According to a recently published article in Hometown Life by Susan Bromley on November 1 (https://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/2022/11/01/oakland-county-animal-shelter-filled-pets-surrendered-after-pandemic/69598016007/), the Humane Society of Oakland County is overflowing with animals, with 130 Cats and 150 Dogs.

There are 80 Pets that are also being fostered outside the shelter.  It seems as if there is no hope for our furry friends. The humane society is desperately searching for volunteers. If you want to understand how to volunteer at the Oakland County Humane Society, continue reading and we’ll explain.

Since COVID slowed down in 2021, the shelter has been packed with animals. Owners who adopted animals during the pandemic are now claiming that their owners complaining that they can’t take care of their pets anymore.

People have multiple reasons for abandoning their pets or giving them to a shelter. For example, the article states that owners are claiming that they moved to a new house, had another child, or maybe there are behavioral issues. Dogs teething, cats clawing on mattresses, or even doing their business in the house are all examples of this. This does not mean all pets can be trained, as some have autism, live in poor conditions, or their owners are in poverty.

However, this is not an excuse to abandon your pet. Most pets do not come trained, however, you can get a specialized worker to get rid of their unwanted behavior. This is way better than having your pet spend months in a cage, being miserable, and maybe even getting put down in the process.

Think of the animals. Your pet could even end up with the wrong owner, and they could abuse them. Also, if you leave your pet out in the wild, there is a very little chance they will survive. They could end up getting a forever home if someone finds them, however, there are people who foster them for a few months, then return them back to the shelter for adoption. Even worse, no one could find them and they wouldn’t survive.

Melina Makled, a 7th-grade West Student, and the owner of two rescue cats and two rescue dogs says, “My cats are almost 2 years old, and they are very energetic. They really like chasing a pipe cleaner around.” Melina quotes. “My dog Pearl loves this duck toy. You get to take them out for walks and play tug of war with them. Moose even does half-backflips whenever we say the word walk. Literally.”

Me, personally, I have two cats. They are four-year-old twins named Madrid and Grenada. They are adorable, though they can be troublemakers sometimes. Pets require a lot of responsibility, but once you’re old enough, you realize that having a pet is a good thing, and you couldn’t imagine your life without them.

If you want to help out, you can volunteer for the junior program at Oakland County here. Genevieve Gladd, who is volunteering at The Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor, says, “I haven’t volunteered yet, but I’ve gone through the six classes in order to volunteer. We learned how to do the laundry there, where everything is, and you get to take care of the dogs and cats and play with them.” Genevieve states. “It’s really fun so far and you get to choose whether to hang out with dogs or cats.” It’s incredible having a pet, and the world would be a better place if all pets were treated equally. After all, we are mammals, and they are too.

Think about it. If our world was humane, with no cruelty to animals, and no violence, the world would be a much, much better place. And you can start today with a little bit of kindness.