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Caroline Needham
Mrs. Pettay
ENG 111
2 October 2015
A Life Worth Saving
Prompt: Personal narrative describing a life changing event in my life.
Desperate whines and pleading barks haunt me as I move past the cages in the
dim hall. These are the ones I cannot help the way I want to this day and it tears at my
heart. Finally, I had the opportunity to go work at a shelter that I have been supporting
from a distance for five years. Work that Ive done has helped the shelters mission of
placing dogs from the U.S. Virgin Islands as they await their forever homes. Prior to this
summer, my physical relationship with the shelter has been 3200 miles away but my heart
has been with them every step of the way. My commitment to them grew even greater
after I flew down to St. Croix.
St. Croix suffers from a poor economy and a high unemployment rate. The
combination of a poor economy and island culture lends itself to an unwanted animal
problem. Working to combat that problem, the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, runs a
no cost spay/neuter program and teaches humane education in the local schools. In spite
of their best efforts, the problem persists. By taking the dogs from the shelter and rehoming them in the states, I have helped relieve some of the pressure that the shelter
experiences. The dogs are flown up through a program called Paws from Paradise. We
meet the flights and seek to re-home the dogs to good homes. To this date, over 240 rehomed dogs call Tidewater their home.

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In preparation for my trip, I worked alongside twelve other youth volunteers to
raise money. We ended up raising ten thousand dollars to help renovate and improve the
quality of life at the shelter. Packed among our belongings were surgical tools, vaccines
and medical supplies. Dogs in the shelter have nothing; life for them consists of living on
a cement floor behind ragged chain link fencing without air conditioning. When we left
they had pools, dog beds, toys, treats and some even had a plane ticket to a better life!
This experience has led me to the realization that I have a true compassion and drive
to help these suffering animals. I cared for straggly strays on the streets and emaciated
mother dogs scrounging for food unable to care for their pups. I helped in surgery as the
young veterinarian worked on fixing a dogs broken jaw. While there, I also saw
firsthand the dedication of the staff to help every animal and owner. Living in a
depressed economy makes it hard for some pet owners to provide the proper care their
animal may need. Yet, the shelter never turned anyone away for services even when they
could not pay. This was especially compelling because the shelter struggles financially.
St. Croixs Animal Welfare Center changed my life by opening my eyes to new
possibilities for future work in the animal care field. In the meantime, I will continue to
support the shelter and find new homes for as many dogs as I can.

Word Count: 499