Cats and Kittens and …Gigantic Lizards? Oh My.

My name is Nicole and I’ve been interning at the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia now for over two months. I took on this internship as a way for me to both fulfill the advertising requirements and help out an organization that I both care a lot about and needs the extra set of hands. My first day was nothing short of overwhelming. However, my actual first day I hadn’t even made it to the shelter- not fully aware of the exact part of Philadelphia the shelter was I began riding my bike into the depths of North Philadelphia. I got lost and hollered at a few times and eventually let my nerves get the best of me and turned around and started back home. However, the next day I had made it safely in my car, rejuvenated with a whole new excitement for what I would begin. I was shown around the shelter while bunches of volunteers and employees rushed by in some sort of frenzy/determination- I thought it was specific to the day, however I soon figured out that the commotion happened everyday, it was simply how the shelter operated. I was shown around the endless hallways and doorways, each one containing a new surprise. I learned that the Animal Control Center not only keeps cats and dogs, but also wildlife and even a few reptiles- just the other day I walked into the shelter and the first thing I saw was a gigantic lizard plopped onto the counter of the help desk. I obviously learned that things like this were simply normal around there. So, my first day and three kittens a few example flyers and 30 minutes later, I was on my way home wondering what had just happened. Since I began going in the the shelter more and more, I began getting used to having dogs walk around my feet as I did my work, along with a few howling cats. It definitely wasn’t your run of the mill office space, in fact I just posted up wherever I could be most out of the way. What the shelter needed most were flyers for their upcoming events-doused with cute pictures of cats, kittens and all kind of dogs. My job was to make them appealing, attractive and amusing. I wasn’t sure going into it how much design help they would actually need at an animal shelter, but apparently they had plenty of need for a designer. Each week I would be assigned at least two different flyers to make along with something extra for the shelter. I thoroughly enjoy being able to help them out and hope that somehow, it will make a difference.