Academics

Hello! This month has been mainly focused on getting my motivation and ideas back from summer break. Since last year's focus was mostly research, this year, I am really digging deep into the hands-on pieces of my project. Every Sunday, I have gone to Animal Humane to resume my work with Calming Canines and have also been offered to assist in the animal information charts and marketing. I think it is crucial to have updated write-ups on the animals because recently, I have been faced with inaccurate information about certain dogs that have somewhat trapped me in situations. It could be small, like the dog is actually a door bolter and reactive when the dog was only labeled as Calming Canine. For example, a dog named Tulip that used to be at Animal Humane was labeled as nonreactive and calm. She was eager to be with someone, so I sat down on the floor to be closer to her. Her kennel is facing an outside door, and when someone opened it, she shot up and started barking while whipping her head around. I got scared and was going to leave, but she pressed her body against the door so I couldn't open it. I waited until she was distracted enough to let me out. But also, I have positive things, like the dog actually knows some cool tricks that would be nice to write in their bios.

 I also have recently created a website that will hold information about common questions for people who have or will adopt a dog. It will also be a place to share stories about people who have rescued or fostered animals. I also intend to share photos and progress pictures to show that animals need a home, shelter pets are not bad at all, and hopefully, promote adoption. I hope to promote adoption rather than breeding because there are so many animals who need a home, we do not need any more. The website will include information on dog fighting, parvo, old age signs, training tricks, and breed details, which is all good information to have, even if you already own a dog. The website will be published later on in the week and is called “Paws All Around.” I have discovered that a website only takes five minutes to create, but designing it takes quite a bit of time and effort. The design part is all creative freedom; you can add tabs, photos, emails. It took a few minutes to purchase it. The website Go Daddy gave easy steps. It was hard to get the motivation to resume work at the shelter as well as think about what the year entails. Once I started doing hands-on work my motivation did get better. Seeing the dogs and my friends that work in the cat house also is always something that cheers me up. Overall, this month is about gathering my information and resources and figuring out where I want it all to go.

Welcome back! This month was focused on shelter work. I have not been very motivated to work on my website, so I chose to stick to the hands-on side of my project.

I have some good and bad stories for this month. The good story is we have found a missing dog that escaped from the shelter and he is doing better, and we have a bunch of new puppies. I also have been able to spend a lot of time with my favorite dog, Starla. She is a rottweiler mix and is the sweetest girl. She has three legs, but she still knows tricks like paw, laydown, and sit, and she is my favorite part of the weekends. Another positive story but also sad is we had a dog named Tulip get adopted several months ago, but returned recently (she has gotten adopted since). She was very underweight and seemed like she was always down. The only reason she was returned was because the owner “didn’t know” she wasn't good with other animals, although we made it very clear. When she was returned she had gained a healthy amount of weight and was very playful and a lot more gentle.  

A not-so-good experience was a dog becoming very reactive towards me during work, even though he has never acted that way before. I've spent a lot of time at the shelter and also working on connecting with the manager to start doing animal reports and photography. I am also setting up an interview with the behavioral manager, Adrianne Lommasson. This month went by fast, and college applications and school work has taken over almost all of it, but I know that next month will be more productive. Thank you for reading!

Starla

Welcome back! This month, I have been working on the final steps of my website, and it should be published next week. I also received the questions back for my interview and am working on a response and sending a thank you card, as well as writing a response paper with the information received. I am helping host the biggest annual fundraiser for Animal Humane called Doggie Dash And Dawdle. It's a run/walk to help raise money for the shelter and to promote dog adoptions. I will be helping with greeting the guests and helping out at the doggie carnival. I am so grateful to be able to assist with this, and not only does it aid me in my project but also my mental health. I've never noticed how much my mood alters until I started volunteering with animals, and that's another reason I am grateful for this project. This month has been flooded with college essays and stress, but it's all sorting itself out. It's a short check-in this time, but please come back and check out my website! @PawsAllAround 

Welcome back. 

