Deployment with Our “Old and New” Partner: Humane World for Animals
April 3rd, 2025
By Beth Gammie, Director of Field Services –
In early March, a team of RedRover Responders volunteers and staff helped care for 52 cats rescued from a cruelty and neglect situation, and 48 dogs that needed relocation from their previous sheltering situation. We had a very impactful and enjoyable week helping these animals.
We worked with our “old and new” friend and partner Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States. Although Humane World for Animals is a new name for this legacy organization, we weren’t surprised to see the same compassionate, well-organized, high level of animal care at their shelter.
Besides the usual feeding and kennel cleaning, our volunteers enjoyed providing the cats and dogs with creative enrichment. Previously in emergency sheltering, enrichment was often forgotten in the immediate crisis of sheltering animals – but now enrichment is a regularly implemented piece of sheltering.
For the dogs, our volunteers helped prepare tasty treats, like KONG® toys filled with cream cheese or bones covered in peanut butter; the cats enjoyed catnip and cuddling (for those who wanted it!). The dogs also had sound enrichment – every day after cleaning, they listened to sound machines with soothing natural sounds, like rain showers or birds. And in the afternoons, dogs were brought out for playtime. All of this enrichment helps alleviate the boredom and stress animals can experience while they are staying at the temporary shelter.
RedRover Responders volunteers are well-known in the animal response world as being capable and dependable emergency sheltering staff. We come in and work well with our partners, and provide great care for the animals. Because of this, we have long-term partners like Humane World for Animals, who know that when they call on us for help they are getting some of the best emergency sheltering volunteers around. We are so grateful to our volunteers for making our RedRover Responders program so respected.
