My husband made the mistake one day of asking me how my night at work was. Let me mention I was working as a Respiratory therapist at Lahey Clinic on the night shift and I came home that morning and I couldn't remember one patient's face or name. So I told my husband I didn't think I could work there any longer. I picked up the local newspaper and looked at the help wanted section and there it was. Adoption counselor for animal shelter. The first listing. So I applied and thus began my new career as a pet adoption counselor.

Now I thought I had seen it all working in a hospital for 20 years but I was "shocked and awed" by the situations I encountered and still do working at the animal shelter.

My first duties was just to manage the phone calls that came in every day. Let me just share some of the questions. How old is that 2 year old cat Lacey listed on your website? Do you have any dogs that will stay puppies? Do you have any Yorkie males uneutered that I can mate with my bitch? What's your cheapest dog available? Can I rent a black cat for my halloween party? We rescue dogs from Puerto Rico where I work and I can't tell you how many calls I answer asking if we have any of those foreign dogs, or do you need to speak Spanish to adopt one.

I've adopted thousand's of cats and dogs through the seven years I've worked at the shelter but the adoptions don't always go smoothly. A very nice woman came into the shelter to adopt a dog. She had a flexable work schedule and it would have been a great home for this little dog. I expained the dog was not trained or housebroken and her work day would be perfect for the dog because he would need time to settle in and get on a good schedule. I did ask if there were any other family members and she did have a husband at home. I told her she could meet the dog but he would need to meet the dog as well. The dog was a stray and we never know how they will react to someone and it would be a good idea if would come and meet the dog as well. So she goes out into the parking lot and calls on her cell phone and changes her voice to pose as her husband with this long story that he was flying out of town but it was ok for his wife to adopt the dog. I had answered the phone and I'm looking out of the window and I'm talking to her/him and I said "why are you pretending to be your husband I'm looking at you now having this conversation with me, and this doesn't have to be such a process that you are making it." Well she didn't adopt the dog because come to find out her husband is highly allergic to dogs.

Now a very nice family comes into the shelter with a 3 year old clinging to her father because she is terrified of dogs and they would like to adopt a puppy. I explained our puppies are rescue puppies and little is know of their start and they can be quite nippy but he snapped back that he has dogs his entire life and he knows what he is doing. I let them visit in a room with a puppy and in minutes I heard screaming and crying and the child is terrified and I don't understand why a parent would subject their child to being so fearful. When I suggested this wasn't such a good idea and maybe when she is bit older the father shot back "she will just have to get used to the idea." I explained I was very sorry but the shelter would question my judgement as a counselor to place this puppy in a home where the child was frightened. Needless to say he left very unhappy. Please someone tell me why parents think this ok.

I have made mistakes in placing dogs. I tried to give the adopter the benifit of the doubt. I'm thinking of George. He was a retriever mix about 4 years old and was stray from South Carolina we rescued. A daughter and her elderly mother and father came to the shelter and the daughter explained that her mother and father had just lost their lab of 14 years and wanted another. The parents were 80 and I tried to direct them to a smaller older dog we had but they insisted on George. The daughter insisted that she would help her parents with George since she lived next door and her Sister lived 3 doors down. It would be a "family" dog with everyone involved and George would get his exercise from her and her sister. Well she didn't hold up her end of the bargain and George became too much for the parents to handle and he knocked the mother over and well lets just say it didn't work out. Its not that we don't want elderly people to a have a pet but they have to have something compatible with their age. No matter what you say people hear only what they want to hear and refuse to listen.

Now your wondering are there happy ending stories to write about. Yes, everyday. We place close to 400 animals each month so don't worry, we work very hard placing our animals. I'm just going to share with readers of interest all the stuff in between. It helps me unload. Tomorrow I'll be working and I have no idea as to what will take place.