, who was interested in seeing me, but was still too cautious to go all the way. We also had Maggie time, who is very sweet and affectionate.
http://peninsulahumanesociety.org/adopt/dog.html
Friday, March 4, 2016
Time Sheet Entry #6
Travel Time: 40 minutes
Volunteer Hours: 2
Total Hours: 11.5
We had six volunteers last night. It was fantastic. The potty list was surprisingly long, but I only did a couple of dogs because we had a pack of people walking them. Chai and Buddha got adopted, which we were all very excited about and put a really good spin on the evening overall.
I took out Mamas and JD with my partner in crime because we as volunteers constitute a 1:1 ratio of volunteer to dog on walks. They were perfect as always, cute and easy to walk on a leash. They're both kissers, which is what happened when we returned to their dorm after their potty walk. We got JD and Mamas kisses, which are lovely to get.
After the potty list was done, I met my doggy doppelganger Maggie, who is very cute and sweet and gentle and a little shy. She is very adorable and deserving of the name Maggie. She is also a kisser and a very thorough one at that.
Once again, I let the link to the adoptable dogs page and a list of the friends I hung out with tonight.
http://peninsulahumanesociety.org/adopt/dog.html
JD & Mamas, Elsa, Bryndl, Maggie
Volunteer Hours: 2
Total Hours: 11.5
We had six volunteers last night. It was fantastic. The potty list was surprisingly long, but I only did a couple of dogs because we had a pack of people walking them. Chai and Buddha got adopted, which we were all very excited about and put a really good spin on the evening overall.
I took out Mamas and JD with my partner in crime because we as volunteers constitute a 1:1 ratio of volunteer to dog on walks. They were perfect as always, cute and easy to walk on a leash. They're both kissers, which is what happened when we returned to their dorm after their potty walk. We got JD and Mamas kisses, which are lovely to get.
After the potty list was done, I met my doggy doppelganger Maggie, who is very cute and sweet and gentle and a little shy. She is very adorable and deserving of the name Maggie. She is also a kisser and a very thorough one at that.
Once again, I let the link to the adoptable dogs page and a list of the friends I hung out with tonight.
http://peninsulahumanesociety.org/adopt/dog.html
JD & Mamas, Elsa, Bryndl, Maggie
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)