(Above) The Orange County Animal Services pet shelter separates dogs by their designated weight. Dogs over 25 pounds are put in the bigger kennels, and the dogs under 25 pounds are put in the smaller ones towards the back of the dog facility. This makes it easier for adopters to find a dog at a size they want.
In 2024, 14,852 total pets have been impounded while waiting for a loving home. At the Orange County Animal Services pet shelter, wagging tails and hopeful eyes greet every visitor, but what is life like behind the kennel doors? Most of the impound that are found at the Orange County Animal Services pet shelter are either strays, surrendered, neglected, or come from abusive homes. Due to the rough conditions that these animals originate from, they often become timid, have behavioral issues, or experience trauma. That is why it is important to help these pets as much as possible until they get placed into their future homes. Volunteering and helping in the animal shelter is a great way to take care of the cats and dogs by playing, feeding, training, and regulating them. In order to volunteer at Orange County Animal Services, all volunteers are required to receive training two weeks prior to their actual volunteering experience with the animals. As a volunteer, you can choose between working in the cat facility or the dog facility. The dog facility is typically more demanding since the dogs at the shelter tend to be harder to handle than cats. The best way to help out these animals in need of a home is to take one in yourself. If you’re looking for a loyal companion, why not check out Orange County Animal Services? You might just meet your new best friend, and even change a life forever.
(Above) It is extremely uncommon to find dogs in the shelter that are often the type of dogs people specifically breed for. Some examples are Huskies, Golden Retrievers, Dalmatians, and most small dogs. In the event where these most desired breeds end up in the shelter, it won’t be long until they get adopted or chosen. The most common dogs found in shelters are Pitbulls and Bull-dogs, which are often misunderstood and mistreated. (Yara Koteish)(Above) Dogs and cats that don’t end up getting adopted for the longest are named, “Longest resident.” If the shelter becomes full, then they will euthanize the animals that are the most unadoptable or the ones that stayed the longest. (Yara Koteish)(Above) When passing by each dog, they try to get each person’s attention by barking, whimpering, and jumping because of how badly they want to get adopted. (Yara Koteish)(Right) Some animals in the shelter were confiscated or neglected by their past owners because of their living conditions. Some of the animals that come in are underweight, have visible wounds, or carry past trauma. (Yara Koteish)(Above) Fostering animals for a short time is a great way to help without taking the responsibility of adopting or volunteering. Fostering is available for animals not ready to be adopted, either because they are too young or have behavioral issues. (Yara Koteish)(Above) The cats are calmer and more relaxed than the dogs, which means the cat facility is more peaceful and less heartbreaking for people walking by and observing. Even though some cats are an exception to this, the cats are not as visibly or vocally emotional as the dogs. (Yara Koteish)(Above) The animals at the pet shelter all have designated times for each activity. A schedule is set for nap, snack, and play time. They also have distinct days where they are all sent to visit a veterinarian. (Yara Koteish)
Yara Koteish is a staff member of Lake Highland Preparatory School’s newspaper class. Yara has been a student at Lake Highland for 11 years and has a younger brother in 9th grade. She is on the Lake Highland varsity and club swim team and has been swimming for 14 years. When not in school or sports, Yara enjoys traveling and going to the beach. She also likes to spend time having fun with her friends and family.
