[caption id="attachment_6580" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Children working"]
[/caption]Veronica Sturman - Five
children find joy in volunteering. When school closed last Friday for
parent teacher conferences, three Elementary Lab School children met up
with a couple of home schooled friends and a volunteer from the Humane
Society to spend the afternoon socializing puppies.
The Natchitoches Humane Society pays boarding fees to keep several puppies at a local
veterinarian office until they can find homes for them. These puppies
do not have the opportunity to bond with people as much as foster
puppies or shelter puppies. A volunteer from the Humane Society picks
them up from the vet’s office occasionally and takes them to a larger
play area. On Friday, Juanita Murphy, from the Humane Society, invited
me and my friends to help leash train these energetic little pups.
Some of these dogs had never even worn a collar and almost all of
them had never walked on a leash before. We each got to choose a puppy
to walk and went in separate directions so that the puppies didn’t get
all tangled together in their leashes. At first, we let the puppies walk
where they wanted to go to get them use to the leash. As they get
older, they will be taught to walk beside people. For now, the puppies
are the leaders and the people are the followers.
We also
taught them how to play with toys and got them used to a brush. The
puppies had no idea how to play with a dog toy or with a child. They
only know how to play with each other. Their dog play is too rough for
people. It is important to teach them how to play more gently with
children. After we played, we got to brush them and give them treats,
which lets them know that walking on a leash and getting brushed bring
good things.
I plan to play with these puppies again
tomorrow. I won’t have many children friends with me, because school is
back in session. With or without a group of friends, it is fun to walk
dogs, and I know it’s good for the dogs too. There are lots of ways to
volunteer. I like playing with animals the most, but everyone should be
able to use their personal interests to help the community.
do not have the opportunity to bond with people as much as foster
puppies or shelter puppies. A volunteer from the Humane Society picks
them up from the vet’s office occasionally and takes them to a larger
play area. On Friday, Juanita Murphy, from the Humane Society, invited
me and my friends to help leash train these energetic little pups.
Some of these dogs had never even worn a collar and almost all of
them had never walked on a leash before. We each got to choose a puppy
to walk and went in separate directions so that the puppies didn’t get
all tangled together in their leashes. At first, we let the puppies walk
where they wanted to go to get them use to the leash. As they get
older, they will be taught to walk beside people. For now, the puppies
are the leaders and the people are the followers.
We also
taught them how to play with toys and got them used to a brush. The
puppies had no idea how to play with a dog toy or with a child. They
only know how to play with each other. Their dog play is too rough for
people. It is important to teach them how to play more gently with
children. After we played, we got to brush them and give them treats,
which lets them know that walking on a leash and getting brushed bring
good things.
I plan to play with these puppies again
tomorrow. I won’t have many children friends with me, because school is
back in session. With or without a group of friends, it is fun to walk
dogs, and I know it’s good for the dogs too. There are lots of ways to
volunteer. I like playing with animals the most, but everyone should be
able to use their personal interests to help the community.
