STATESVILLE, N.C. — Every Wednesday, Iredell County Animal Services sees a wave of volunteers descend on its grounds, each person walking and working with a shelter dog.
What looks like a small training moment to us, is so much more to these homeless pets, who spend much of their time in kennels, waiting for a forever family to come.
"Even going out 30 minutes means the world to that dog," Chrissy Lowe, the shelter's assistant director, said. "It's 30 minutes they don't have to be sitting in a cage."
Lowe said volunteers are crucial to keeping the shelter's pups mentally healthy when shelter resources do not always allow for frequent breaks from the kennels.
Chris Urban is part of the Wednesday volunteer group, which comes weekly on behalf of Highland Canine Training. The trainers work with the dogs on behaviors and basic obedience.
"Being cooped up, anxiety starts to just really take the best of them," Urban said. "It is so important to get them properly exercise physically and mentally."
The education goes both ways, too, with the trainers gathering insights on the dog's personality and what kind of home might suit them best.
"We want to make sure that these dogs are successful," Magdalena Szynanska, with Highland Canine Training, said. "Once they... get adopted, they will never come back here and they will have a good life."
Several Charlotte-area shelters offer volunteer programs, where people can spend time with the cats and dogs, help with critical shelter tasks, like laundry and cleaning, and foster pets.
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.