Author: Jennifer Vanderau

Animals. That’s what it’s all about. At the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter everything – and I mean literally everything – we do comes back to our animals. Everyone’s job, every volunteer’s hours, every moment at CVAS is done so we can help a four-legged friend. I joke with people and tell them I have more than 100 four-legged bosses at any given time. And it’s true. We all work for them. Everything I write and say and all the businesses I work with that help us get the word out do so for our animals. Our adoption counselor works daily…

So I’ve been thinking about the word broken and the fact that it has such a negative connotation. Think about it – broken hearts, broken legs, broken spirits, broken dreams. I’ve even talked to people who think shelter pets are broken. There’s a sense of “what’s wrong with him?” when an animal ends up in a shelter. It’s sad, but I’ve come face to face with those exact words. We all know what it’s like to lose something, to not get something, to have something not work out, to have life not turn out the way we thought, to have…

One of the ladies that works in the kennels at the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter came to me with a request. She said, Jen, can you talk about Olivia? I told her it would be my genuine pleasure. Olivia is a 2-year-old terrier/lab mix who arrived at the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter on September 20, 2023. She’s been in our kennels for more than a year now, and she is one of our longterm residents. Being a longterm resident isn’t really something animals aspire to at CVAS. It means that they’ve lived for the longest time in the kennels, and…

I want to paint a quick picture for you. Imagine yourself in a room or a space. You can see out of this space, but you can’t get out. You’ve got food and water and a bathroom, as well as some bedding, but that’s it. You may have a friend in there with you, too. Now imagine that from time to time something with arms and legs and eyes and a nose and a mouth that is about 10 to 20 times bigger than you picks you up, talks nicely to you, gives you some affection, maybe gives you medication.…

The sun sets, and I’m still tied to the chain. It kills me a little more every day that I haven’t gotten free yet. I managed to work myself loose two times before. People returned me to Dad, and I always thought maybe this was the time he would bring me inside with him, but he never did. He would only tighten the chain more around my neck in an effort to make sure I stayed tied out. I see Dad inside. It looks warm. Dad says he loves me. I guess this is what love means, but those two…

My baby Loki passed away. His cancer came back and took him so fast. He died under my bed and I have been in a bit of a fog. I’ve been back and forth to the vet trying to figure out what was going on, and I think part of me just didn’t want to believe that the cancer had returned. He was only 7. I wanted so many more years with him. I’ve been looking back through pictures that I have on my phone, and I can’t get over how little he was when he first arrived in my…

I have to tell you, nothing riles us up at the shelter more than having an animal come into us with a microchip that goes nowhere. It either wasn’t registered in the first place or the owners moved and never changed the information with the microchip company. Maddie is a super sweet 7-year-old hound mix who is in that, exact situation. Someone took the time to microchip her but never took the time to register the chip to their names. We could have gotten her home where she belongs, but we can’t. It is so frustrating. Microchips are supposed to…

I was reminded recently of how much our animals can really sense of the world around us – some of which we may not fully understand. I read stories all the time about dogs that can help diabetes patients and even alert epileptic people when a seizure is coming on. That kind of knowing – that kind of innate sense – is a remarkable trait to have. I was talking to a gentleman recently who told me a story that further cemented my belief that animals have amazing abilities. He said growing up he had a sheltie. Great dog. Smart…

I’m a dreamer from way back. I have an incredibly active, vivid fantasy world. It turns out the place I made up in my head is way better than anything in reality. It’s a great escape for me when life’s a little rough or my days are difficult. Even when I was little, I’ve always been able to get away into my imagination, and it has served me well. It’s why I love reading and writing and watching movies. Those worlds are really great distractions for me. Have you ever finished reading a book that you had really gotten into,…

Looking for a new friend? The Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter is featuring these Pets of the Week. For more information, interested would-be pet parents may visit http://www.cvas-pets.org/ or call 717-263-5791. Look at little Lemon! Have you ever seen a cuter face? This little sweetheart is just a kitten and has her whole life ahead of her. Whoever gets this cutie will have a friend forever and will be super lucky with an adorable baby like Lemon! Riley came into the shelter when her owners could no longer care for her. She’s a sweet 5-month-old miniature poodle mix who just needs…