When cleaning a litterbox makes you cry

The RedRover Responders volunteer team continues to provide daily care and enrichment to 165 cats, kittens, dogs and puppies displaced by Superstorm Sandy and currently housed in a temporary emergency animal shelter in Brooklyn, New York. 

Earlier this week, an owner came to visit her dog, like many do throughout the day. When her visit drew to an end, the owner began to cry. Of course, the volunteers witnessing how deeply this owner cared for her dog began to cry, too. One of the volunteers mentioned to the RedRover team leader that she felt caught off guard by the wave of emotion that had hit her.

While volunteering at a temporary emergency animal shelter, in the midst of cleaning a litterbox or preparing a bowl of food, finding oneself bawling over a box of tissues is not uncommon. At the RedRover Responders volunteer training workshop, facilitators spend some time talking about the sometimes surprising waves of emotion that can hit volunteers as they work, even while doing some very mundane tasks. Hearing about the emotions in the classroom can’t quite compare with experiencing them firsthand, and no doubt these sorts of experiences contribute to why many volunteers feel like deployments can be life-changing.

Volunteers also witnessed some moments of joy. One owner came to visit his two cats, so excited to share that he hopes to have a place to live where they can stay by next week. Another owner jubilantly picked up her cat to take him home, so excited to finally be together again, just in time for Christmas.