I have continued my work every weekend at the shelter and have started a new program called Animal Write-Ups and used a website named Shelter Buddies to log all the animals’ data and write their bios. I still find working at the shelter very rewarding. I read a very interesting article about large black dogs and how there is a very bad stigma around them so I am going to include some things I wrote from that here: Shelters have reported that large black dogs are adopted less frequently than dogs of other sizes and color. The author wrote that she saw many BBDs whose breeds consist of  Labrador Retrievers, Chow Chows, Rottweilers, Pit Bull Terriers, German Shepherd Dogs, Newfoundlands, and many more.  Something I found extremely upsetting was that shelters that report BBD are more likely to be euthanized for space or turned away completely. I remember when I first started working at Animal Humane, they told me about this, but I didn't really believe it until I saw almost all dogs except the large black dogs getting adopted. This blog is shorter than normal, but it's all I have for updates. Thank you.

This semester has been the most challenging part of my Odyssey Program yet. I have done more volunteering and outreach events as well as work than I have in my previous year. 

The topics I've been focusing on and learned  about include: dog fighting from an insider's perspective, the link between cruelty to animals and science towards humans, black dog syndrome, characteristics and welfare of long term shelter dogs, green criminological perspectives on dog fighting, The relationship between bullying and animal abuse in adolescents, effects of breed perceptions, how dogs perceive humans, cellular proliferative capacity and life span in small and large Dogs, and therapeutic effects of dog visits in nursing homes for the elderly, as well as reviewing old videos of training. 

Besides the research portion I have been involved in a lot of community work this year including Doggie Dash N Dawdle and doing more volunteer work at the shelter. This year I’ve worked a total of 77 hours not including outreach activities and time made outside of volunteering. The problem when I first started my project was finding a shelter but now it's staying committed and focused. I love volunteering but some days I'm anxious and working will make it worse. Although the program is called Calming Canines, it usually is not calming for the person. When I read to the dogs I sit on the floor which I've found more effective for the animals than reading on a stool. Sitting on the floor means constant noses in your face from dogs as large as great danes to large golden retrievers. 

Most of the dogs there are medium to large breeds. Only rarely do we get small dogs other than puppies and if we do they get adopted fast. I started a program called Animal Write-Ups towards the end of the semester, but realized that it was too much work for right now. I find it hard to juggle work and school, I love volunteering but sometimes it gets to you. Working in a shelter environment can be very stressful. The noises, sounds, and people, I now understand how the dogs feel. But for me I have the option to leave when I'm ready, for them it's not. I hope my project will still provide knowledge to help the animals get adopted and educate people on shelters. 

Have a good Christmas and if you can, go rescue a dog for Christmas, so you can spend the holiday together. Until next time. -Avery Kestner

Hello and welcome to my January blog. 

This month I have been collecting stories and photos from the Prep community and it hasn't been as successful as I expected. I've gotten one response which I am very grateful for but my next step is talking one on one to people who I know have rescued animals. I am very eager to upload my website but I will need a couple more stories to fully complete it. I have also started thinking of ways to bring my project more to the public. Either with a speech or presentation before my big end of year event. I've been figuring out what to do at the shelter because of recent unfortunate events. I think mentally it's been taking a toll on me. I'm glad I'm able to understand that. I'm excited to finish my project and be able to recap all I've done.

This month has been busy. Between The Adams Family musical and working out my end of year goals I feel like it's never ending. I think being a senior has set in. I am hoping for my end of year goals. I can include an event where I speak about my passion for dogs and also have people bring their rescue dogs and we can tell stories and just hangout with the community. I have noticed my spark for this project faded after having to report multiple cruelty cases and witness animals recovering from them through the shelter. I learned about compassion fatigue when I first started working with Animal Humane in January of 2023. Their advice for dealing with it is to take a break but with my project that isn't an option. I'm hoping the stories on my website and public speaking will bring me more passion and re-discover my spark. I will talk to you all next month, thank you for reading!

In mid-January, I visited Animal Humane New Mexico, where I had a conversation with a nice woman named Debbie. She introduced me to people in the media department and told me about a new program I will be starting on January 21. The program, Calming Canine, helps shy dogs with social anxiety be more open to people and the space. It incorporates reading books to the dogs and sitting in their enclosures so they can get used to a human voice and presence. 

I'm excited to start getting deeper into my project, and this opportunity opens up interviews and photography opportunities. At my first volunteer consultation at Animal Humane,  I learned a lot about the shelter and explored the campus. My tour was from 10-11, and at noon we went over the programs and upcoming events. I also learned about something called “compassion fatigue,” which affects some people working in a shelter environment.

