I'd like to tell you a little bit about what goes on in our surrender area. I think a lot of people think that the surrender area is probably the most unappealing place to work at MVHS, but I think that it's the most interesting. You deal with a whole range of people -- some very tearful, some very uncaring. But that's only a small part of it.
Exams and vaccinations need to be done on the animals that come in and when you're doing litters of kittens and puppies, you tend to spend a little more time playing than working, but who wouldn't!?! Some of our time is spent comforting frightened animals that may not be ready to go up on the adoption floor. Often you can take a dog that is growling and snapping at you, spend a little time with him and realize that he is really a nice dog once he's comfortable around you. We also care for some of our sick animals. Unfortunately, we are not able to do as much as we would like for them, but we do what we can.
This is also where we do baths, first aid care, feed the dogs, feed the cats, scoop the poop and occasionally, if we have time, take a sanity break. I also need to mention, and I'll just come right out and say it, we do euthanasias. This may be a large part of why the surrender area is not the most desirable place to work or volunteer. Unfortunately, it is something that needs to be done here.
I have a lot of respect for staff and volunteers who work in the surrender area because they need to handle a lot and they handle it all with ease (most of the time! :)) People always ask me how I can work at the Minnesota Valley Humane Society. I tell them it's great for the heart.
Brenda Newman
Surrender and Exam Coordinator
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