Abigail Dunagan, Campus Carrier features editor

Cammie Wilks, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

Moving into a college dorm is one of the most exciting events as students begin their studies, but after leaving home many find that they miss their families’ pets. Adopting a pet can be one of the most rewarding yet challenging ventures to take on. Cats, dogs, hamsters and other furry friends can bring a lot of joy into anyone’s life, but bringing an animal into a new home must be carefully considered. Pet food, vet bills and items like toys and beds can be expensive. Not only is there a monetary cost, but each animal also brings a unique personality that can take time for a household to adjust to, especially if there are other pets. Animals in Berry’s dorms must be approved as Emotional Support Animals, and for many students it is not feasible to adopt a pet to keep in their dorm room. Luckly, Floyd County’s Public Animal Welfare Service (P.A.W.S) offers a volunteer program where anyone can come to spend the day with the resident dogs and cats. 

P.A.W.S Rescue Coordinator, Adoption Specialist and Vet Tech Sandy Ponders has been working at the organization for the past six years, and has been in the animal industry for 28 years working in different clinics and shelters. According to Ponders, volunteers are extremely important because they help the workers manage the volume of animals that come into the shelter. Floyd County’s shelter has a larger number of animals than most counties, and there is not enough time in the day for the workers to ensure that each dog gets to play outside. To help ensure that the animals receive the best care possible, the shelter allows volunteers to come in and play with the dogs for several hours at a time.

“It helps the animals,” Ponders said. “They are stuck in a very loud shelter, so when they get to get out it helps them decompress.” 

While shelter volunteers come from all walks of life, many Berry students have found getting involved to be a fun stress reliever for both them and the animals. Freshmen chemistry major Eloise Lang grew up with a lot of pets, so when she arrived at Berry she began looking for something that would allow her to interact with animals. She currently tries to volunteer at P.A.W.S every Friday, and she spends several hours playing with the dogs and teaching them tricks. On occasions, she takes the dogs out on field trips to take walks on Berry’s campus. 

“I just love seeing the transformation of a withdrawn dog, but when you take them out, they get so excited,” Lang said.

Freshman communication major Abbey Farmer is another student who regularly volunteers by taking dogs on adventures during the weekend. She learned about ‘field trips’ from her roommate, and after much consideration, Farmer went to P.A.W.S on Valentine’s Day with her friend to take a dog on a field trip. After spending the afternoon with an affectionate puppy named Bill, she quickly fell in love with volunteering at P.A.W.S. 

“Sometimes, like when we took care of Bill one weekend, we were walking, and he would just run to another person on the sidewalk and say hi,” Farmer said. “All the dogs are so sweet and want to meet everyone.”

Since first taking a dog on a field trip, Farmer has volunteered every two weeks and has traveled with roughly nine dogs this semester, even occasionally doing an overnight field trip with a dog. Since the puppies get adopted quickly, she is always spending every weekend with a different dog. Farmer walks and plays with the dogs after taking them back to Berry, and she loves allowing people to interact with the pet she is spending time with. No matter what she does to pass time with their new furry friend, she always takes him or her to get a pup-cup from Starbucks.

While working at the shelter is a big part of Ponder’s life, she also temporarily takes in animals that need extra care. If the shelter receives kittens that need to be bottle-fed or animals that are ill, Ponders takes them into her home and cares for them until they are able to return to the shelter. Because of this, she does not own any animals. 

“I fix what is broken,” Ponders said. “So, I take care of them, I get them better, and then I find them homes or rescues that will take them in. I do not adopt, for the simple fact that if I were to have my own animals, I couldn’t help all of the ones that are sick, because I could not expose the new animals to anything.” 

Volunteering is an important part of any community, and these puppies love spending time with anyone who will take the weekend off to play with them. Anyone interested in helping can also donate pet food and treats to the shelter to help in feeding these puppies. A small step can make a big difference in these animals’ lives.

More information about P.A.W.S can be found on the website, including how to get in contact and get involved. 

“The animal shelter within the county is only as good as its citizens,” Ponders said.