OUR NEIGHBORS: Teen volunteer helps animals in need of care

PALMER — Ellen Deiman doesn’t mind the catcalls or barking that erupts when she walks into a room. The 19-year-old former Colony High School student works 16 to 20 hours a week as a volunteer at the Mat-Su Borough Animal Care and Regulation Shelter.

On Monday, she spent part of the afternoon with Emma Lee, an 8-year-old black Labrador retriever who loves to roll in the dirt. Although she seems at ease with the large, friendly dog, that wouldn’t have been the case a year ago.

“When I came here I was not comfortable with dogs,” she said. “I kind of had a fear of them.”

But after months of working at the shelter with animals, she not only is conformable with dogs, she helps socialize, groom and play with them. Spending such a considerable amount of time each week as a volunteer is more rewarding for her than the animals, she said.

“At first, I was mainly looking for something to do,” she said. “Then when I first came here I was amazed at how beautiful this place is and how the dogs and cats look so happy.”

One of the most memorable animals she’s worked with was Thor, a huge Rottwiler/mastiff mix she describes as a “kind-hearted gentle giant. He ended up going to be a therapy dog. I was so proud of him.”

For many animals that have been victims of neglect or abuse, being at the shelter is the first decent care they’ve had, Deiman said.

“I’m just sickened by that,” she said. “A dog coming in abused is just ridiculous, and it does happen a lot. We had a dog here, he was a sweetheart, but (before coming to the shelter) he lived mainly in a cage, so when we would take him out of the kennels, he would just sit in the back corner. We finally got him socialized and comfortable enough that he would just come right up and sit in front of you.”

Then there are the animals that cringe and flinch at any movement that could be considered an attack, she said. For example, some dogs will cower when someone simply raises an arm to throw a ball or play with them.

“I am appalled that someone can treat a dog or a cat like that,” she said. “It has to be stopped. I just want to cry when I see them because of all the stress they’ve been under.”

That’s where the shelter and volunteers like Deiman come in.

“I love what I do here,” she said. “I love the animals, and it’s just a great experience.”

In fact, working at the shelter has been so rewarding Deiman is now considering a career in veterinary medicine.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.