Its interesting how people bond with certain people, and as I see daily, with individual animals. I mean, we have 20 dogs and 40 cats in the shelter (thats a general guestimate although I know its lower than that at the moment), and yet when people come in and adopt pet, the one they usually take home is one that they connected with. When your looking at 40 cats, and you have no idea what you want, how is it that you find the one that is right for you? I mean there are things that I can tell people to narrow down their choices, such as this one doesn't like children/other pets or whatever, but they still have to connect with just one. And most of the time they do. I have been there for over 5 yrs now. I have met over 1000 animals, and yet, I can name maybe a dozen that I really grew attached to. Rocky, Houston, Levi, Hobson, Freddie, Cubby, Kora (aka Blackie)... In five years, over 1000 animals... and thats the list of animals that I thought I would adopt if I were going too. I actually took Freddie home. He was the first animal I was attached to. This past month seems to have been hard on employees for getting attached. I mean, Ruth fell for Lucy, Kaly likes Asia, Pam loves Nala, Leah wants to take Alyosha, Paula is still dying for Arnold, I want Kora, Todd, and Hunze. LOL I find Lucy cute but annoying, and even though Nala has been at the shetler for as long as I have, I just have no connection with her. She is being considered for euthansia, and if I were going to adopt a hardcase "hopeless" animal, it wouldn't be her, even though she is the only one that clearly fits into what I usually see in my animals. Its strange to watch these bonds form so quickly, so strongly, and yet, even thoughit kills us sometimes, we know we have to let them go. After a while in the shelter, you learn not to grow too attached to easily. I believe the term is depersonalize. You know the animals history, and like them as a general being, but you don't *need* to take them and hug them adn have them live with you. You don't want to cry and shnuggle them everytime they give you the sad puppy eyes. You become virtually immune to the tricks these animals have fokr guilting people into giving them what they want. But every once in a while an animal comes along, that for you, just weasles his way into your heart. Without any warning, and you want to cry when you think of the animal sleeping on the cement floor, being unloved, unwanted, and tossed aside for a "cuter, more friendly, hopefully one that will magically turn out perfect without any training" model.
I feel bad when I know the ache it causes me to realize I have become attached, and to know that I can do nothing to help the other people I work with not feel that same ache.