Why I Volunteer with AAHS

A weekend or two ago, I went and did some volunteer work with the Athens Area Humane Society. On this particular weekend, I was tired and not feeling too well. Because of this, I considered not following through with my plans to volunteer and, instead, spend the day lying about the house generally being lazy.

At the time, I was in my living room sitting on my couch, and my dog Blu was sprawled out in the floor asleep. Have you ever noticed how pets sometimes seem like they can read your mind? This was one of those times for me, because Blu woke up and turned her head to look right at me and just stared. Unable to resist her being so adorable, I sat down beside her to scratch her belly.

As I was petting her, I was thinking about how much of an impact that this furry critter has had on my life. I’ve never called myself a “dog person,” but I have grown to love this dog very much. Ever since we adopted her, she has brought nothing but happiness to me and my wife.

This made me realize something about the Humane Society and why I love helping out so much with them. Whenever I see the animals that are currently up for adoption, I know that each and every one of them have the potential of changing a family’s life for the better.

Of course, I want to see these animals have good and loving homes. But more than that, I don’t want anyone miss out on the opportunity to experience the love and happiness that a pet can bring into a home. There are so many wonderful stories and memories just waiting to be created, and I want these stories and memories to have a chance to exist!

Athens Area Humane Society often posts pictures of newly adopted animals along with their new family. I’m so glad that they post these pictures, because not only does it brighten my day to see the start of a brand new story for the family and animal, but it serves as a warm reminder of why I volunteer in the first place. Every donation, whether it be of money or of time, helps make these stories a reality.

Needless to say, I ended up following through with my volunteer plans and ended up having a fantastic time doing it.