Second is the best!

                Providence Animal Rescue League is a wonderful place to volunteer. The atmosphere is laid back and relaxed, the workers don’t seem to judge you, and you’re surrounded by lovable animals; what more could you want? I love it now. I was nervous at first, but I personally love animals, so it makes it all worth it. I’m able to say all of this now because I’m comfortable at PARL. This second experience has made me feel at ease there.

                First of all, when I first got there and felt extremely lost, a worker boosted my confidence. When I was floating around awkwardly not knowing how to start my shift, she came in and saw me. After I told her I was there for the second time she said “Oh so you know what you’re doing! Just go right in!” This made me feel a lot better because she treated me as if I was a veteran. Second of all, I wasn’t the newest volunteer there anymore. A new volunteer, a young adult named Allejondro, volunteered for the first time that day. This made me feel relaxed because I technically had more seniority than him; I was there longer; I had more experience.

                I surprised myself with how confident I felt. Yes, it was my second time and I was no longer the new kid, but I still hadn’t been there long at all. I acted like I did though. I felt so much more calm the second time, especially dealing with the animals. I wasn’t afraid to go into the kittens’ cages at all, and I wasn’t afraid to go into the large cats’ cages either. The kittens obviously weren’t as intimidating as the cats I dealt with on my first day, but the large cats in the central room of PARL were! They were in the central room because they were big cats and they needed big cages, though I wasn’t afraid. The dramatic rise in my fearlessness was definitely a surprise to me.

                I’m intrigued by the fact that I still haven’t seen all of PARL though I’ve been there twice. The first time I volunteered they only showed me the rooms pertaining to the cats, where I would be working. In addition to that I saw the garage because I needed to get the litter boxes. My second time I was exposed to a couple more rooms. I saw the hallway leading up to the laundry room, the laundry room itself, “the dog room” briefly, and a storage room. The hallway leading to the laundry room was through a door off the garage. Off of this hallway were two or three rooms that I didn’t go in, but glanced at. One room looked like a cat room that might be for sick cats. There was another room with larger cages that probably was the dog equivalent. I barely saw “the dog room” because the storage room was right at the beginning. “The dog room” contained many different dog cubby-cell things. There were dogs inside it, I assumed, but didn’t see personally. Unfortunately I wasn’t lead through that area. And obviously the laundry room kept laundry and the storage room kept food and water bowls and other storage. Keeping this in mind, it’s intriguing that I haven’t seen the entire shelter yet. It’s as if they don’t find full tours necessary because volunteers only deal with certain parts of the shelter. It’s interesting to think there’s a lot more I have yet to see at PARL.

                I was pretty disgusted by the smell my second time. Sam and Kristin commented on how I didn’t mention the smells a lot in my verbal snapshot so, on my second trip to PARL I focused on the scents. I concluded the smell of cat litter is disgusting. I gagged a few times. I mean, I guess it’s sanitary that we change their litter every day, but it still smells horrid. The kittens smelled worse, at least in my opinion. But by the time I got to the large cats my nose might have already adjusted to the smell of cat. Other than that, it’s kind of hard to be disgusted in a place filled with innocent and adorable animals.

                Overall, I had a great time volunteering my second time. Although I didn’t sign in when I first came in (because the other girls didn’t and I wasn’t instructed to so I didn’t even think about it) I worked longer than I had my first time volunteering. It didn’t feel longer though. I had more fun. I had the opportunity to play with the cats more, and wasn’t afraid to interact with them as much. Maybe the key to PARL is comfortability; maybe that’s why they don’t have formalities, because being comfortable causes the work to go by quickly and efficiently. Now that I think about it, it kind of makes sense.

Some sources for thought

Nature Conservancy gets a grant of $2 million

This article is short, and only mentions Providence Animal Rescue League briefly, but it’s helpful. It is helpful because it explained the Champlin Foundations gave a grant to the Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island which distributed the money to different organizations in 1987. This Providence Journal article states that PARL received $5,575. Although this is minuscule in comparison to the full grant given by Champlin Foundations (about seven million) it is an example of the non-profit status of the Providence Animal Rescue League. It received this money from a private institution, not the state.

