Being a college student away from home for the first time is tough. Being away from your cherished dog or cat is arguably tougher. In some cases, you can register your cat or small chihuahua as an emotional support animal (ESA), but, for whatever reason, Disability Services won’t entertain your request to register your 150 lb. Great Dane. What now?
One way to fulfill your need for furry friendship might be the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa (HSNEI), who presently have 15 dogs and 20 cats that need your time, cuddles and attention. As students at a residential college such as Luther, you’re often not in a place to adopt these cuddly animals, but you can volunteer as a cat cuddler, a dog exercise buddy, an office assistant, a greeter or a facility caretaker. The possibilities are (almost) endless.
Volunteering with HSNEI is easy, fun and rewarding. The animals housed at the shelter depend on volunteers for socialization and enrichment. As a volunteer, you can take dogs like Jasper, Remi or Serafina for a walk or out to play fetch in the fenced in yard. You can take dogs like Boone, Murphy or Magpie out for a pup cup at Scooter’s Coffee. You can play and cuddle with cats like Samantha, Butters or Miss Fluffykins. All of the animals would love to get the opportunity to play with and get to know you.


I have now cared for these fluffy friends for almost two months as an Animal Care Assistant and Adoption Counselor. In this time, I have fallen in love with each and every one of them, and I think you will too. It is incredibly touching to be a part of their journey to their forever homes either as a volunteer or a member of the staff. They deserve the world, and I hope you all help me give it to them.
Boone, for example, is a one-year-old hound who enjoys cuddling with his favorite people, playing fetch and following his nose on walks. While he is a little nervous, he has a big heart that shines through when he gets out to play. He hasn’t quite mastered catching tennis balls out of the air, but he’s working super hard at getting his mouth/eye coordination down. Remi is a big, playful puppy who can fit up to four (FOUR?!?) tennis balls in his mouth at one time and loves belly rubs. He especially loves to roll around in the snow and gives me the stink eye when I try to get him to come in. On the cat side of things, Samantha is a two-year old domestic shorthair who loves to bat around a toy or climb into your lab for a good snuggle.
Signing up to volunteer is easy. There is a big volunteer button on the HSNEI website that will walk you through the application process. Upon the approval of your application, you can sign up for volunteer shifts. After that, you’re good to come on down to the shelter that’s located out by Toppling Goliath and play with Boone, Remi, Samantha or any of the other animals. For any questions on the volunteering process, you can contact me at [email protected] or HSNEI directly at [email protected].