They sit and wait ... and wait ... and wait.
Faces line the room, and cries echo off the walls.
Animals in the Memphis Shelby County Humane Society (MSCHS) shelter wait for not only a home and a chance for a better life, but also for the volunteers that help make their stay happier.
Last Thursday, Students Advocating Service (SAS) went to add their own share of happiness in any way they could.
“I’m really excited about helping out,” said sophomore Adriane Fertitta.
“I think it’s great that they let volunteers who love animals come and help take care of them.”
When they arrived at the shelter, located on Central Avenue, operations manager Don Holsinger told the U of M students they could help most by walking dogs or cleaning cat cages.
The students divided into two groups and set about their separate duties.
Each group of volunteers stayed for more than an hour, and Holsinger said they were very helpful.
“Volunteers are always needed to walk and play with the dogs, to pet the cats or to help out in any other way they can,” Holsinger said.
Since the Humane Society is a non-profit organization, they rely solely on donations and volunteers to help keep them running.
Donations come in the form of money, food, towels, cat litter and newspapers. Currently, all donations go toward building a new animal shelter to be located on Mullin Station Road.
“We plan to have a proper clinic and vet on site, holding kennels and isolation units,” Holsinger said. “We are hoping to make it more visitor friendly and increase our adoptions. Hopefully, our ability to save three to four times as many unwanted animals will be the result.”
Fertitta said she was excited to hear they were moving to a new location.
“I hope it will be able to house and save more animals,” she said.
For now, she said she would be content to come back regularly and help. Pat Perry said he enjoyed helping as well.
Perry, a graduate assistant that helps organize events like the one at the shelter, said volunteering is good for the community and is why SAS tries to get students to help. Each month, SAS picks an issue to address, and this month’s issue was animals.
“Once a month we have different projects to help address a problem in some way,” Perry said. “Volunteering is the first step to getting the knowledge on how to continue to help with the problem.”
SAS has one of these community service events once a month, as well as Service on Saturday. Volunteers can help on Saturday at places like the Humane Society, the Sons of Kings and Queens (a retirement center in Frayser), and the Botanical Gardens. Students can get more information in the SAS office on the fourth floor of the UC, room 425.
