For my STEP signature project I interned at the Columbus Humane Society’s cruelty investigations unit. While I was there I learned about animal abuse and the laws and codes that have to do with it. I was able to go on many calls where we responded to reports of possible animal abuse. I learned how to assess a situation, properly go about removing animals, filing warrants, and the process of bringing animals back to the shelter and getting them set up for adoption.

My view of the world has changed quite a bit since I started my internship. There were a lot of times where I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing. I went home and would still be in shock over what I had experienced during the day. I went into the internship knowing that animal abuse was a real issue but I had no clue until I started just how big of an issue it was. I couldn’t believe how many calls and reports we were getting. Now when I drive around I am constantly on the look out for unsafe situations and possible abuse. I am constantly paying attention to animals that are outside with or without their owners and looking to see if they show signs of neglect or abuse.

There was a lot that happened throughout my internship that affected me. I got the opportunity to meet the entire team and go on calls with many of them. Each day I would be one on one with one other person and we spent the day responding to reports. Throughout this time I asked many questions. I took the opportunity to learn the good and the bad that they had experienced to try and learn if this was the career for me. I asked each of them how long they had been there,  how long they plan on being there and, what their future plans were. About half of them told me they wanted to switch to a criminal justice job without animals within the next few years. One of them told me that this job was their way of gaining experience so that they could get the job they really wanted, while another said that the job really affected her and affected the way she would react when she would go home and see her own pets and that she thought it was best if she switch to another job soon. Lastly, another person I asked said that this is what she always wanted to do and plans on staying at this job forever with hopes of becoming the chief. The stories they told me and the plans they have really helped me figure out wether or not this is the career path I wanted to follow.

Something that really changed my mindset was some of the really sad stories I heard of calls I did not go on. Throughout my time there I saw some pretty messed up stuff but not as bad as some of the stories I heard. They told me about how they removed dogs from a dog fighting ring and how aggressive and scared the dogs were and how if they couldn’t calm down enough to be put up for adoption that they would need to be put down. It really hurt to hear that the dogs we were rescuing weren’t going to go to a home where they could be loved and cared for like they should have been their whole life. Another story I heard was how a woman recorded her neighbor taking his dog outside and stabbing it to death. It hurts to hear about these situations and how the poor baby couldn’t be saved. Part of me wishes I did go on one of those calls so that I could know whether or not I could handle it and come back to work after it.

5th paragraph: I had a lot of experiences during the program that really upset me but made me want to continue this career path more because we are making a difference in each of these animals lives. There were a lot of sad things that I experienced but I think the one that probably affected me the most was also the most humane call. A man could no longer afford to take care of his two dogs and one cat. He called to surrender them to us and we had to go pick them up. The animals had no clue what was going on and the man was struggling to hold back tears while he said his goodbyes. We had to hear the animals cry in the back during the entire drive.

To conclude, I went into my internship not knowing what I wanted to do with my life and came out knowing exactly what my future was going to look like. I major in Criminal Justice and wanted to switch to the animal sciences major, but by the time I realized that that was a better fit for me it was too late to switch. I felt for a long time that I had made a mistake and that I would hate whatever career I went into. I always enjoyed criminal justice but had a deep passion for animals. Everything I have done throughout my life has revolved around animals: the jobs I have worked; the clubs I have joined; the volunteering I have done; and everything I do in my free time. My goal was to find a career that used my criminal justice degree while also helping animals. That’s why when I heard about the internship in class I instantly went home and filled out the interest form. I had hoped that this would be a good fit but had no clue when I signed up that I would come out knowing exactly what I wanted in life.