Volunteering in a Winter Wonderland

Three inches of snow and freezing cold temperatures can't keep me away from the shelter, especially not when 30+ dogs are waiting for their glamour shots. I knew there were plenty of dogs who would be excited about playing in the snow. Sunday was pretty freakin' cold and the wind didn't make it any better. I couldn't imagine missing a Sunday and not seeing my favorite pups!

 

En route to the shelter my car showed 8 degrees, the roads were a little iffy, and I wondered how many people would be showing up to help with photographs and getting dogs out for some playtime. I had my layers on, hat and gloves ready to take on the weather and make it a productive day with the KCMO doggies. It was great to see Kandace and Abby already at the shelter walking a couple of favorites.  There have been days when it is me by myself, so three was a good turnout for photo day. I was just hoping the dogs would be on their best behavior and we could get through all their pretty faces in a few hours. Kandace and Abby had done this before, so I knew we would be fine.

Courtney got all set up in the garage and we started to roll through the list of dogs. My first little guy was Mamba - totally cute and loved the snow. I am usually not one for small dogs, but this one was cuddly. I was not surprised to hear that he was already adopted. Nutmeg was a fun-loving pup. She made it difficult for me to get her out of the top kennel, she kept rolling on her back for belly rubs. She was a spunky girl and did great on her photo shoot. I don't think she will last long either. A handsome Beagle named Napoleon was next. He is older and seemed to have some cataracts, but they didn't bother him at all. He pranced around and enjoyed the snow. Unfortunately, he is going to need some updated photos to really capture his handsomeness. In the midst of all this photographing, Scott came to the rescue and helped us grab some more dogs.

 

 

We had a system and everything was going great. We weren't going to have any trouble getting the photographs done, so I was hopeful that we would be able to get a few dogs out for some playtime too! I was so happy that Tara, Sharon, Kristin, and Matt also showed up to help finish off the photographs. Best of all, we even got some updated photos of our longtime dogs. 

I met more amazing dogs - Choco was a little scared, but he was a total love bug once he became more comfortable. Shasta was a sassy pittie. She was so excited to get attention and have her photos taken. Bylette was a sweet Rottie mix who seemed to be a little under the weather. She did great on the leash and was such a lover. There are so many great dogs at the shelter right now and not a lot of adopters. I am going to try and stay positive and hope some of my longtimer favorites will get a home soon - they deserve it!

After the photos I spent some time with my favorite longtimers. It was pretty cold outside, but I wanted to give them at least 5 minutes in the snow to romp around. Blythe just wanted to play with the tennis ball the whole time. She liked the idea of Sharon trying to chase her. She's such a sweet girl who needs to be the only dog in her forever home. I don't think Leo even realized how cold it was out there. That boy never gets tired. He had a good time running around with the ball and trying to find it in the snow, but he calmed down just enough for me to give him a few butt scratches. Leo is such a handful, but I keep hoping his perfect match will come find him soon. Matilda was dying to go outside. She hadn't been out for awhile since she had been on meds. I didn't think she would last long in the snow, but she loved it. She wanted to play tug with the leash and did a few sprints around the yard in the snow. Matilda is another energetic girl who doesn't show well in her kennel. I hope someone gives her a chance, she deserves it! Tesla, our athletic pittie, loved doing sprints around the big yard. She sat pretty for me so I could throw her the ball. She had a great time getting out her energy. She gets to start Pit Bull EDU classes soon to help make her more adoptable - fingers crossed! Last was the stud muffin himself, Reuben. This big boy is fun and goofy and loved digging at the snow. He kept hiding the toy from himself and I would help him find it. He enjoyed himself and I enjoyed watching him. You can see for yourself just how much fun they had.

It is cold these days, and it isn't always much fun being outside. If you wear the right clothes and layer up, it isn't that bad. The dogs don't need to be out too long, just enough time to stretch their legs and play in the snow. Even if you have just an hour, the 5 or 6 dogs that you get out will be SO GRATEFUL! I hope to see more volunteers out with the dogs and playing in the snow!