If you’re an animal lover like me, you might miss being around your four-legged friends when you come to college. One of my favorite ways to cheer myself up when I’m missing my dogs is to volunteer at one of the animal rescue centers near campus. There are two rescue centers right next to each other, just a couple blocks from campus, that are really easy to get to to get your animal fix!
Westside German Shepherd, as its name suggests, is a rescue center that specializes in German Shepherds, German Shepherd mixes, and the occasional non-German Shepherd large dog. Although they focus on one breed, they won’t turn a dog away just because it isn’t that breed. Most of the volunteers stop by on free mornings to take the dogs out and about. There are a few too many dogs for all the employees to walk, and socialization and being comfortable with new people is very important for a dog to get adopted.
Me volunteering at Westside German Shepherd with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
If you aren’t comfortable with big dogs, Fur Baby is always a good place to go. They specialize mostly in puppies and small dogs. Other than that, it functions mostly the same as Westside German Shepherd: come by on a free morning and walk as many puppies as you have time for!
Volunteering at Fur Baby with the USC Volunteer Center my first weekend ever at USC. Next to one of our unofficial mascots, George Tirebiter.
For other animal-related service and social opportunities, check out PAWS (Providing Animals With Shelter). They are an organization that does anything and everything animal related. They even bring therapy dogs on campus during stressful times like midterms and finals to help people relax.
Buck, one of the therapy dogs from PAWS in his Halloween costume!
Have a great week and Beat the Bruins!!!
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