What does it mean to you to work in animal care? 

Being in animal care means that my coworkers and I are responsible for all of the amazing animals we have here at Asheville Humane. We know their diets, their personalities, and their daily routines. If anything changes with them we’re the first to know and it’s our responsibility to ensure that they stay happy and healthy.

What are some of the best parts of your job? 

I’d think anybody would say the best part about working with animals is getting to hang out with them all day. But truly, the best part is being able to see them grow while they’re here; seeing the scared ones become more confident and seeing the rambunctious ones learn some manners. All of it is rewarding and reminds me why I love working at Asheville Humane!

What are some of the hardest parts of your job? 

Some of the hardest parts of working at Asheville humane, as I’m sure all who come here can agree, is not taking everybody home and not being able to give them everything they want, and stuff they don’t even know they want yet. It’s also hard with the amount of animals we have to feel like you’re doing enough for each of them everyday but, we do all we can and for some it’ll be everything and others it will never be enough, but for most it’ll be all they need until they can go home.

Have you had a moment that has really stuck out to you as a reason you keep coming back? Or, why do you keep coming back? 

Being able to see the animals grow is one of the major reasons I love coming back everyday. That and it is still my job, but being able to see everybody from all departments of the humane society working towards getting a dog to be adoptable or even just trying to get them to eat is always amazing. The amount of time that our behavior department spends working with our animals is truly amazing, it takes true dedication and compassion to be able to have the patience that is required to help these animals. It’s our job in animal care to make sure it doesn’t stop there. Being able to build off of behaviors work and vice versa is always satisfying to see. It’s a constant reminder that we all want these animals to be the best that they can and sometimes that’s not always the best, especially in a shelter environment, but seeing the passion and commitment each and every person puts into the care they provide for these guys always makes me want to help out more too!

Why do you feel so passionately about animals? 

I’ve been around animals all my life! I feel most comfortable when I can be around at least one animal, so being able to work with so many different types of animals, all with varying personalities, is truly the best in my opinion! They’ve always been there for me and have helped me so much, so being able to do the same for them is all I want.

What do you want the public to know about your job? 

It’s messy, it’s not always easy, and it’s not always fun, but sometimes I really do get to hang out with puppies all day! These animals are thrown into an environment they’ve never been in before some are scared some are angry and others just want to be invisible but they all want a little love and a lot of patience and to be able to see their personalities finally shine through is more rewarding than anything. I know each of our adopters have experienced something similar with their new family members from Asheville Humane! I hope we can continue to not only bring joy and happiness to the lives of the animals we care for, but to future adopters as well!

Anything else you want to add? 

I want every dog, cat, rabbit, pig, goat, or rooster to find a forever home, one where they can be themselves and be loved. I’m sure that’s what everyone here at the Asheville Humane Society wants! That’s what we all work together towards!