Month: April 2018

Tips for Volunteering at Animal Shelters

Kristyn Weaver / / Blog Posts, Information, Lifestyle

Volunteering is a rewarding experience for both participants and institutions. Animal shelters in particular rely a lot on volunteers as usually they are low on labor and funds, meaning donated service is definitely appreciated. Animal shelter volunteers complete a variety of tasks such as walking and feeding dogs, cleaning up messes, and of course the hardest part: playing and cuddling with the pups. If this sounds appealing to you, make sure to check out these tips before you commit to a shelter/program.

 

1. Understand the time commitment

Shelters might have a strict and set schedule for volunteers, and if this is the case make sure you can fulfill their expectations. Depending upon where you volunteer, there might be a minimum of hours required for you to keep your volunteer title.

 

2. Make sure you’re not afraid to get dirty

Most shelters will have you do what nobody else really wants to do: cleaning up dog messes. While this might not be what you’re doing at all times, it is likely this will end up as part of your duties.

 

3. Make sure you’re passionate

If you’re not super into animals, working at an animal shelter maybe isn’t the job for you. Make sure you truly love what you are doing when you volunteer, as it will be all the more rewarding.

 

4. Show up with a can-do attitude

Always show up with a positive attitude when you come to volunteer and make sure you try to fulfill your duties to the best of your ability. The staff member on duty will surely appreciate and notice the extra effort.

 

If after reading these you are still sure volunteering at an animal shelter is for you, by all means go ahead and get out there! Volunteering is one of the most rewarding experiences that a person can do in the world, and working with animals is such a great cause that more often than not gets overlooked. While it might be a lot of work, helping dogs potentially find their forever homes is certainly worth it.

Finding Furry Friends on College Campuses

Kristyn Weaver / / Blog Posts, Lifestyle

Have you ever heard of the saying: “love is a four-legged word”? If this phrase leaves you baffled, perhaps my blog is not the right place for you. Heading off to college, one of my greatest concerns was that my pup wouldn’t be joining me for this new chapter of my life. As dogs can help reduce stress and can aide in homesickness, it is my thought that every college kid should have access to a plethora of pups. This however, is easier said than done.

If you are a seasoned veteran to Coffee and a Beagle, you might know that I attend Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. One of my favorite aspects of Furman is its picturesque landscaping and greenery, and judging from the immense amount of visitors that stop by campus every day, I am not the only one who feels this way. Seasoned visitors who walk around the lake every day are often known to bring their family: all of their family including their pup. Having these dogs on campus every day always brings a smile to my face though it got me thinking: just how many dogs can be found on one given day?

 

I decided to take this question and put it to the test. Setting out with a friend and a camera in my hand I decided to document every dog that I passed in order to get an estimate of how many dogs I can spot in just one loop around the scenic Furman lake. If you are interested in viewing this little experiment, check it out here! Here are some sneak peeks:

 

 

Aside from the four-legged visitors Furman gets daily, the University also recently implemented the program ‘Paws to Unwind’. This program brings in puppies from the Greenville Humane Society to campus every first Thursday of the month in order to help students de-stress and boost moods.

 

So, if you are a college student or college-bound in the fall, make sure to check out all the programs your university has so as to not miss out on any doggone fun! If they don’t have any specific programs, take a walk around campus: I’m sure you will be guaranteed to find at least one dog on your walk!