My Day at the Animal Shelter

       Hey, it's me AGAIN!! This year I decided to participate in volunteering with Helping Paws club at Purdue. It's a form of getting involved with the Humane Society. We went to a shelter today on the outskirts of town called Crystal Clear Kennels. There were so many dogs and cats! They were all well-behaved, though, and I greatly enjoyed the trip we made there. We tried to train dogs with the basic commands: sit, down, heel. The dog I was training would heel, but she refused to sit. Her name is Maya, and she is a chocolate lab, by the looks of it. She was so interested in everything else that she wasn't focused on treats or training. My time there made me realize that most of the animals at the shelter were actually really nice and gentle. Sometimes, I expect the animals that weren't adopted to be rude and mean (just in the biting sense, not attacking). Training with Maya showed me that isn't true. In a way, that kindness reminds me of the book we're reading, A Long Way Gone. People can be so nice, given they don't feel threatened by strangers. Animals are the same way. If they feel threatened, they will let you know, usually through a growl or their stances. People tend to be the same way; however, they don't always get the chance to redeem themselves for behaving badly in times of fear. Animals are treated the same way. Bite a person once, and you're gone. That seems to be the motto of today's population. Second chances are few and rare; any time you get one, use it.