I'm a crazy cat lady and proud of it!
Being a volunteer here has been so fulfilling on many different levels. It has made me feel so good to be able to help out with something that I feel passionately about. You can tell that the staff puts a lot of effort into taking care of these animals they accept in. A lot of times people will say, oh I can't do it, it's too sad. But the thing is, it's not. It's actually so great because these animals come here and find loving homes instead of being on the street or in an environment that's toxic. I rarely see animals there for a long time. I think that's a testament to the way they are treated while they're in the facility.
Now I'll admit, I'm not the biggest dog fan, so I help out in the cat shelter. I can talk about that with a lot more knowledge than the dog side. They just built a new cat facility on their property so they have their own shelter. The cats are all set up in a huge room. They have two rooms for people to play with the cats when they are looking to adopt them. These rooms are also used for "cat cuddling." That's what I do when I volunteer. I get to take the cats out so that they can play, be cuddled or just run around. Then the cats are able to get out of the cages and get used to human contact.
The other great thing about the ARL is that they have foster parents who take in cats and dogs while they're waiting to be adopted. This way, they get a great home environment and it relieves the facility of having too many animals at one time. At different points in the year the adoption rates are different depending on the amount of animals they have. Cat rates are usually cheaper in the Spring/Summer because there's more coming in and dog rates are cheap in the late summer months. The added bonus of adopting a pet from the ARL is that they are spade or neutered when you adopt them. It's actually cheaper then taking them to a normal vet on your own.
I would STRONGLY recommend coming here to check out the animals and hopefully find your next furry friend! OR you can volunteer! They have volunteer informational sessions the first Saturday of every month. After that you only have one training session to complete and you're ready to volunteer!
Just check it out if you're curious. You won't regret it! Your new furry friends will appreciate it as well!