Helping stray, homeless, neglected or abused animals
Walking upon the seemingly out of place Animal Welfare Society of Monroe’s animal shelter, I didn’t quite know what to expect. When my group members and I arrived, the shelter was closed. This was AWSOM headquarters, wasn’t it? We are expected to be here for their weekly staff meeting, aren’t we? Confused, we decided to try the house adjacent to the shelter, despite fears of a perturbed resident. Walking slowly and unsurely, I noticed a sign on the back door warning against what I assumed were harmful cats within the abode. A literal split second before raising my fist to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal an inquisitive looking woman, her glasses resting upon her nose as she eyed me up.
“This is the staff meeting, correct?” one of my group members inquired.
“Yes,” she answered, before turning around slowly and shouting, “Jeannie, were you expecting guests?”
A voice from within answered, “Oh, yes! The students from ESU who are putting together our newsletter!” The woman turned around, looked at us again, and let us pass.
What were we getting ourselves into? What kind of people ran this place?
To my surprise, my first impression was the complete opposite of what makes up the personalities of the people who devote their time and energies to the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe. When discussing ideas about what to include in the newsletter, the ladies at the board meeting not only seemed extremely excited about their work, but also shot off numerous examples of what they do.
“What about ‘Happy Tails,’ a section about all the happy adopted animals and their success stories!” one of the women suggested.
“Oh! Also, what about our awards banquet?” said another.
“Adoption information…and information about how to volunteer!”
Clearly, these are people who are serious, as well as eager about their work.
The organization, which has only been up and running since about January of this year, is a nonprofit group that that “seeks to help stray, homeless, neglected or abused animals in Monroe County,” according to their website. The organization takes in all companion animals and cares for and evaluates each on a case-by-case basis. On top of that, they direct an adoption program that sets up these animals with good homes in the area. AWSOM also has plans for a strong spay and neuter program to help combat the pet overpopulation problem that often leads to abandonment or neglect.
I didn’t get to meet any of the animals inside due to a subsequent quarantine of the shelter after AWSOM’s dogs fell ill, but I did make the acquaintance of a couple of friendly cats that were roaming around the house during the board meeting. Confidently, they strolled right up to me, rubbed up against me, let me pet them, and in general were very loving animals. Surely, these cats must be pets of one of the board members.
My thought process was interrupted mid-pet. “Don’t mind the cats,” remarked one of the board members. “They were dropped off recently but we’re keeping them in here until they get used to the other animals in the shelter.” I was stunned. Not only were these cats not the typical stereotype of grungy, neglected animals you’d expect to find at an animal shelter, but the people who ran the shelter actually cared enough about their well-being to go so far as to keep them in their own space until they were comfortable. That’s dedication.
AWSOM attempts to foster a new, loving relationship between animals and humans through means of education and advocacy, with a strong attitude against unnecessary killing of homeless animals. It has a board of members and volunteers who are committed to finding good homes for abandoned animals and who went through a good deal of headaches and sleepless nights in order to get the shelter up and running.
AWSOM houses its shelter and headquarters in what used to be the shelter of the PSPCA, or Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, before they closed their doors in 2009. There was no place to house stray cats or dogs and no pivotal shelter for the owners of lost pets and adoption hopefuls to be able to meet in one place. The members of soon-to-be AWSOM, including President Bill Hoffman, recognized the need for a new shelter and, in order to coordinate efforts to open one went through every legal and financial door they could. After obtaining a lease from the PSPCA for three years, members and over 30 volunteers alike worked to clean, paint, and rebuild the shelter to make it livable and welcoming for its future occupants.
After four months, 300 adoptions and 55 lost animal rescues, AWSOM is running strong and continuing to grow. The only thing that stands in their way is you—they need locals to donate not only money, but also supplies, and more importantly, volunteer hours. As long as there are stray and neglected animals, and people in Monroe County willing to help them, AWSOM will continue to thrive.
For more information about AWSOM, to volunteer, donate, or adobt a pet, see the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe website. Email them at info@awsomanimals.org
Joseph Vena is a junior at East Stroudsburg University majoring in English, specifically the professional and media writing program. He resides in East Stroudsburg, Pa. and is originally from Miami, Fla.. Joseph is also a freelance web designer and co-runs a local multimedia company, Heart + Diamond Multimedia, that specializes in music, art, publishing, and show booking. He enjoys biking, vintage guitar amps, collecting vinyl records, tattoos, and English bulldogs.
