[Moderator's note: Only recieved a small piece of this post yesterday.
Here's the whole thing!  BIG]
 
I've been following the talk on volunteering and thought I'd throw in my
views.
 
I volunteer at a large wildlife rehab facility.  For the most part, I clean
cages and feed animals, very necessary tasks, of course.  I have asked over
and over to learn how to handle certain animals, to learn to inject sub-q
fluids, to learn a lot of other things.  I haven't really been given the
opportunity to do those things.  I have taken a large number of babies
home with me to raise and have been quite successful at it (all at my own
expense).  They, of course, are released into the wild.  The director has
not one single time said "thank you" to me.  The employees occasionally do
thank me when I leave.  I have faithfully gone to this facility every
single weekend (except 2 or 3) for nearly a year and a half, and I even
call when I won't be there.  I've been told that only one person was
working on a given day because they knew I would be there.
 
How have I handled this perceived lack of appreciation?  Well, I now am
primarily working with another wildlife rehabber who rehabs out of her
home, as most of you do (shelters).  I have learned more from her in the
couple of months I have been helping her than I did during the year and a
half I went to the "big" facility.  I have handled kestrels, barred owls,
hawks, adult possums, etc.; animals I was never allowed to even touch at
the other facility.  I'm learning a lot about medications, nutrition, etc.
She always takes the time to answer my questions (and I ask tons of them)
and lets me have a lot of supervised hands-on experience.  I've been able
to watch the development of bats, raccoons, foxes, etc.  I even get to
cuddle, Mr. Lipinski.  (I believe that animals in captivity need some sense
of security in the strange world they've been placed.) That's the fun part.
 
I also get up to my elbows (and beyond) in poop while cleaning cages.  I
chop vegetables and fruits for feedings.  I handle dead mice, rats, and
chicks to be fed to raptors (Yuck!).  I enter outside aviaries containing
huge owls and hawks and clean them.  Yes, I do dirty work too.  I also help
with paperwork (boring) and other equally boring, but necessary, tasks.
 
She invites me to go with her when animals are being released, the ultimate
reward for a rehab job well done.  She's taken me to other rehabbers'
places to see all of their wards.  I pick up wounded animals that have been
dropped off at vets' offices, I deliver animals to other rehabbers, I
grocery shop for the animals.  I have gained her trust in my abilities.
 
My point (I know you thought I would never get there) is that maybe if
shelters let volunteers do more than scoop poop and clean cages, they will
be more interested and involved.  Let them give medications, tend to
wounds, and, yes, let them cuddle the ferrets and play with them.  Talk
to the volunteers when you're treating a sick or injured baby and explain
what's wrong and what you're doing, and WHY you're doing it.  As they
learn, they can take over some of those tasks for you.  Let them help out
with fund raisers, listen to their ideas, ask them what they would like to
do.  And, most importantly, THANK them for helping!!!
 
I know there are people who say they'll be there and don't show up.  I know
there are those who only want to play with the animals.  But, there are
also some good volunteers out there who can be invaluable to you in the
future.  I'm certainly no saint so I don't think I'm much different from
most folks out there.  We all just need to feel appreciated.
 
Katharine
[Posted in FML issue 2743]