WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A VOLUNTEER AT AA

Volunteering at the Animals Alive (AA) Shelter helps in many ways:

1. to have an extra-curricular/charitable activity on one’s resume

2. to explore a novel activity

3. to learn about the state of animal welfare in T&T

4. to spend time outdoors, which is sorely needed in today’s society (where recreational time is usually spent glued to our devices)

5. to interact with animals, which is beneficial for their social & physical needs..and also therapeutic for those of us with stressful lives 

For myself, the biggest reason is to spend time with the rescued animals, giving them treats and showing kindness. It makes you grateful for all that you have, when you see the circumstances of others less fortunate than you: especially animals who know nothing but innocence & goodness.

Learning about each animal & their story, seeing the sick & injured ones, helping to treat, clean & feed them - all these things instil a strong sense of compassion, responsibility, fulfilment & satisfaction. We are all responsible for caring for our society, and regretfully, stray/sick animals are seen as nuisances rather than valuable members.

As Gandhi said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can truly be judged by the way its animals are treated".

We are all busy and we all have responsibilities. But, there is always a way to lend support and be charitable, even if physical presence is impossible. 

The team at AA is incredibly kind, warm and compassionate. They devote their days to ensuring the animals under their guardianship receive the best care. They both advise and sometimes need advice, and I think it is wonderful when people from different walks of society unite over a noble cause such as this.

Here’s a look into a typical Sunday afternoon volunteering at AA:

At 1pm I get my ‘shelter clothes’ (crocs, track pants and a t-shirt) on and head to the pet shop to stock up on treats. The cats at AA love creamy tube treats and attention. The dogs love any and all snacks and toys. When possible, I also purchase items like feeding oil or cat litter: these items are used daily and they are always in need.

Visiting the shelter is like stepping into a whole new world.  I can hear that the animals are excited to greet me (they know there is a strong chance that visitors bring yummy stuff). Among their loud excited barks, a wave of peace and happiness takes over and this automatically brings a smile to my face.

I meet with the AA team on site and they update me and together we set out a list of tasks to be accomplished on the day: these vary from infrastructure works to medical issues. Although I am not a vet, being a healthcare professional means i can help with managing simple problems like cleaning infected wounds and identifying an animal that needs veterinary care. 

Then I greet all the dogs and feed them treats, talk to them and 'horseplay' with a few.  Lola (who you will no doubt meet immediately upon your arrival) follows me around like a security guard, who accepts payment per minute with treats. Going into the cat kennels usually means becoming a human cat magnet as they love attention and know when treats are coming. It’s a lot of fun: I sit on the floor and let them climb all over me while I listen to their loud purrs. 

If it’s dog bathing day, then prepare to get soaked! And line up the dogs to shampoo, condition and dry them. They all cooperate (with a handful of squirmers), and this a good activity for young volunteers to get involved with early (supervised of course). In this climate, water breaks are necessary and if there is lime juice available, i take as many breaks as i can! The final part of the day is usually walking of the dogs, which is an opportunity to enjoy nature and the views at the top of the hill at the horse stable. The air is clean here and although I am physically tired I am mentally refreshed.

I genuinely look forward to spending at least one day a week here. There is always work that needs to be done here and I feel accomplished knowing that I play a small part in helping a greater cause. If more people are aware and become involved in improving animal welfare in T&T, it would surely elevate our society.

So many people treat animals as an afterthought, if they even consider them at all, and it’s distressing and infuriating to see how human beings willingly abuse, neglect and leave these magnificent creatures to suffer. Although the shelter is at full capacity and constantly struggles financially we still work hard to try to improve the lives of our rescue animals. If this post inspires you or even makes you curious, please contact us for more information on how you can join the AA family, volunteer with us and help to improve animal welfare in T&T. 

A dedicated-for-life volunteer at Animals Alive.