This is Cookie, taking a much needed run in our outdoor exercise pen at the Dubuque Regional Humane Society.

You can see the pet cemetery in the background.

We are pretty much out of space. From a volunteer perspective, I would like to see at least a second exercise pen with access to both pens from the inside so that each dog could be allowed at least 15 minutes to run in the pen daily.

Volunteers work hard to take the dogs out for exercise and socialization, but not all of the dogs get out. Certainly none get out as much as they need. Some volunteers walk the dogs down the road; others just sit with the dogs or play with them in the exercise yard if no one else is in there.

I like to use the exercise yard for head start training because I can work with the dogs off leash. Right now, the upstairs training room is being used for something else.

I also use the exercise yard for photographing the dogs - taking updated photos of them for the website.

We can't safely take small dogs out there though because they can easily escape through the spaces between the gate and fence, and even through the fence itself!

That's why I am working so hard to earn points for my shelter -- even to the point fo taking less time with my own pets. I feel passionate about animal welfare and truly care for these unwanted and lost dogs and cats and want to see as many re-homed as possible.

Right now I think we have animals in every room at the DRHS except the bathrooms! We have snakes in the same critter room as rabbits, cats, birds and small dogs!

We need the makeover to better serve more animals and the community and save more animals' lives!