Down and Dirty

The hours I spend at Tallahassee Animal Services as a volunteer are the among the best of my week. Only surprise calls from my grandchildren can top being with the cats and kittens at the shelter.

Each week has its pleasures: cuddling a sweet kitty and feeling it purr against my chest, enticing a morose cat from her perch at the back of a kennel to come closer for a behind-the-ear scratching, watching a hopeful feline leave with his new family. 

But each week has its little messes, too. This past Wednesday I spent some time doing laundry and putting it away. The shelter goes through countless loads of dirty towels, blankets, and cloth toys. Soiled items are placed in an oversized trash bin. 

I grabbed an armful of laundry this week and was rewarded with the icky wet smell and feel that only dog pee can produce. And now I had that smell, too. All over my tee shirt. 

Having successfully loaded the washer I stooped to pick up a substantial piece of fuzz from the floor and realized just in time that it wasn’t fuzz, it was poo. Stinky, relatively new, poo. All in an afternoon’s work. 

Here are just a few of the animals available for loving adoption at Tallahassee Animal Services. Remember, “Don’t Shop, Adopt!”

 

Ben
 
 
Manny
 

 

Sebastian
 
Peace, people!

I Tawt I Taw a Pudding Cat

  
Pudding is a beautiful Siamese-mix female with a sweet disposition. The staff at TAS believe she is about a year old. She gets a lot of attention at Tallahassee Animal Services, but the right person hasn’t come along yet.

Yesterday Pudding and I had a long talk. It went something like this:

Me: Hey Pudding baby, what’s going on?

Pudding: Well, I’m still here. In this (sniff) kennel, so how do you THINK it’s going?

Me: I’m sorry. That was really insensitive of me.

Pudding: That’s ok. You’re only human. 

Me: True.

Pudding: Listen, would you remind people that cats need homes. I hear people ooh and ahh over all these kittens. Can’t they see I’m worth oohing and aging over, too?

Me: oooooh! Aaaaaaah!

Pudding: (Sniff) Not you silly. REAL people. You’re a volunteer. Unless of course you want to take me home….

Me: (backing away from the kennel) Gotta go Pudding–I’ll steer people your way.

Pudding: Chicken!!! Bok bok bok!

Pudding really is adorable! And she’s ready to be oohed and aahed over!

Remember, adopt, don’t shop! Visit your local shelter today.

Peace, people!