Monday, November 2, 2009

Put it away before I throw it away!!

Shift was 3:00pm to 11:00pm

What a shift!

I came into work today to discover that I was working under Johanne and JC and I was working with two girls. I was excited, I love working with new team mates and getting to know how the staff works differently so I can better myself at tasks that could be done more effectively.

I worked with Kim, who speaks English and Emily L, who speaks French and watching the two interact with one another was quite amusing. The language barrier was evident enough since they both parted ways leaving me behind. Oops? They didn't have a plan nor seemed to care what one another was doing and the tasks were done twice over so a lot of time was being wasted away. I was working on both floors helping them both as much as I can but more often then not, they were MIA.

As much as I hate to admit it, I disliked working with them and when I started settling on the fact i'll have to pull most of the weight on my shoulders, Kim walked past me talking on her cellphone. At first I though it was just coincidental....until she spent the whole night either texting or chatting on it. I was ready to grab the thing and toss it out the window.

As dogs were being visited in the adoption room, I noticed that we had a lot of empty cages that could be potential adopted pets so Kim and I were allowed to bring dogs upstairs from the PA room. I think we easily brought 12 dogs upstairs and quite a few people were interested in the new arrivals! Two dogs were mis-numbered, collie-x named Kelly and a Shepard mix with no name. Thank goodness they have different genders because they were hard to tell apart!

While I was cleaning transporters. I saw a mouse! EEK! I noticed he was rather slow and managed to catch it with a bowl. JC and I brought it outside and across the street and let it loose. Hopefully he wont find his way back inside!!

Emily's shift ended at 9pm and i never saw someone dash out the door that quickly, if it would of been a revolving door, I'm sure it would of kept spinning for a few minutes.

Johanne told us that we had to prepare 50 cages in the stray cat section. We looked baffled since the rooms were already crowded. I asked Catherine, the receptionist for the story of why we needed so many cages so quickly and here it is!

A couple are being evicted from their apartment and they have around 50 cats, MC had contacted them a week ago to start bringing the cats in 10 at a time over the weeks to come so we wouldn't get bombarded but they never contacted her back. Robyn, our evening patroller, went there anyway to collect some of the cats but when he returned empty handed, he told us they had barricaded themselves in. I guess this story is to be continued!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Panleuko....so it begins

Shift was 3:00pm to 11:00pm

Back at work again and I finished at 7am this morning!! Gah!!!!

Today I worked with Vicky, I love working with this girl, we have such chemistry and everything gets done perfectly and effectively. Not only do we have a great time, but our energy is positive and the dogs we are around can feel it.

The shift went well, nothing was out of the ordinary and soon it was time to do our final round before the night shift would show up. We check every section to see if all the animals have water and if they are all still healthy. Some animals can get sick very quickly compared to others, it all depends on their immunity system. While we were checking the health of our stray feline friends.I discovered two kittens were sick, we alerted Johanne.

At first, she told us to leave them alone and I was shocked and followed her back to her office complaining that the other cats could catch the germs. She soon agreed and ordered us to transfer them to Euthanasia room. The dying ones were brought to the DMV for immediate euthanasia while the others were left to wait for their morning doom.

Its sad to think that within an hour, these kittens went from playful to dying. Your probably wondering what illness this was but mostly wondering how to avoid it. Here's some information to get you started on knowing more. The only positive thing I can think about this disease is the fact that It is impossible for a cat to spread Panleukopenia to a dog, as dogs cannot contact the virus.

What is Feline Panleukopenia?:

Feline Panleuk, as it is often called, is an extremely contagious virus of the parvovirus group, with a high mortality rate, which often targets kittens. Areas with large populations of unvaccinated cats, such as feral colonies or homes of "cat collectors," are particularly susceptible to panleuk outbreaks.

Panleukopenia remains the most severe and destructive disease of cats.


What Are the Symptoms of Feline Panleukopenia?:

The initial symptoms are also found with many other diseases, and always indicate the need for a veterinary examination.

* Vomiting
* diarrhea
* Depression
* Disinterest in food and water
* Appearance of the "third eyelid," or haw, in the inner corner of the eye
* Lack of grooming, evidenced by dull, rough coat
* Evidence of abdominal pain
* A "hunched over" postural appearance

For more information click here

Daylight Savings and Bunny Girls!

Shift was 11:00pm to 7:00am (October 31st to November 1st)

I was working with Carole again this evening. The two of us get along quite fine and we always keep to the same tasks, the only thing that bothers me is she checks on the animals while I have a better eye on noticing the sick ones. One thing i'll respect though is she'll change every bowl of water, even if there is only 1 hair in it.

Carole had brought her dog Peanutte to work, she's been suffering from an ear infection and when Carole was trying to put the eardrops in, poor little poodle started howling like a beagle! She was adopted at the shelter and she's about four months old. Her original name was Diane and the reason of abandonment was because the previous owner moved to Africa.

