Humane practices at Humane Society

Rhonda Belcher

I volunteer at the Orange County Humane Society seven days a week.

Since I am there every day, I am able to witness routine care of the

animals. The following occur on daily basis: kennels are washed down

at least three times; animals are fed a large bowl of food and

various snacks; water bowls are always filled, animals are examined

by staff, and any dog with a serious problem is examined by the vet;

any nonserious problem is treated. There is premium canned food

available to feed animals that come in malnourished. Hungry dogs are

fed two to three times daily, and even taken to groomers for washes

and hair cuts.

The staff are kind, caring people who love animals and work really

hard. The manager is a really special person who is extremely

knowledgeable and very thorough in her procedures in taking care of

the animals.

Being a volunteer makes me feel very happy. Every morning I wake

up, I put together some kind of treat to spice up the dogs’ food.

Usually I bring canned food home and mix it with broth, fresh

vegetables and rice. Many times I’ve added chicken or beef to it.

If a dog is malnourished or ill I bring him home and nurse him

back to health. The shelter supplies medicine and food. On one

occasion I had to be given about $100 worth of medicine. We adopt

dogs for $70-something. I bathe the dogs and brush their hair. The

shelter supplies shampoo, Frontline, Advantage, etc.

One of my greatest pleasures is to take the dogs to the park or

beach and watch their beautiful faces light up. I put my arm around

them and let them know they’ll be ok and that someone will love them

and give them a life that they deserve. The greatest joy of all is to

watch our patrons come in and stand in front of kennel and gasp, “I

want this one.” When I watch the excitement of the dog and his new

owner it brings tears to my eyes.

Being a volunteer at the Orange County Humane Society has been one

of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I am extremely grateful

to the staff, patrons and dogs for helping me become a better person.

* RHONDA BELCHER is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at hbindy@latimes.