Don’t you guys just snuggle with kittens all day? It must be easy and fun ALL. DAY. LONG! I love animals so I think working in a shelter would be just right for me. Working with animals can be fun and you do develop bonds with them and we all have our favorites but you also have to balance that with the unsavory parts like sick or injured animals, and upset pet owners asking why they need to pay a fine to reclaim their pets or just coming to work one morning and finding a box of kittens at your door. We have many responsibilities here on a daily basis so let’s dive in together and give you a look at what life is REALLY like at River Bluff Humane Society
We work 365 days a year for these guys here. Animals need to be checked on every day, their kennels need to be cleaned and sanitized and someone has to fill their bellies and give them meds if needed. So while you are sleeping in on Christmas morning we’re here poop scoopin’ and tucking everyone in safe and sound. For us animal lovers, it’s all in a day’s work and we are happy to be here.
Working with animals is a physical job and requires a lot of muscle use, lifting, and bending. The work is wet, stinky and some days you take home kitty litter in your pockets and mysterious stains on your shirt!! Our team of employees spends 3 hours every morning taking care of the shelter animals, sweeping and mopping the facility, and doing load, after load of laundry…..On top of our regular cleaning responsibilities we have scheduled medications that are administered, sometimes a vaccination or two, and regular runs to and from the vet to get these animals spayed or neutered. We are fortunate to have a great veterinary team nearby that fits us in for emergencies and regular veterinary appointments when we need them. We do not have a vet on our employee roster so just like the public, we have to take them to the vet clinic for services.
Other services we provide to the public include dog and cat boarding, nail trims on cats and dogs, and baths on some breeds, microchipping, food shelves for those in need and licenses for pets living within Red Wing city limits. All of these appointments take time throughout the day in between appointments for adoptions and interacting with our volunteers and the public. Throw in a dash of fundraising, a pinch of community outreach, and a sprinkle of animal control and you have a recipe for a day in the life of a shelter employee.
Each day provides different opportunities to get our snuggle on with the shelter animals but primarily, we rely on our volunteers to give the animals their daily walks or extended one-on-one interactions. We have some wonderful volunteers who develop strong bonds with the animals while they wait for their forever homes. Our volunteers help at different outreach or special events, taking pictures or videos of the available animals and every once in a while we can get them to fold some laundry or do some data entry. The volunteers help the animals experience activity outside of the kennel life and to that, we are very grateful.
Working with animals is a rewarding experience and at the end of the day, we don’t get into this line of work for the money or pats on the back. We do it because we love animals and helping them go from street rat to loving pet is heartwarming and we want to see the animals succeed. One comment we hear very frequently is that ‘Oh, I could never do your job, I would take home all of the animals and I feel so badly for them!!’ Listen, you don’t become a full-fledged shelter worker until you’ve adopted your own pet from the shelter so we understand! Almost all of the current employees have taken home a pet….or two….We all have our favorites here at the shelter, but we are more than ecstatic to see these guys get into great homes. That’s our job. We are here to provide these dogs and cats food, shelter and veterinary care while they wait for people to come and adopt them. So tell your friends, coworkers, and neighbors about River Bluff Humane Society and help us continue doing what we do best.