July 22, 2008 – THE SHELTER
I would like to share with all of you, my experience while volunteering at the Linden Animal Shelter in NJ. My fiance and I, thought it would be a great idea to go and volunteer and the closest Animal Shelter. Neither one of us had ever experienced this before so we were definitely stepping on foreign ground.
I must tell you that my experience at the shelter definitely put me in the hands of reality. You never really know fully how these animals live, until you see it for yourself. When we pulled up to the shelter, we thought it was closed because we couldn’t see anything behind all the sheets that were draped over the animal’s cages to block the blazing sun. It was so hot outside that the other volunteer’s had to fill up baby pools with water so that the dogs could wet themselves off every now and then.
Let me paint a picture for you. The shelter is made up of 3 or 4 trailer homes with extending cages outside of them and around the back. Also, there is a trailor full of cats that are up for adoption. And lots of stray cats wandering all around the area. As we arrived we were greeted by the friendly staff who showed us around. I think there were a total of about 15 dogs. Most of the dogs were pit bulls or pit-bull mixes. Which leaves me to question why this breed is hated so much? The fact that people actually use these dogs to fight one another, truly baffles me. I will never understand it. I think that people who profit off of this type of thing, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Anyway, getting back to my story. When I walked into the shelter, there was one dog per cage. Some were barking so loud I needed earplugs, while others were just laying there quietly with the look of desperation in their eyes. Hoping I was going to take them home. There were lots of dog leashes hanging around, animal treats, piles of newspaper and cleaning supplies for the entire staff. Towards the back of the trailer, they kept used blankets for the animals to sleep on that had been donated by the public because as you know, these organizations are all non-profit. Hanging on the walls were tons of telehone numbers of animal control facilities, and different people to contact for all sorts of animal related issues. One of the dogs Hope, had been at this shelter for 3 years. By now, she calls this - Home :(
Friends of Linden Animal Shelter, Inc.
Linden, NJ
732-388-6300
FOLAShelter@aol.com
Out of all the dogs, there was one dog that stuck out the most. Princess was a precious lab mix sitting all the way in the back of the shelter. She also had a bag of medication strapped to her cage with specific instructions on how to administer her doses. She was very different from the other dogs. Princess had a strange and sad look in her eyes. One that was very memorable to me. I spoke to one of the volunteers and they told me that she had some kind of neurological problem. Maybe even bipolar? She had a little bed that she was sitting on, some newspapers scattered around her and a bowl of water. There was also a radio sitting on the top of her cage, which was turned on to 106.7 Light FM. As I kneeled down to get a better look at her, she walked over slowly to me inside of her cage. She had one of her feet in the water bowl and the other on the floor. It looked like she was making a choice of whether or not she should trust me enough, to come close to my hand. She began sniffing my fingers and licking my hand. Every few seconds she would glance at my eyes then back at my hand. She was precious. Lord knows how she ended up here, and who brought her here? Why would a person get rid of a dog who needed that much help? My first thought was financial reasons. Of course it costs more to take care of this dog with her medical needs, but hey would we put our child in a shelter if we could not afford him/her anymore? NO
While I was talking to the other volunteers about her, they told me that only one person came to take care of Princess. All of the other volunteer's were afraid to take her out of her cage. I think this dog has just been through some traumatic events in her life and it has finally taken its toll. At this point it looks like she just needs real love.
Please remember the next time you are thinking about buying a pet from a pet store Most times, those animals are from puppy mills and they are not taken care of properly. Please give these shelters a chance and help these animals find a happy home. You can view all of the animals that are up for adoption at the Linden Animal Shelter in NJ here: