A Day in the Life of an Animal Care Attendant

As the Special Events Coordinator, it is not part of my job description to handle animals. But I do. I handle the ones that I have taken a particular interest in. I also handle the ones that I help bathe, exercise and drive to remote adoption locations where ample volunteers are waiting to “take them off my hands.” Isn’t that handling the animals? Not by a long shot.

Recently, I asked to work for a day as an Animal Care Attendant (ACA). I wanted to understand what they really go through each day, thinking it would help me do my job better. Did I ever receive an education!

I was scheduled to report at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15 [2003]. I awoke at 4:30 a.m. wondering if I would be able to do what I had observed others doing for over four years that I have been employed by the shelter. I arrived at Japonica Street at 5:45 a.m. with coffee in hand. Cathy L’Herisse, Assistant Supervisor, whom I would be working with that day, was already there.

After a short while, we got started. First, she hooked me up with all the necessary safety equipment: surgical mask and gloves, back brace and ear protectors. Then off we went. I was asked to unlock all the cage doors while Cathy and Cynthia Farin, an Animal Care Attendant (ACA), mixed the dog food in a wheel barrel. I later learned that they usually have to open 30 cans of dog food with a manual can opener to mix with the dry. This provides the dogs “meat” for the day. But there was no canned dog food this day. So they just took the dry, and moistened it with water, stirring it with a shovel. I was still unlocking the cage doors when Cathy started placing filled food bowls outside each cage. Cynthia had gone to start her job in Lala, which is a special section for puppies. For Cathy and me, it was up and down each row opening the doors and pushing the bowls inside. This was the easy part of my day.

Cathy had pulled out three big water containers and a 200-foot water hose. One by one each dog had to be removed from their kennel. That was my job. Put the ski rope leash on them and walk them out, trying to remember to bring out the sometimes still-full food bowl with them. Sounds easy right? Try holding a dog on a skinny little plastic leash when all he wants to do is run and hide. Now try bending down to grab the food bowl at the same time the dog shoots off through the open door. My hands hurt within minutes.

Not all the dogs wanted to run. Because of fear, some didn’t want to come out of their kennel at all. Some came readily out and just wanted to get as close to me as possible. It didn’t take long till I smelled like the kennel floor and my clothes were soiled with their feces. While I was trying to control an excited animal, or comfort a lonely or fearful one, Cathy was spraying the kennel with some sort of disinfectant. She then used extremely hot water from the hose and washed the kennels clean. The stench was pretty intense.

Putting the animal back could also be a challenge. Some just didn’t want to go. With water dripping from the top of the wire kennel, I had to walk, pull, push or carry the dog back inside and often had to fight my way out. I received several of my numerous scrapes, bumps and bruises doing this. I got a little nervous at one point thinking my leg, blocking a dog’s escape, was only irritating him and I was going to get bit. OK, it happened several times. Once safely back in the kennels, with locks in place, the water containers were used to fill the water bowls. After awhile that green plastic container felt like it weighed twenty pounds.

I learned how to use a Control Pole, a strange looking instrument used with aggressive dogs. I often missed the “Might Bite” or “Will Bite” written on their kennel cards. Thankfully Cathy didn’t. She was trained to always read the card. In these cases, we took the Control Pole and collared the dog. Some of the dogs made a game of “catch me if you can.” They were very good at it. This pole kept the animal at a safe distance. Cathy pointed out just how close I was allowing one particular dog to get to my leg. Serious injuries are a real possibility and you never want to let down your guard or take chances. That is why when the card read DO NOT OPEN DOOR we didn’t open the door. We had to work around the animal.

I can’t tell you how long the last row to be cleaned looked to me. It just went on and on. We had already cleaned 121 kennels in our scheduled work area and only had 16 to go. That 16 seemed to equal the 121 we had just completed! By this point my hands were killing me, my head was sore from a particularly hard knock, and my back was beginning to hurt from the constant lifting and bending. Dogs were jumping up flinging kennel floor contamination in my face. I was covered with poopy paw prints, my clothes were wet, from sweat and water, and my skin was beginning to chafe, my feet itched from being wet… and we still had 16 kennels to clean!

