The volunteer work never ends and I prefer it that way

(when it comes to dogs, I do an extreme amount of exaggeration)

July 31, 2009 10:04 AM

Lots of volunteer stuff going on. It never ends and I prefer it that way. This morning’s shift at Stray Rescue’s 18^th St shelter (strayrescue.org) was fun as usual. Boris was his vacuous self but I decided to break up the monotony and have a grass blade eating contest with him. Boris won hands down. Really it was no contest as Boris is the best. I got sick afterwards but he didn’t, not sure how that works.

Breaking in dogs is fun. I helped Donna break Bill in with a new sweetie that looks like Bills chocolate twin. It definitely is an art and Donna knows her stuff. Donna did all the work as I stood there and drooled like my furry buddies always do.

Tonight is another Loosen the Leash shift at Hogan Street Regional Youth Center (loosentheleash.com) Last night Ouniel and I met the kids half way in the foyer as they handed the dogs off to us. The dogs are usually in their kennels by the time we get there but last night the kids were running late from the dogs nightly dorm visit.

Ouniel knows all the kids but I only see them a few times a week at the most as they are in their dorms on the second floor under lock down. So it’s cool to see the way the kids happily greet Ouniel as its apparent there is cohesion with the kids, Ouniel and Cindy. There is doggy cohesion as well as the dogs have bonded with each other like brothers and sister but it’s also cool seeing the student teacher cohesion between the kids and the dog trainers.

We did run into the kids Sunday night too as they had to go to the basement to get their laundry. The dogs stay in a classroom in the basement next to the laundry room.

The coolest thing at Hogan St is the volleyball sand pit. The dogs love playing in the sand and do their best wrestling there. It’s a hoot watching five different sized dogs in a furry battle royal as sand flies everywhere. Cindy always wears slippers so watching her reaction to the sand mayhem is even more fun. Not so good when it rains and the dogs get wet then play in the sand but the dogs love anything that irritates us as they all seem to get a good laugh out of it. I’m almost sure Chowder taught them all how to laugh as he is the ring leader of Conviviality.

The other cool thing at Hogan St is the circle track and the bigger than a football field yard. It’s all grass too and the dogs can run their hearts out as we walk the track and talk dog stuff while observing dog behavior.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned on my own at Hogan St is to stay positive.

There is definitely cohesion and the kids are learning but Ouniel and Cindy have their stressful moments as LTL is a small group and Cindy and Ouniel put in a lot of long hours. Things don’t go smoothly and they never do at the high security residential care and correction facility that Hogan St is.

I have my long stressful days then it’s gravy for me to trot on into Hogan St just to help with the dogs not realizing the tribulations of the day for Ouniel and Cindy. So I’m going to work on something that’s been on my back burner for a few years now. That’s being positive and staying positive.

Being positive will definitely come in handy at the Red Cross as there are a lot of people who look up to me and are waiting for a good joke or reason to laugh.

I’m going to have fun with it.

Chowder – the king of sand volleyball pit wrestling and great at karaoking Jimmy Buffett songs. He really liked ‘Son Of A Son Of A Sailor’