Internship is almost over!! The time really flew by, and I've made the best memories. For my project, I split up the four weeks into "small projects," that way I could focus on a variety of things and then tie them all together in the end towards one main goal. For my first week I started out doing "mentored trainings," where I was able to learn the ropes of the operation, learn how to interact with the animals, clean the “cat condos” and rabbit pens, and put together care packages of dog food and cat food that the Humane Society donates to people who need a little extra help taking care of their animals. This set out my guideline for how I'd be doing my projects throughout the next three weeks. For my second week I worked with animal care and cleaning, as I now had a clear idea of how things worked, I was able to begin small projects on my own. One of these was helping care for the animals by feeding them and keeping their environments clean. I learned to help exercise and socialize kittens, play gently with older cats, clean enclosures and feed all of the animals. It was so valuable for me to learn the "dirty work" that goes on behind the scenes in order to keep everything running smoothly. For my third week I was able to branch out on my own, and work with PAWS, a program organized by the Humane Society that gives pet food and other necessary animal supplies to low income families in San Diego to help them keep their pets. I worked with bagging dog and cat food, labeling it, and loading it into bins. I also helped sort the other donatable items, such as chew toys and beds. Putting together these care packaged was so special to me, because I can't imagine having to give up a beloved animal because of financial situation, and being able to help those in need with an issue I really care about was a wonderful experience. For my fourth (and final!) week here I've been working with the AdoptMe app, continuing to feature animals on the Humane Society's adoption website. It's been so fun and rewarding for me to combine the effect of social media with animals, and see the positive result that comes from it! I've seen families come in, look at an animal, and mention how they saw a "picture and story" about it on the adoption web, and I knew they were talking about one I'd put together! That made me so happy to know I was helping animals get out there and get adopted by wonderful families. These projects all taught me so much, and I'm so grateful I had this opportunity. I learned the importance of loving one's job, and the positive output that shows. I learned the importance of teamwork and communication, care, passion, and kindness. Looking over my past month here, I feel like I've really changed and my eyes have been opened to a new world I can't wait to be a part of one day. View my Presentation of Learning
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