At the end of the class I was assigned to watch two 60-minute videos titled  “Safe Dog Class 101.” The classes ended with a virtual dog mentoring video, followed by a short test that will lead to a one-on-one meeting with a shelter expert. 

After all those steps are done, I will begin my journey at the shelter. I want to say that this month has been all positive, but I've faced many challenges about getting in contact with shelters or people who would be able to answer my questions. It was stressful because no one would answer their emails or phones, and it felt like I was stuck for a while, which was upsetting. I now know I have to keep trying, and if I don't get a response from email or phone I need to go in person right away. 

Not much happened this month but I’ve made a lot of progress and I'm proud of myself. Check back next month for updates!

My Odyssey project has become one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences of my life. After each work session in the shelter, I find it fulfilling to see how much a dog adapts  and how he or she becomes more comfortable with my voice and presence. It is gratifying to work with these animals and to show my compassion in ways that benefit both the animals and the people who might adopt them.

At the beginning of February, I went into my first Calming Canine (CC) class.  A woman named Melinda Fay greeted me at the main office and we went through a list for the program called Calming Canine Tips. The CC tip sheet was meant to ensure that I watched the videos and retained the information for my upcoming volunteer hours. It briefly described dog protocol, code words (for example, if a dog escapes the kennel, you yell “dog out” to ensure everyone around you is aware). You will also have a whistle and key for kennels and tricky situations. 

The first kennel I went into housed a sweet pitbull/lab mix named Sandy. She was shy, but I entered the kennel with a stool blocking the door because Sandy is, in fact, an escape artist. My mentor followed me and I sat facing the dog while my back was against the door to make sure Sandy did not escape. I read Sandy a few pages from the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, which I’m reading for my English class. After 10-15 minutes we moved to the next dog. Between dogs I filled out a short form about their behavior, noting whether or not they socialized with me. The next dog was an older pitbull named Shay, who has been at the shelter for over two years and has an amazing success story.

Shay was severely underweight and terrified of humans. When I read to her, I quickly realized that she was one of the sweetest dogs I have met. About three minutes after I exited the kennel to wash my hands, I saw Shay being interviewed by a family. I found out later that Shay was adopted. I was thrilled to hear it. My mentor said I was an excellent addition to the CC group and is looking forward to me working in the shelter.

 On  Feb. 11, I helped host a Valentine's Day fundraiser  sponsored by the radio station KISS 97.3. I volunteered for the “Glam Shoots,” where we took photos of the dogs and their owners, as well as some shelter dogs. The event was fun and I stayed for four and a half hours. 

I found the event rewarding, and using my compassion to help animals and people is a new and good change. I am excited to start diving deeper into my project and to help the dogs get adopted. Until next time!

Hello and welcome back. This month I've continued working in the shelter and have moved forward in my project. I've worked every weekend and have finally completed 25 hours of volunteer work. I will continue to volunteer after my foot surgery, but right now the shelter is not a good place to be.

 Puppies in the shelter have begun to catch and spread parvo, a deadly and rapidly spreading disease that attacks bone marrow, heart muscles, and the small intestine. Although it is most commonly fatal, if the animal is vaccinated they shouldn't catch it. To combat the outbreak, the shelter cleaned the whole building and minimized work hours for two weeks. I spent some time researching parvo and wrote a response paper on it.

 This month I’ve felt restrained. I've recently had surgery and I’m not able to work in the shelter. I miss my work and all the animals and people. I made friends with the volunteers who work in the cat department and I visit them often. It’s nice to not feel so alone at the shelter. Two weeks ago I read to a reactive dog named Tulip. She was eager to be with someone, so I sat down on the floor to be closer to her. Her kennel faces an outside door and when someone opened it she shot up and started barking while whipping her head around. I got scared and was going to leave, but she pressed her body against the door so I couldn't open it. I waited until she was distracted enough to let me out. 

I do have a positive experience to report, though, with a dog named Matilda. Matilda is the sweetest dog and I make sure to spend extra time with her and give her treats. She has been there for over six months and I wish I could take her home.This month has been calm but frustrating, and hopefully soon I can work again. 

Thank you for reading!