Animal Rescue League looks for adoptions

This article was basically an ad for a dog, though this was written by a reporter for the Providence Journal. It gives some good information about the dog, Kerry. The phrase “…overweight, 120-pound dog that had been treated like a child” seemed like a harsh phrase to include in this article though. This causes me to question why the reporter used such harsh terminology, or if she was using the excuse of Kerry’s owner’s family. Even so, I don’t think it’s fair because it’s a bad depiction of this innocent dog. The article overall gives information towards dogs as a whole at that time, depending on if many people had the same insensitivity as this writer seemed to have.

It also gave information on adopt-a-dog month, which I find useful because I might be able to see if adopt-a-pet month actually does increase pet adoptions. This information relates to this month as well, since adopt-a-dog month is in October, and I saw signs for it on my visits to PARL. The article gave good information about the sponsors of adopt-a-dog month, and explained it was sponsored by two pet food companies. I could research if more companies have taking part in adopt-a-dog month, and whether or not it increases the pet food’s sales. The year of this article was 1987 so that means at that time only two companies participated. I can also see if there is an adoption month for actual children, which might be insensitive, but could help if I decide to dissect the differences and similarities between dogs and children. (Again, that sounds insensitive but I swear it’s not.)

Rhode Island Foundation awards grants to agencies & Animal Rescue League begins in-shelter pet therapy facility

My third and fourth articles went hand in hand. They are both short, but relay information about the Rhode Island Foundation’s grants to non-profit agencies in Rhode Island. Providence Animal Rescue League received $18,578, which was the fifth largest grant given by the Rhode Island Foundation. It was given specifically to help the pet therapy program. The grant money was to be used to renovate an unused portion of the shelter, allowing it to transform into an in-shelter therapy area. The new area will allow for projects that brings workers and animals to PARL instead of sending away animals to other places. The grant money was to be used to grooming equipment and materials for the backyard. The backyard was to be transformed into a place to groom, bathe and exercise dogs.

This is good information for me because it’s additionally supporting the concept that PARL operates on outside donations, as non-profit organizations typically do. It’s interesting that PARL received the fifth largest grant as well, out of the nineteen total grants made by Rhode Island Foundation. I wonder why they chose to grant all of this money to PARL. This was reported in 1987 so it allows me to assume they’ve been in business for at least twenty-five years. The pet therapy program is also interesting because I wonder what that specifically entails. I might be able to further research that and check to see if PARL and/or other shelters still have this program.

"PETPALS Animal Advocates Say Job Isn't done Until Everyone Becomes a 'Friend'."

My last article was long and extremely informational. It was written in 1985 in the Providence Journal. It’s basically talking about all the different local organizations and people that are involved in the protection of animals. Mary Clark is a woman who reopened the charter for East Greenwich’s animal protection league. She lives on a farm allowing her to have space for housing homeless animals. She takes home animals whose boarding time is up at the veterinary hospital (which serves as the league’s shelter). Another person’s name was Dennis Tabella. He and his wife Patricia founded Defenders of Animals. It was based in Warwick and had 650 members. This organization fights for animal rights instead of just animal welfare. It’s placed nearly 1,900 pets, and pushed five bills into law. Another organization was Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island, which was founded in 1939. It took in 1,455 animals in just one year. It had a 60% adoption rate. Providence Animal Rescue League was also mentioned. In just six years PARL took in31,840 stray animals. A spokesperson said that one out of ten were “adoptable.” At this time they provided an euthanasia service too. Overall, the article was just relaying information about groups that help animals in the Rhode Island area.

This article opens up many avenues for me. I can research all the other organizations, and see if they’re in business still. If they are that might mean animals are becoming more important in our society now, or if they aren’t that might mean America is less sensitive to animal care. I also need to understand the differences between pounds and shelters because I’m not sure the difference. Lastly, I need to ask PARL if they still provide euthanasia services, why or why not. Then I can research the trends of euthanasia in the USA.

Mind Maps are fun

The Digital Fieldsite

            As I look at the website of Providence Animal Rescue League(PARL) I find many pictures of animals, as well as paw print with a heart inside serving as somewhat of a logo. This seems appropriate enough because the animal shelter’s first priority should be caring for and loving the animals. Therefore, advertising the animals represents the animal shelter in the best manner. The first thing I notice, textually, is the phrase “LOVE is adoptable at 34 Elbow St!” This message is clever because it explains what PARL’s purpose is, and gives its location. The second most prominent texts on the home page are the links to adopt, volunteer or donate. These three actions are important for PARL as well because the opportunity for people to adopt is a big purpose of the shelter, but volunteering and donating both keep the place running. Whoever designed this website made it certain that anyone visiting would know the main purposes of PARL and how anyone can contribute to them, whether it is big or small.

