Every day, thousands of shelter animals across the country sit alone in their kennels: watching potential adopters walk by, volunteers walking, or spending time with other shelter residents. It can be difficult for people to understand what these animals are going through. So, for Early Giving Week and El Paso Giving Day, our Animal Care Supervisor Kim Lambert will be going “Behind the Kennel Door” to experience what our animals experience every day until they find their fur-ever homes.

To prepare for the biggest giving event in our community, we asked Kim why she decided to volunteer for this challenge. She said:

” These cats and dogs come into the Shelter through no fault of their own. They’re locked in a small, loud, unfamiliar room, for hours upon hours, as they wait for their new families. It’s a stressful environment (and) there are studies that confirm that. I want to have an empathetic experience of what these animals feel when locked up so that I can share that experience with others. I do not expect this to be an easy task. I feel like it’s going to be a strain mentally, emotionally, and physically, but the reality is that for the animals in the shelter – this is their lived experience. I want to share the animals’ feelings with staff, volunteers and the community because they don’t have a voice.”

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter when we kick off Early Giving Week on October 13th to follow some of our long-time residents on their daily routines. Then you can join us LIVE on our social media platforms (@humanesocietyep) at 7:00 pm on October 19th as we lock Kim in one of our kennels for 24 hours or until we hit our $10,000 goal for this year’s El Paso Giving Day (EPGD). Follow her experience online during EPGD or come in and ask for a meet and greet with Kim.