If you had more trouble saying goodbye to your pet than your parents when you came to college or if you miss the comfort and unconditional love that a furry friend provides, you’re not alone.
“As a freshman, I really missed my dog and cat from home,” says Rachel Basore, Weinberg sophomore. However, Northwestern housing policies prohibit animal lovers like Basore from having pets in the dorms. Fortunately for the less rebellious dorm dwellers or those off-campus residents who elect to be pet-free, there is an alternative to having a nonhuman companion of your own — one that helps the animals as much as it helps you.
“Volunteers are always welcome and there are really a wide variety of activities people can get involved in,” says Matt Gannon, manager of Chicago’s Red Door Animal Shelter. “Volunteers help with socializing with the animals, fundraising, driving, etc. All of it goes back to the ultimate goal of helping the animals.”
In addition to pet adoption, the shelter has foster care and online adoption programs so that volunteers can choose their own commitment levels. But simple volunteering goes a long way. According to Gannon, Red Door Animal Shelter has about 300 volunteers who lend a hand anywhere between a few times a year to several days each week.
What does that mean for the busy student? Instead of holing up in the library, students with some extra time and TLC can let off steam by cuddling with dogs, cats or rabbits and know it’s for a good cause.
“My volunteer work keeps me grounded in the real world,” says Basore, who began volunteering at PAWS Chicago in the fall. “I think that it’s very easy to get caught up in academics and extracurricular activities here at Northwestern. Volunteering gives me a chance to get off campus and to interact with people other than Northwestern students and professors.”
At PAWS, volunteers can choose duties according to the desired level of interaction with the animals.
“Many people choose to volunteer at the adoption center on the north side of the city because the tasks there involve much more interaction with the dogs and cats waiting for homes,” says Callie Sadler, a PAWS community outreach intern. “In our clinic volunteers spend time caring for the animals who have recently been taken in but who are not yet ready to move to the adoption center.”
Volunteers like Basore, who is the Northwestern site leader at PAWS, interact with the dogs and cats, clean the animals’ rooms and work with potential adopters to help them find a match.
“It does tug at your heartstrings,” says Basore. “Every time I go, I end up wishing that I could take one home with me.