Maintenance Night Tasks:
I cleaned first floor and basement
Carole did the ramps and reception
We both did the garbages in our sections

Since I'd be becoming night patroller, Carole took the time to show me the trucks, how the side doors opened along with what materials I should always have on hand before heading out to pick up an animal.

Quick list:
Leashes
Tag number for animals
Pick-up sheet
Pens
Cat carrier
Shovel
Metal leash pole (agressive dogs)
Blankets/towels
Garbage bags
Gloves
Cat/dog food

So its about four in the morning and we're ready to take our breaks till we notice that, thanks to daylight savings....its 3:00am again so we're pulling a 9hour shift. While we took a break anyway, the doorbell rang. Someone came to drop off a black and grey stray cat, it was a little boy and what a boy he was!!

We took a longer break since we were done all our tasks and I kept checking my cellphone, when would the change take place? I though that maybe it had to be manual but i couldnt find anything in the option menu.

We started feeding the dogs, I worked upstairs while Carole took the basement and i heard a buzz at the door. I checked the clock and it was about 5:30am and i had just finished feeding all the dogs. I unlocked it seeing two girls and they brought in a Stray Giant Schauzer with its ears cropped.

I took down all the information but I couldnt help but stare at these two girls dressed as....hookers. We spoke a bit and as I watched them leave, I stiffled a laugh seeing they had bunny tails on their asses. What kind of strippers were these girls?! Oh yeah, it was Halloween night!!

The rest of the shift went well and lets just say, my phone kept being retarded until 7:30 am when it finally caught up to the world and had the right time on the screen.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

First Overnight Shift

Shift was 11:00pm to 7:00am (October 30th to October 31st)

I probably forgot to mention that while I work at the Shelter, I still have a full time 9-5 job during the week-days. I had just finished a shift and had quite the horrible day. I am the receptionist of a building that houses three companies so I am quite busy. I am replacing a woman who had been employed for over a year and didn't do anything right since day one. Lets just say, I've had to do a lot of cleaning up and I'm no where near done. While I was working, I've been insulted and interrogated over eight times in one day and was now questioning myself as to why I was staying there while so miserable.

I got home quite tired and fed up of the crap I had to deal with. I put the dogs out and fed them, once they were done I took a nap till about 9:00pm. I got up feeling refreshed and took a shower putting the dogs back outside and once everyone was inside and settled down, I left for work.

I got to the Shelter and punched in and went to the reception to meet my co-workers. I was told I was working with Carole and that I would be for quite some time now. I met a woman in her mid-forties and we hit it off right away. She showed me the check-list for the night shift about all the chores to be done when it came to sanitizing the building. While she was explaining everything to me, Carl showed up and the three of us started talking about our dysfunctional families.

Carole went ahead and checked on all the animals, changing their waters, cleaning up messes and picking up bowls. She also checks their health in case anything needs to be urgently done. At night, we do not have any vets on staff so if something happens to an animal, we have to bring them to the emergency vet called the DM-V.

Carl and I went ahead with sweeping the floors then mopping them. While we let the floors dry, we did the dishes and laundry. Once the floors were dry, we went ahead and took all the garbage bags and recycling into the garage.

After the general cleaning is done, we washed the doors where the animals have contact to remove nose smudges and we brought clean cat carriers upstairs for when people bring in strays or when they give up their pets. We also make sure we have enough card board transporters for when people adopt cats and don't have a carrier with them.

At 5:00am, we feed the dogs. I usually take care of the Adoptions and Kennel Cough section. Carl and Carole took care of the Pre-Adoptions and Strays. By the time we are finished feeding, picking up the dirty dishes and then cleaning the dirty cages of the dogs, its basically time to go. The shift finished at 7:00am and I was still quite awake, I headed home and crashed after tending to my own dogs and writing this blog of course :)

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Second Shift

Shift was 3:00pm - 11:00pm

I came in a good half an hour early, I didn't want to be late for work. MC was there and waved at me and we spoke a bit about how much I liked the job and how happy she was that I was enjoying it so much.

I went into the kitchen and punched in wondering who I was working with. Upon checking the schedule, I was working with Vicky again who was only staying till 9:00pm and with another girl named Emily.

The day went by rather quickly, cleaning up cages, checking on the animals. I was quite happy that nothing out of the ordinary happened and the shift flew by quickly. Before I knew it, Vicky was on her way out and after another two hours, Emily and I were on our way out as well.

Nothing to report yet but I'm still new, I'm sure fun adventures will happen soon enough!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The First Shift

Shift was 3:00pm - 11:00pm

I walked in quite excited about my shift. The first person I saw was MC who welcomed me to the team and she showed me the punch clock which is located in the kitchen, which is on the first floor, across from the laundry room.I was being trained by Chantal who is from Jamaica and working along side Vicky, it was her second day on the job.

It was easy to say, the shift was mostly concentrated on how everything worked and where everything was. It was a lot to take in but it reminded me of when I worked at the Boarding Kennel except these dogs and cats didn't belong to anyone and they would never return once adopted.

