Brooke Henegar

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. At this point, I hadn't been in a while, so I was nervous to go back. Once I got there, I was greeted with so much kindness from the staff and was reminded by the animals why I loved going there so much. I think a part of kindness is putting yourself in environments where kindness can happen, so going back to the animal shelter was a reminder of what kindness can feel like, both on the giving and receiving end.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. I remember around this time, there were three new puppies under six months old, so being able to spend time with them was a really joyful experience.

I went to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. The purpose of volunteering is to help prepare the animals for adoption, but I also felt like going to the animal shelter was helping me. I found it therapeutic to spend time there, and I'm grateful for the kindness that was shown to me.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. I continued to be confronted with kindness in the form of patience. There were a few new cats as well as some dogs I had gotten to know who just needed to warm up to people, so I continued to get better at learning how to cater to individual needs. My love for the animals also continued to grow.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. It was a blessing to continue to make a difference with the dogs and cats who were in need. Around this time, I started to bond with a dog named Ingrid who was an elderly dog with heartworm. She was very nervous around people, but with gentleness and patience, she slowly warmed up to me taking her outside where we'd sit together and get some fresh air. I loved being able to help a dog trust in humans again, hopefully setting her up to have a better chance of being adopted.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal shelter to volunteer with the animals there. I remember at the beginning of October, 14 new kittens came to the shelter. I've never seen a kitten with my own eyes before, so being surrounded by 14 of them was a very special and sweet experience. There was one little one named Joker who curled up in my hand and fell asleep for the whole time I was there. I felt very blessed to be able to be a part of their journeys in finding a loving home.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. This facility continued to teach me about caring for those who can't care for themselves. The animals didn't ask to be abandoned or left alone, so it's the moral responsibility of those who are able to help to take action. My love for all the animals grew with every trip to the facility.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the animals there. I remember spending more time with the cats on this visit. Growing up, I never had a cat or considered myself a cat person, but the more time I spent with them at the shelter, the more love I felt for them. They were so sweet and in need of love, just like the dogs were, but required more patience as they tended to be more skiddish. Overall, this gave me practice on how to be more attentive to every individual's needs.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to volunteer with the dogs and cats. At this point, I was becoming more familiar with the facility and the animals there, so I started the become attached. I was learning each individual animals personalities which was a fun experience.

I went back to the Fayetteville Animal Shelter to take care of the dogs and cats there. It was a great experience to be able to show kindness the animals, and also witness the kindness that the staff shown for the volunteers as well.