Pathways to Success

Garden Spot High School

Madison Myers – Animal Care Internship

When I first started this internship, I was so excited to begin. But over time I became wary that I was picking the right thing for me. I started my first day very nervous because I was unsure what to expect. But it was really fun and I liked it a lot that first day. I’ve met so many new people with different backgrounds and it’s been interesting to learn how they all came to work at Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue. This rescue is located in Reinholds. There are a lot of different responsibilities within this business and getting to learn about all the pieces that bring it together is so cool.

I start my internship at 7:00 am, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So the way the building is split is that there are inside dogs in rooms with movable kennels and then there are the actual kennels which I am not allowed in because I am in high school. So the dogs I interact with are mostly inside dogs. For the first two hours there are generally 6 different tasks that I help with, give or take on the day. First off, I prepare all the food for the dogs which is basically adding canned food to their dry food and taking care of any medication they need to be taking. Then I make their treats for the afternoon. Some dogs get toys full of peanut butter and others get biscuits with peanut butter but either way, I have to make them. This doesn’t take a ton of time but between both these tasks it usually takes the first full hour. Then I have to replace the water bowls and refill them. And if the room is messy, I usually sweep up and mop in there because for visitors it is the first room they see when they step inside. This is not an everyday task usually. Then I have to clean all the food and water bowls in the dishwasher which usually takes the rest of the second hour.

After the first two hours are done, I have 2 and a half left which is spent helping supervise playtimes. The dogs are matched into groups which are their playtime groups so that they get along with one another. I watch these dogs while they are outside so the staff inside can clean out their kennels and get their work done. What is cool about playtimes is sometimes I get to watch matches. So when we have new intakes or if we have groups we think we can combine we match them. This is all about watching their body language and making sure they are comfortable with one another. We start them off on the leash and let them meet and then if there are no signs of aggression we let them loose and let them play. We also test with toys to make sure they won’t fight over them or become possessive. It’s really cool to get to witness this because I’ve learned a lot about body language and behavior signs in dogs through this. Like what it looks like to see a fearful dog versus an angry one. There are so many different emotions they can portray just through their body language.

I feel like I have learned a lot and grown in myself through this internship and a big part of that is how it takes a lot of people to make things work. There are many people with many different responsibilities all coming together to get these dogs adopted and it’s so cool to see everyone passionate about finding these dogs forever homes. I’m also starting to realize how much I value this industry. I love animals and this internship was a cool way to learn more about them and a different side of the industry than I’m used to as a livestock kid. I honestly love it here even though I was nervous at the beginning.

*Note:  The Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue offered Madison a paid position after her internship ends in early June.  Congratulations to Madison!

animalcareveterinary

jhackman • April 30, 2023


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