The afternoon shift consists of these tasks
Punch IN
Check on dogs, cats, exotic pets
Feeding basement
LUNCH
Feeding upstairs
cleaning up
checking on animals
Handing out medication
Punch out

So as explained we started with tending to the dogs first in their respective sections to avoid cross contamination. We start with Adoptions, Pre-Adoptions, Strays and finally Kennel Cough.

Kennel cough or tracheobronchitis

This is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases that dogs can contract. The disease is not serious in most cases, however, and often resolves itself after one to two weeks. The accepted medical term for kennel cough is tracheobronchitis, indicating a form of bronchitis that affects the dog's trachea.

Kennel cough can be caused by several airborne bacteria and viruses. It is generally accepted that most cases of kennel cough are caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica but it has also been associated with the canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parainfluenza. It is the general consensus of the veterinary medical community that in order to cause the illness, an animal must be virtually bombarded by multiple versions of these pathogens at one time. For this reason it is dogs that spend a lot of time around other dogs that are most at risk for the disease. Dogs that participate in dog shows or spend a lot of time in kennels are the highest risks for kennel cough.

The primary symptom of kennel cough is a dry, spasmodic cough which is caused by the inflammation of the dog's trachea and bronchi. Coughing spells will often result in the dog coughing up a white and foamy discharge. Some dogs will also develop conjunctivitis - an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids. Nasal discharge may also be present. In effect, the dog appears to have a very nasty cold or flu. As stated above, the disease is rarely serious and almost never life-threatening. Still, if you have seen any of these symptoms or have reason to believe that your dog has or has been exposed to kennel cough, you should consult your vet immediately.

Your vet will be able to diagnose kennel cough with a physical examination and medical history. The cough associated with the ailment is very characteristic and a simple massage of the dog's throat can usually cause it to cough on cue. In some cases, such as if the dog is depressed or feverish or expelling a yellow or green discharge, the doctor may require additional diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC) and laboratory testing of microorganisms in the dog's airway. These tests will help the doctor rule out other infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, or canine distemper.


Then we do the same for the cats. Adoptions, Pre-Adoptions, Strays and finally Rhino. If your wondering what rhino is, i'll explain.

Rhinotracheitis (FVR, rhino, Feline Herpes)

This acute disease affects the respiratory system. Symptoms are similar to our common cold, and include sneezing and coughing. Next the eyes become red, swollen and sensitive to light. The eyes produce a watery discharge, and the nose usually runs and forms a crust. Fever may be present, and the cat may stop eating and seem depressed.

Like the human cold virus, rhino is easily transmitted from one cat to another through direct contact, shared food and water dishes, litter boxes, or aerosol droplets drifting in the air from the emissions of an infected cat. Humans caring for infected cats can carry FVR on their hands, clothes, or even their feet. The risk of infecting your cat by petting a strange cat is small, although washing your hands after handling an unfamiliar animal is a wise habit to develop.

Treating FVR is usually symptomatic. Antibiotics are given to treat secondary infections. In severe cases, fluids are given to overcome dehydration, and oxygen is given if lack of respiratory function decreases the cat's oxygen intake.


Once we finish with the main task, we look over in the euthanasia room to see who needs a change of water. We avoid touching them because most animals carry diseases that are too far gone for treatment. So basically that room is filled with animals on death row. The room itself is white with nothing comforting since the cages face the fridge, the final resting place after the injection is done in a tiny separate room on the side. Chantal told me that the vet listens to the radio while he does this gruesome task.

During our shift, we're also in charge of doing laundry, we managed to do 9 loads and it still looked like we barely made a dent in the room. It was somewhat depressive!

After feeding the basement around 5:30pm which consists of stray dogs and cats, pre-adoptions dogs and cats, rhino cats and euthanasia room, we are able to go eat. Our lunch break lasts an hour, paid in full.

Once we finish our break, we feed the animals on the first floor at 8:00pm which consists of adoptions dogs and cats and kennel cough. After everyone has ate, we pick up the empty dishes from all the cages. In order to do the dishes, we have to clean them all by hand first, to remove any residue of food then put them in a dishwater to finalise the cleaning process.

We spent the remaining of the shift cleaning the cages of any messes and once 10:00pm hits, we go into the clinic and get the medication to distribute to the dogs who need them.

Once thats done, we do a final check and the day is over!

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Interview

I woke up late this morning and noticed it was almost noon, how I hate waking up late. Not only do I miss half of the day, it throws me off schedule a bit when it comes to chores and taking care of the dogs.

I only had enough time to take a shower and pick an outfit before having to dash out the door and fight traffic to get to the shelter on time for the interview at 2:30pm.

MC was quite busy that day and when she saw me arrive, she brightened up and dropped everything to have a chat with me. I sat in her office, petting the cat she was fostering as she got straight to the point and filled out the papers with me. Without even looking over my CV a second time in my presence, she had given me the job and was now looking up my offered salary. Since I was taking evening and night shifts, I would be getting two salaries and of course the night shifts paid more so I was more inclined to work those.

After looking over the forms and signing everything on the dotted line, I was now an employee in a field of work I simply adore.