In the animal care field, we are faced with the joys & heartaches of shelter animal care. |
Shelter Eyes- This is a very long poem dedicated to the people who are a part of one of the most difficult job fields you will find. They are the people who take care of unwanted, abused, lost, and hurt animals. They are faced with touch decisions and events that test your ability to remain strong. They are the people who work in animal shelters across the world. I work alongside you, and I know our pains. But hopefully the end will bring you joy. To Animal Care Workers...... This is one important job Many say they cannot do But it is something done By just a select few We who work with animals Inside of shelter walls Are faced with love and heartache With adoptions and tough calls When you first begin here You smile at the fact You recieve those puppy kisses You play with that cute cat You witness your first adoption And smile as they go home Even though their future Remains certainly unknown The work seems quite different Than caring for one family dog Now there is a mass amount Who need attention all day long It's not just one litterbox To scoop and clean sometimes Now you have a group You constantly wash and dry You learn one reason why This job is not easily done With all of the poop and pee This part of the day is rarely fun The adult dogs are joyous To see you come through the doors And you watch as they begin to smear Their mess onto the floors The puppies whine and whimper To be cleaned up after soon The smell of all the feces Makes many quickly leave the room Those kittens are new and nervous So their litterbox is a wreck Now one cat has a large hairball And you ask yourself- what's next? The morning mess is major One you cannot begin to describe It's something you would not want To experience more than one time And after a short time There are more hardships that you face Reasons that make many Turn and leave this difficult place An aggressive dog is brought in As a roaming, starving stray He bends and and bites the catch pole Struggling to get away You ask them how they'll tame The wild, untouched soul Of a little mixed-breed pup Who lived out in the cold The truth is, few are able And few know what to do To gentle this misunderstood dog Who is just as scared as you And soon he will be euthanized With the help of strong, yet saddened arms To make sure that in the future He cannot bring people harm And now you see a litter Of eight puppies in a cage Who were abandoned this morning My someone who was afraid To simply fill out the form Which they do not need to fear And instead risk punishment by law For abandoning them here You learn that to spay and neuter Ultimately plays a part In all these things that happen To break and mend our hearts For when a female cat Escapes out from your home And she has not been fixed She will begin to roam She learns to live in the wild And teaches it to them too These four little babies that made it Since predators already took two And when a kind soul wants to help And brings them in a trap They usually cannot make it up To be adopted the way they act If this mother had been fixed When she still lived within Her warm and loving home She would not be facing her end And huddling in the medical room Is a poor neglected soul Who was starved and developed mange Because their owner did not know How to properly care for an animal And so it led to this We don't know if he'll make it Because his life is so at risk And now the first animal You saw find their new home Is being returned simply Because it was not known That kittens require much care And you have to teach them that The litterbox is here And this you cannot scratch But they believed that cats Were so very independant And so as she matured They had no part in And now the new leather couch Has been torn apart And they bring her back months later Even though it breaks your heart And on the hardest note Which people condemn us for Animals are humanely euthanized Behind this one closed door But friends, to put it to you easy It's just like getting a shot Except they go to sleep But open their eyes, they will not Their life comes to its end As their heart begins to slow But we listen for a heartbeat Just to make sure we know It's something we HATE doing Because there's nothing like Staring into their faces And having to judge a life Sometimes they are healthy And sometimes they are sick Unfortunately, either way Some will not make it Their time on Earth has came And we had to watch it pass Because when it comes to animals There is much education lacked You need to spay and neuter If you want to save a life And when it comes to pets Adopt, and do not buy Their health must be maintained Take them often to the vet Make sure that a record Of vaccinations and medicines is kept And before geting your first pet Read up, and know what's involved Before you go and make Such an important call To my brothers and my sisters Who have done this for so long Keep your head up, always And find it inside to be strong Because for all those times Our face are streaked in tears There is one great adoption And a forever home for many years You'll keep in touch with their family And see pictures of their new house You'll see the puppy with his chew toy And the cat with her toy mouse And out of the true kindness Of a person's amazing grace Out of the blue one day A donation will made It will make your day much brighter And bring a smile to you all that day Because someone cares so deeply That they brought this gift today For all the times a loving cat Climbed purring in your lap For all the times a shy dog Finally gave you that tail wag May you be blessed for all you do And praised for who you are Because working with these animals Is one of the most difficult tasks by far Through Shelter Eyes...... -Daemien 1/12/2012 |