Due to my years of volunteer and work experience caring for and walking well over 1,000 animals in extremely high-stress shelter environments, I'm extremely careful in introducing myself to new animals and allowing them to get comfortable with me on their own terms before I interact directly with them. Due to my volunteer and work experience, I have received multiple training modules, as well as trained others, to recognize animal behaviors and avoid forcing animals into situations when they're in high stress and/or high arousal states. I've also found that treats work well in many situations to gain quick trust of a majority of pets as well, if possible in a situation. Once a pet is comfortable with me, I love playing with them, walking them, and/or cuddling with them, depending on their desires and needs. Over the years I've found I can bond very easily and very deeply with many animals. As part of my position in the shelter, I was also part of the first line to monitor animals for potential illnesses and/or injuries, including monitoring and reporting bowel movements, defecation quality, and eating habits, as well as immediately notifying veterinary staff of any potential emergency situations. In one instance, I saved a dog's life on a walk, when I noticed she hadn't eaten in her kennel, wasn't taking any treats or water, and was unusually sluggish in the play yard. I immediately took her to see the veterinarian staff, where she proceeded to vomit and lay down. After an examination, the vet found she was having a reaction to her stitches that caused inflammation and severe dehydration. Once they got her on an IV drip and antibiotics, she recovered, and was adopted soon after! If I'd brought her back to her kennel instead of rushing her to the vet staff, she would have gotten much sicker and potentially died, if no staff or volunteers noticed her state until later or possibly the following day. That would have to be my overall favorite and most gratifying day volunteering.