A few years ago, while running a summer program for 8-11 year old children, I arranged for the children to volunteer each Monday at the Humane Society. Given their ages there was not a lot they could do with the animals (I'm guessing due to liability issues) but they were glad to help in any way they could. We did laundry, cleaned out litter pans and most of all, we did dishes in a small, cramped, sweltering hot room. Every Monday the kids and I would be back and never once did they utter a word of thanks. For the most part, the staff there acted like we were in the way. I have never seen such displays of ungratefulness for volunteer work. By the end of the summer, the kids' spirits were wilted, and so were mine.
On another subject, my husband and I lost our beloved cat last summer. We hoped to replace him by adopting a cat from the Humane Society. We soon found out, however, that we could not afford the $100 MINIMUM donation PLUS the $100 up-front deposit for spaying/neutering. The Humane Society was unwilling to budge on the prices and so we left without a cat. I understand their need to cover costs, but they'd send a LOT more animals home (and therefore have LESS to take care of) if they charged more reasonable fees.
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