Approximately 50 dogs are brought into the San Diego Humane Society daily. On a recent Saturday in October, we went to the shelter to see how the animals lived. The dogs we saw were confined to glass-enclosed spaces. Community members or law enforcement often bring them in, ranging from puppies to senior dogs. Currently, there are about 840 dogs in San Diego up for adoption. Many of them are sweet and playful and just need a loving owner. When we went to a husky’s window, it jumped up and started banging on the glass, begging us to enter its enclosure.
At the Humane Society, the most common types of dogs we saw were pit bulls and huskies. Some of the dogs that are brought in need medical attention and require an owner who is ready to make many visits to the vet. There was a very sweet 15-pound dog named Ginger, a Chihuahua mix with a congenital heart defect who had been in the shelter since early September. There was also a very friendly small poodle mix named Q-tip, which the staff said could be aggressive around food and needed to be separated from other dogs while eating. This may be because another dog attacked him in the past.
While at the shelter, we spoke to Bethany, an adoption specialist. She told us about a labradoodle who will be up for adoption soon but isn’t currently online because it’s under protective custody. A dog that is under protective custody has been taken away from its owners because of suspected abuse. There were only a few empty spaces for more dogs to be housed at the shelter. At some shelters, animals who have been up for adoption for a long time get euthanized to free up space for new animals. Still, at the San Diego Humane Society, animals are only euthanized for health-related reasons or if they threaten people or other animals. Adopting an animal is a great way to make a lasting impact on their life, but there are many other ways to help, such as volunteering or donating.
Many volunteers were directly involved in the dog’s care at the shelter. With adult supervision, kids as young as 12 can start volunteering, and at 16, they can volunteer at the shelter on their own. We talked to a volunteer named Mickey, who was greeting visitors. He told us that he had been volunteering for 5 months and had started at 18. Mickey works in the different buildings of the Humane Society, mostly preparing food for the animals, and said he has a lot of fun. He explained some examples of responsibilities volunteers help with, such as cleaning enclosures, making treats, feeding the animals, and interacting with them.
When we asked to see a dog, the wait was about an hour because no one who worked there was currently available. This prevented us and possibly many other families from adopting a dog because more volunteers could increase the opportunities to interact with the animals and help find them loving homes. At the end of our two-hour visit, we saw a dog get adopted. We strongly urge you to volunteer, adopt, or donate by calling or visiting the Humane Society.