            I enjoyed the easy navigation of the website, because it makes it manageable for all ages, from preteens to grandparents. This is important because the love for animals, and the desire for pets, has no expiration date. PARL’s website needs to be accessible to everyone.

            The pure basis of the website makes me assume that the Providence Animal Rescue League cares. I mean, how can you not care when your job is to rescue animals in need? Everything that this organization is about is devotion and tenderness, so it’s easy to say that this subculture mirrors those qualities. Also, the constant array of animal’s photographs leads me to feel comfort and compassion for animals, because how could you not when you face a picture of an adorable kitten? This compassion is important for PARL because it will put people in the mood to donate or help in any way they can. Looking at a plan screen full of black text, it’s easy to ignore the donate button; but looking at a screen with a cat and dog staring out you, it’s easy to feel a desire to donate.  Although this seems kind of sneaky or conniving, it’s simply necessary in order to continue their work. I think it’s pretty innocent in the big scheme of things.

            The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(ASPCA) is definitely a heart-string-tugging website. The first pictures I see are those of dogs and cats looking sad and abandoned. Each picture has a name for the pet with a brief, provocative statement urging website visitors to do something, such as “Make a difference for 60¢ a day.” From this type of persuasion I sense a mildly manipulative subculture. At the same time, it is a website working for the animals; its slogan “We are their voice.” This type of work, similar to the Providence Animal Rescue League gives every reason for me to assume the subculture of ASPCA is caring and ultimately for the betterment of animals. One thing I find interesting about this website is that the acronym is prominently displayed, while the actual name of the organization isn’t. I suppose the reason for this is the long title, but I feel like having the actual name is important, especially for people like me who aren’t familiar with the organization/acronym.

            ASPCA has a broader website because it has a lot of information. It has similar links to PARL, such as donating, adopting, etc. but each link has sub-links underneath it. They also have an additional animal cruelty link, allowing those visiting the website to report animal cruelty and many articles related to cruelty such as hoarding or how to recognize it. Although PARL’s website is separate from ASPCA it makes sense that they are linked because PARL is simply a more focused, local version of ASPCA.

Day 1

                Studying a field site is an incredibly new experience for me. It is interesting to go to an entirely new place and hungrily search for information, leaving out nothing. I found it particularly hard because I didn't have the opportunity to sit and record notes as typical field research starts, I volunteered. This gave me a new perspective on things because even though I was a new volunteer, I was automatically on the inside. Overall, I made many conclusions about field research and the Providence Animal Rescue League.

                My professor Dr. Cook always tells us to be hungry listeners; well I was a hungry observer. The minute I walked up to the Providence Animal Rescue League my mind started swirling with things I needed to record and remember. Luckily, I was there early so I sat down for a few minutes and recorded outside appearances and speculations. I could hear the dogs barking, especially when I walked by their outdoor cages, and I was happy they were the only living things that were watching me because I felt semi-creepy sitting down near the building, staring intensely and recording vigorously. When I finally went inside I continued to hungrily observe, but I didn't have the privilege of writing any of these observations down. I found myself consciously recording things in my head, and searching for little details, like the fact that every cat had a name or how many pet cage cubbies there were. I even pretended to take pictures with my eyes because I saw it in a show or movie (it kind of worked too).

                Afterwards, when I left the site, I kept repeating information in my head that I needed to record in my field notes. This was a hard task because there was so much to write, and so much to remember. Typically I have a bad memory when I try to recall little details, which I figured would be detrimental to my study so I was nervous about that. I just didn't want any important information to slip my mind in between the time I left, and the time I started writing. I don't think that I forgot anything important though, expect for the names of the women I met when I was observing. These are important yes, but technically, if I was doing literal field notes instead of field reflections, I would not have known their names anyway.

                In general, it was fun to observe and analyze the Providence Animal Rescue League. It was even fun to volunteer because the animals are adorable. And although initially disappointed about working with the cats, I realized that cats have intriguing personalities too. Hopefully I will get to work with the dogs next time, but I'll take what I can get. The Providence Animal Rescue League seems relaxed so I might be able to ask them, but there might be a hierarchy of seniority in place. In ways I am still an outsider, just with the label of an insider.