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Junior volunteers learn about animals
Not many teens will get to spend time this summer with more than 120 animals, including cats, rabbits, dogs, gerbils and even a 4-foot-long ball python.
But for the junior volunteers at the Loudoun County Animal Shelter, that is just part of a typical day.
"We also clean out the cages and feed them," said Bryan Huber, 14, of Leesburg, who is working as a volunteer at the shelter. "It's fun. We get to play with the animals when we take care of them."
The Junior Volunteer Program, sponsored by the animal shelter for the past three summers, is not just about playing, though, said Amy Seymour, volunteer coordinator for Loudoun County Animal Care and Control.
"They come in and help clean, feed, do laundry. ... It's normal maintenance," she said. "We're hoping they learn about animal care and how to assess cruelty or neglect when they see it. We also want to foster a feeling of community service here."
Volunteer Robin Riggins, 15, of Sterling, is already familiar with the animal shelter and the adoption process.
Her family adopted a cat, Scarlet, from Animal Care and Control six years ago and more recently, they adopted a Labrador mix, Casey.
Those experiences and working with the animals firsthand has shown her the importance of animal adoption.
"It saves owners money, and the animals really need someone to take care of them," she said. "If they're here, why go to a pet store?"
Robin said she one day plans to become a primatologist, working with lemurs in Madagascar.
For now, she's starting off with something a little more domestic – dogs.
As part of their first week as junior volunteers, Robin, Bryan and 15-year-old Diamante Ellis, of Leesburg, got to learn about dog training at the shelter.
"We use positive reinforcement with our dogs," said Jenny Swiggart, animal care and training coordinator. "The things we reinforce as good here are things that make an animal adoptable. It's nice when people go into a kennel and the dogs don't bark or jump."
Swiggart taught the junior volunteers the philosophy behind positive reinforcement clicker training. When the dogs perform an activity that is good or desired, they hear a click and receive a reward, such as a piece of chopped-up hot dog.
Robin, Bryan and Diamante all got to experience what it was like training inside the dog kennel at the shelter, where up to 23 dogs can be held at once.
On a recent afternoon, there were only three dogs, and one in particular, Suzie Q, caused trouble by barking at other dogs and people.
The volunteers worked with her, rewarding her for quiet behavior and for sitting still as people and another dog approached her kennel.
This way, Swiggart said, Suzie Q learns that good behavior will be rewarded and she stops the bad behaviors.
"The dogs need different people working with them in different locations," Swiggart said. "So at the shelter we teach a lot of different people to work with the dogs."
For the rest of their time at the shelter, the junior volunteers will learn more about animal care and will participate in several field trips.
The trips include visits to Temple Hill Farm in Lucketts and the Loudoun County 4-H Fair, and participation in ride-alongs with Animal Control officers.
"I'm learning we should help animals," said Diamante after returning from a ride-along. "We just picked up a beaver that got hit by a car. A lot of the ones we bring in are lost or have been hit or abused in some way."
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