Welcome to our first-ever Team Takeover! Want to know more about the behind-the-scenes of Nashville Humane? This is your chance! You’ll get to hear from our staff and volunteers about what they experience, what they are passionate about, and what they think the community should know. The work we do and the lives we save wouldn’t be possible without our team and we want you to know them better! It is hard to grasp what the shelter world is really like without working in it, but we hope these takeovers give our community a better understanding of our work and mission!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When you think of an animal shelter, it’s often the animals that come to mind. This is a behind-the-scenes share, from our Animal Care Team that shows up daily and cares for the animals that find themselves at Nashville Humane Association. They truly are the backbone of what we do!
What made you want to work in animal welfare?
“My love for animals!”
“I initially wanted to work in animal welfare to better understand animal behavior. I had an animal that was ‘behavioral’ growing up and didn’t fully understand the needs of our family pet. I wanted to better understand how to provide for animals that are facing similar struggles.”
“Having a vocation that’s fulfilling.”
“I have wanted to work in animal welfare since I was a child, and started volunteering at 14. I lived very rurally growing up and we took in a lot of animals that were dumped on us. Seeing all of the animals in need inspired me to want to help make a difference.”
What is your favorite thing about working for an animal shelter/what do you love most about your job?
“Learning about shut down animals and seeing them come out of their shell.”
“I love making the animals’ time in the shelter the most enjoyable it can be. Showing them off in their best light and helping them find their perfect homes.”
“The fact that I make a difference in the animal’s life.”
“Being able to be a source of comfort and consistency for the animals in our care. I also love setting up families with their furever babies!”
What is a challenge you have faced working in an animal shelter/what has been difficult to encounter?
“At previous shelters I have worked for we had faced staffing issues and little resources which made it hard to provide for the animals in our care. We made it work but it was very taxing.”
“Burn out. It can be hard taking on so many different heavy emotions every day, on top of the physical aspects of the job. It’s not all playing with puppies, and many people think that’s all we spend our days doing OR that we don’t care about the animals at all. People have said ‘I could never work here, I just care too much.’ “
“Having an animal(s) you’ve worked with a lot, end up without a live pathway and feeling as though there may be inconsistencies in the metrics that determine those outcomes.”
“Some animals being euthanized.”
What do you think is an important tip, advice, or something a potential adopter should consider when coming to an animal shelter to adopt?
“Have a general idea of what qualities in a pet you would be looking for as most animal shelters are terrific at matchmaking. Don’t get discouraged by an animal’s personality in shelter, most of the time an animal’s personality will be much different at home.”
“Do your best not to project on the animal and be receptive to what staff has seen in the animal behaviorally, and whether or not you are willing to take that on or if it fits your lifestyle. Try to understand that adoption counseling decisions are not made in spite of you, but for in the best interest of both yourself and the animal.”
“That we don’t know an animal’s full history and to keep that in mind. Also, animals are under stress in shelters, and that can change their personalities.”
“Give them a chance to show you who they are. Most of the time you won’t see their true personality until they’ve had a couple of months to get comfortable.”
What is one of your favorite memories of an NHA Shelter Pet?
“Bo playing with his stuffies.”
“One of my favorite dogs we had named Titan came to us emaciated and having not been shown a lot of love. He could be picky about the people he opened up around, and I was worried about how he’d find his people. A couple came in to meet him I went over everything about giving him time to warm up. At first, he was looking to me, but by the end of the first visit, he was playing tug with them and showing his true goofy self. They visited him multiple times and every time he was more excited to see them, they ended up adopting him. We recently got an update from his adopters with pictures of Titan looking thick and happy on the couch.”
“My favorite memory with a shelter pet was with a husky that we had, previously Argyle. He was very shut down when he came in. One really nice lady was still willing to give him a shot, so she would come visit him every week. I would somehow, always get set up with these visits so I would have to crate him and carry him to the holding pin (at least four times). She had adopted him, but he ended up back in our care a short time later, and when he came back he actually remembered me from those visits. (It was the least he could do as he is very heavy to carry) He was very excited to see me. Long story short he became my shelter crush and I ended up finding him his forever home, with one of my good friends! (I still visit him constantly and he’s still just as excited as that day!)
“Hanging out with Maple, in the development/media office in their Ernie costume during lunch.”
Anything else you would like to share?
“I really value the way that NHA handles animal care as they view every animal as individuals that have specific needs. While working for other shelters I noticed a theme in caring for animals where eventually things would be viewed as processes or tasks that needed to be completed. I have also seen other departments have this same mentality while working here which means a lot to me.”
“I absolutely love working with animals and being able to make a difference. Though working at a shelter is hard, it is truly worth every hardship. These animals need someone to be a voice for them.”
Thank you Animal Care for giving us a glimpse of your world! The work you do and the lives you save do not go unnoticed. Thank you for joining us for our first Team Takeover!