I felt relief as we completed that last cage. Then I saw them. Centrally located near the food prep area were huge stacks of dog food bowls needing to be cleaned. I put on my surgical gloves and began to scrape out all the remaining food from the bowls. I was mentally thanking the person who had already washed half of them. I later learned that it was Fleming Winfield, the LA/SPCA maintenance man, who had helped. I washed the bowls in a sink and stacked them for the next day. Cynthia came in while I worked and cleaned up the area, something I was asked to do when I finished.

While I was busy with dishes, Cathy was sanitizing/deodorizing the floors. She poured buckets of solution down each row and squeegeed the excess moisture. Believe it or not, the kennel smelled fresh.

This was the first 3 hours and 37 minutes of my day.

From the kennel feeding and cleaning, Cathy and I moved approximately 3,000 lbs. of newspaper from the cargo van to the paper room. I did the math. The paper was donated by the Times Picayune and was tied in 20lb. bundles. Most of it had to be stacked at eye level and above. Such a work out! What complicated matters was the problem of the cart having low tire pressure in all four its tires.

From there I went to the euthanasia room. I was so impressed with Jarnell Sharlot’s, another ACA, compassion as she set out to deal with the results of an ignorant community. She patiently answered my questions and occasionally asked if I was OK. I did well at not showing my emotion, although I now have tears in my eyes as I remember the day. I won’t forget the first dog I held in my arms, softly whispering in his ear telling him I understood. He peacefully collapsed in my arms, never to awake again. Jarnell gently turned the animal and stroked his fur. Using a stethoscope she checked for a heartbeat. It was over.

In total, I assisted in euthanizing 16 animals that day. What else could be done? We needed the space for those just arriving. We couldn’t just leave them on the streets or in the environment from which they came! No, it is not fair. It just is.

The next part of my day is called Mid-day Clean-up. Back at the kennels, I was prepared to remove all the dogs once again so their kennel could be cleaned. I started unlocking all the doors. Imagine my delight when I learned I only needed to “pull” the ones that had dirtied their floors. I made a joke about the ones not learning how to work the system. Pooping represented interaction. You don’t poop, you don’t get out at midday. I took comfort in knowing that we have great volunteers who daily come to the shelter and interact with the animals. At this point, I was just thankful I didn’t have to do it. I was exhausted.

My day still wasn’t over. I won’t give you the details of my last half hour. Suffice it to say that it was as emotional as the euthanasia room and was the completion of the task.

We did take several short breaks and had a half hour lunch. The half hour gave me the time to make my traditional coffee run with 10 minutes to spare. I’ve just got to have my coffee and I really needed the alone time to sort through my many thoughts.

What I experienced in the one day I worked as an Animal Care Attendant is only part of what the job entails. There are also the Cat Rooms that need to be cleaned with over 45 cages. The Nine Rooms, which are quarantine and holding areas, require special care. The puppy area, Lala, must be attended to. Supplies need to be restocked. Animals arriving as strays or owner surrenders, must be processed, dipped, dewormed, given shots and moved to the main kennel, the Nine Rooms, or the cat room. Trucks are unloaded and loaded. Trash is emptied. Laundry is done. Walls are wiped. Floors are mopped. Equipment is sterilized. Sick animals are doctored. Scared animals are comforted. Vicious animals are given treats. And get this, some of the Animal Care Attendants even use their breaks to bathe the dogs!

It is a hard and often thankless job, and it doesn’t stop. It won’t stop until people quit allowing their animals to indiscriminately reproduce. I can tell you from experience that the LA/SPCA Animal Care Attendants are some of the most compassionate and hard working individuals you will ever want to meet. They work with commitment, heart, and teamwork. I am proud to call them colleagues.

And, yes, my day with the Animal Care Attendants has benefited me in many ways.

- Shelly Patton, LA/SPCA Events Coordinator