Teens Helping Homeless Animals

The majority of the American public has negative views of today's teens as a result of the actions of a few. As with anything, the negative actions of one group of teens gets most of the public attention. Teens that are making positive contributions to their community rarely get the same attention from the general public and media.

When I began volunteering at my local Humane Society, I had a significant amount of experience working with teens. There were three teens that were the children of my coworkers that showed interest in helping the animals at the shelter.

My perceptions of these three teens were as varied as their personalities. The dependability of these three girls ranged from being ready and willing to go to the shelter every Thursday evening when I got off of work to rarely going with us. Transportation was not an issue with these teens since I took them from my work place which was easy for them to get to from their school. The amount of dedication to the shelter shown by the teens was very much in line with their dedication to many areas in their lives including school work.

The assignments I gave these girls also depended upon their attendance and dependability. The two that were less dependable and showed less often typically got the jobs of cleaning cat cages and puppy kennels. Due to their lack of dedication and experience, I did not feel comfortable giving them more complex assignments. In contrast, the third teen was highly dedicated to the animals and showed much more responsibility when working with them. I felt comfortable assigning her more complex tasks such as bathing puppies and kittens. She was not afraid to undertake any new tasks and was always willing to learn more. The only assignment I did not feel comfortable giving her was walking the large dogs due to her small stature and their inexperience walking on a leash.

I have had the rare opportunity to follow these girls through their middle and high school careers and into their early adult years. The behaviors that were apparent during the time they volunteered at the shelter in middle school and early high school followed them into their early adult lives.

The least dependable girl eventually dropped out of high school, had multiple behavior problems at home and in the community, and has had difficulty holding a job. The second teen who had the potential to be a very successful adult made a turnaround half way through her high school career. Her grades dropped and behaviors changed. Very soon after graduation she got pregnant and no longer showed interest in attending college. She eventually got a job at a retail store which she seems to enjoy and is doing well. However, she is capable of much more.

The most dedicated and dependable teen has continued along a positive path. She remained willing and able to respond to emergency situations at the shelter throughout her years in high school. She worked very hard in high school and was involved in several extracurricular activities. This young lady had set her goals for college as early as middle school and has gone on to continue working toward her ultimate goal. She is now attending pre-veterinary school and is doing well. She also works with a local veterinarian as a veterinary technician during her time off from college.

These three teens, their behaviors during their middle school years and early adult lives lead me to believe that values are set in teens as early as middle school and possible earlier. After the experience I had with these three teens, I highly recommend using the talents available through this energetic age group. The results will vary but the successes make it all worthwhile.