[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]