The Moms on the Move Show

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Gwen Cohen

Gwen Cohen found the perfect place to volunteer for a busy mom. It's PAWS!

Gwen Cohen

Website(s):

http://www.phillypaws.org/
 

Linda: Hi I'm Linda Swain...Good Dog!

Gwen: I come into the shelter every week and walk dogs. I play with them, I keep them socialized. There are some days I go in there and I may be the first one in there. That means that dogs aren't walked. That also means that it's very valuable that there are volunteers there to help potential adopters find that perfect fit.

Gwen Cohen found t

Gwen: The more you take them out, the more friendly they are

The perfect fit while raising her three children and managing her full time job in real estate development. Gwen donates one night a week at PAWS Animal Shelter on West Hunting Park Avenue in Philadelphia.

Two Adopters: We're interested in this one, this guy and we're going to take a mom and a litter of puppies that just came in.

Gwen: That's Wonderful

It's wonderful every time someone takes a new pet home from PAWS. Each year, over 30,000 animals that need homes come through their doors. Sometimes there is no room.

Linda: A dog could be euthanized if there's no cages available.

Gwen: It is. Yes. If you get an animal adopted, you're helping that animal that gets to move up to the adoption floor so you're saving two lives.

This is Tula. She was found as a stray. Not every animal will make it out of there but because of the work of volunteers, the save rate of animals has gone up dramatically.

In fact, in 2004, most animals were doomed to die at this shelter with only an 11 percent save rate. Since the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society took helm, the save rate has climbed to 60% with a goal of saving every animal. They even have a clinic where they will vaccinate, neuter, and microchip an animal being adopted.

Gwen: And we have a lot of cats up for adoption...oh look

In fact twice as many cats as dogs are up for adoption at PAWS.

Gwen: The more you take them out, the more friendly they are, the better chance they have at being adopted.

Linda: Why do you volunteer when you have a family and a full time job?

Gwen: I love interacting with the animals. It's an outlet for me; it really is a nice therapy. The thing that I find works for me is that I schedule it. I know every Tuesday evening I’m going in there.

Linda: People bring in their rabbits?

Gwen: We have a lot of rabbits right now. You can literally train them; let them roam freely around the house.

Linda: And you love Pit bulls!

Gwen: Yes. I do. They are great dogs.

Son to Olive, the dog: Show them your smile

Gwen: My experience has been that they do really well around children.

Especially her own children. Gwen adopted Olive from PAWS.

Mom to Son: Are you happy we adopted Olive?

Son: Yes I love this little girl

Gwen: I think it's so valuable that children see the work that is done with helping animals. I think it translates to the larger picture helping people, helping all living things and I really think it's something they'll take forward into their life. Just the other day, my daughter said to me, 'I can't wait till I'm 18 and I can volunteer' and that made me so proud.

But until Maya turns 18, these animals wait for any kind of attention. Just a few weeks in a foster home could save their lives.

Gwen: It could be that a dog is older, that a dog has been in a shelter too long and it's stressed, that it is sick and needs time to recover, that it's too young and it needs to get to a certain age where it can be adopted out.

Linda: These guys have been adopted

Gwen: Yes. The ones with the orange tags.

Linda: Let's go get some more orange stickers

Linda to potential adopters: I think she's the one. Congrats, I think you've got yourself a dog. Every dog that's rescued knows they're rescued.

Gwen. I feel that way too. I feel that there is a special bond between you and your rescued animal. Absolutely.

Employee to adopter: So today is his lucky day

Linda: And there is a lot of love in that building.

Gwen: There is a lot of love in that building. And the more you go in, the more you discover that isn't just sad stories, they're a lot of happy endings...knowing that we can make a difference in their lives.

Linda: That's fantastic. You guys are great.

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