The organization where my 13-year old daughter will volunteer required an skills and qualities essay. It is her first volunteer job. She takes it very seriously and spent a few hours on this essay.  Reading her essay was both delightful and amusing for me.

 

Greetings,

 

First and foremost, I am not simply applying to volunteer at your centre because I need hours; in fact, I’d gladly volunteer after graduating. Ever since a young age, I’ve developed this burning passion for animals and have been fascinated by their behaviour and personalities. After receiving my first animal “encyclopedia” I was in awe at the vast variety of them and how amazing and mesmerising each and every species is. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to devote my life to these creatures. We need more people in this world who care about the environment and we share the planet with. I hope together we could achieve something incredible in our community to gather people and create an alliance for animals and help give them a voice. A great way to start is by introducing them to children and giving animals a good first impression rather than a bad reputation.

 

Over the years, I’ve studied them more in depth and learned to sympathize them. After discovering social media platforms and websites like YouTube, it opened up a whole new world. Pet owners around the world share tips and advice on raising their domestic animals. I, myself have had quite a lot of personal experience with 3 dogs, multiple fish and 2 turtle throughout my lifetime. I’m planning on applying for Vet College or to go into a field of zoology, preferably ornithology, at world renowned schools like UC Davis, Cornell and Guelph; volunteering at your organization will help me tremendously with experience, credibility and reference. I have learned valuable and rich knowledge about caring for animals, necessary set up and all the requirements of various animals; I am more than happy and extremely eager to share all the knowledge and facts I acquired over the years about animals to curious knowledge seeking children at the day camp.

 

Domestic animals are one of mankind’s greatest gifts. Being able to get close and bond with the creatures we evolved and branched off from is a truly magnificent experience that everyone should be able to have. However because they are domesticated, it is more complicated to mimic their natural habitat in a small indoor enclosure. This isn’t a problem for me since I have pets of my own to care for and have watched a plethora of animal care videos for every domestic animal (including the exotic ones) you can think of. I will make sure their water bowl is always replenished so they can stay hydrated after a long day of playing with the kids.

 

I know how dirty the water can get when there is rodent bedding or reptile dirt base everywhere so I will make sure a murky water bowl isn’t their last resort for drinking. Hermit crabs are actually especially tricky because they are often underestimated for the amount of care they require. I will make sure to check that their tank temperature and humidity percentage are stable, and that one side of the tank is always cool while the other side is warmer. They also need a varied diet since they are natural scavengers, so I will prepare a slew of different types of fruits and seeds etc. in addition to their staple diet. Moving on to lizards and snakes, I know how important it is to keep a high humidity level in their tank and to avoid contact when they are shedding. I will make sure that they have time to finish shedding before the kids touch and play. In addition, I will wash my hands thoroughly with water and not soap, as it can be harmful to them) since their skin is very sensitive, and that all the children have washed their hands before handling the scaly pets. Birds are really sociable animals that require tons of attention so I will accompany and play with them as much as they want and need. However they do need tons of space and frequent water/food changes due to their raucous behaviour and tendency to get feathers or food everywhere so that is always my first priority. Now we all know that rodents are the star of the show when it comes to petting, and I will definitely make sure they are well groomed. Many of the animals mentioned are nocturnal so I will ensure a clean bed/ hammock/ dome for them to sleep or hideout in. The chinchillas, sugar gliders, rabbits and degus especially love to jump and bounce around so I will make sure they have plenty of space to do so. Hedgehogs are feared because of their quills but I will be especially professional when handling them and making sure none of the children hurt themselves.

 

Once again I cannot express how much I truly and fervently love animals, in fact most people remember me as “the crazy animal lover/ aficionado”. I hope that my contribution to your pets can be helpful and beneficial; it’s a good place to start my career revolving around animals. I am more than happy to do whatever it takes to make the animals and kids happy. I can’t wait to interact and take care of your animal team because I’ve always dreamed of owning these types of animals. I hope I can be a part of your team and teach people, especially children, to love and not hate animals. I can’t wait to attend your wildlife rehabilitation program in the summer so I can work with a large variety of non-domestic animals too. I will be extremely diligent when it comes to maintaining the animals’ enclosures and overall health like they are my own pets at home. Because my heart beats for animals and after all, home is where the heart is.

 

Sincerely,  V.