I have officially volunteered at Southern Pines Animal Shelter for 4 semesters now. This semester I did something a little different: I invited my best friend to volunteer with me. My friend and I were both certified as Cat Care Providers, so we spent our Wednesday mornings this year in the Cat Cottage. Southern Pines is closed on Wednesdays, so we were able to socialize with the cats on a day where they usually would not get that interaction. We were also able to take on the task of cleaning the entire cottage for that day so the employees could spend more time on other animals. Dogs take up a lot of the shelter’s resources, and I wanted to make sure the cats were cherished just as much as the dogs are. As someone who has lived on campus for 3 years, I find myself missing my fellow feline companion. These babies are more than willing to accept all that pent up love (Well, some of them… they’re still cats).

The easiest way to get involved with Southern Pines by signing up for Give Pulse and searching through all their volunteer opportunities. You can also contact Sarah Krock directly through the website. They do require orientation training for roles like “Team Tidy,” but I would recommend completing an additional specialized training course to make your time even more meaningful. If you do not have time to take an orientation course, they have volunteer roles for the cats at adoption places like PetSmart and Pet Co. https://www.givepulse.com/event/221282 <<<Here is the link to sign up for a specific time.

When the shelter is busy, sometimes the employees only have time for the animal’s basic needs. Go give a sweet puppy dog or kitty cat some kisses and a hug. Give back to the animals that have loved you unconditionally over the years and volunteer at Southern Pines.

Blog post writer Katy McGinnis has completed her third year at Southern Miss as a Luckyday Scholar. She is majoring in Medical Laboratory Science.