A Hard Day at the Shelter

When I first arrived I noticed that the loud mouthed orange kitten in holding had her card turned over.
She'd been due for a review on the fourth but hadn't been moved into CatAdopt on the fourth or the fifth.
Euthanizations generally happen in the morning to clear out space for working and incoming animals. I assumed the worst, that poor little orange kitten was caught sneezing and, along with several others who had they're cards turned over, was going to be put down. So with my heart in my throat I began my chores.

When I got to the Small Animal Room I was in for something even worse...
When Dianne showed me how to clean the SmAnimal room she mentioned to be careful with the vaccuum, that accidentally vaccuuming up a gerbil has happened before. Up until this day I'd been carefull with the smallest animals, the gerbil and hamsters, making sure they did not fall prey to the vaccuum, but today maybe my mind was wandering thinking about the loud mouth kitten or maybe I'd fallen into the SmAnimal routine and was getting too comfortable and confident with the vaccuum. Whatever the reason, it happened.

THWUMP!

I vaccuumed up a hamster. The fatter (they're both fat) one.
I let out a shreik and turned off the vaccuum as fast as I could. I had no idea what to do so I ran out to the main office and told Jan that "I just vaccuumed up a hamster!" Luckily Pat, an Animal Control Officer, was just coming around the corner when I made my confession and he literally rushed to the rescue (Pat you're my hero.)