MANSFIELD — April Friend used to swear she’d never volunteer at the Richland County Dog Shelter.
“My brother used to work here and my dad used to volunteer here,” she said. “I thought it would be too depressing and too sad.”
Friend eventually decided to give it a try. She popped in, filled out the form and took a beagle out of its kennel for walk.
She later found out the dog’s name was April and that it had come into the shelter on her birthday.
“It was a sign. I’ve been coming ever since,” she said. “My mission was to help get April adopted by taking photos of her.”
Friend is one of several dedicated volunteers at the shelter. She said they’re always in need of more.
Staff members do all the cleaning, feeding and laundry. Volunteers do the fun stuff — primarily walking and playing with dogs.
“At first it’s heartbreaking, because you don’t want to put them back in the cage,” said Samantha Russell, another faithful volunteer.
“After awhile, that sadness goes away because you know you’re doing good for the dogs.”
Russell said she now views her time at the shelter in a positive light. It’s something she looks forward to.
“I feel like it’s therapy,” she said. “You come in here after a long day of work and you just play with the dogs. You love on them; they love on you. It’s great.”
County Dog Warden Missy Houghton said the dogs also benefit from their time outside the kennels. Walking is good for their well-being.
“Dogs need to move, they need to walk around. They shouldn’t be in cages all the time,” she said.
The shelter has a fenced play yard where volunteers can walk the dogs on a leash as well as indoor playrooms.
Houghton said interacting with volunteers can help make the dogs more adoptable.
“It helps socialize the dogs and get them used to people,” she explained.
Houghton said the shelter can comfortably house 70 dogs.
“In 2023 it never dropped below 80,” Houghton said. “It seems to be just a trend that’s going across shelters across the nation.”
The shelter is open to volunteers from 11 a.m. to 4:15 Tuesday through Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Volunteers must sign a liability waiver during their first visit.
Volunteers may be accompanied by children, but must be 18 to hold a dog’s leash.
Houghton suggested volunteers wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty, since the play yard gets muddy when it rains.
“Our dogs aren’t trained so they will jump up on you,” she said.
Friend said in addition to volunteers, the shelter needs people willing to commit to lifelong pet ownership.
“We need adopters who are patient. Some of these dogs have been here for a long time. It’s going to take them a second to adjust to a home environment,” she said.
“They need a fresh start. They need people to care about them.”
To see the dogs available for adoption through the Richland County Dog Warden, click here.
