The Times' Been There, Done That feature puts reporters in the middle of a story, so they can write from a personal perspective. In today's feature, reporter Jerrilyn Zavada of The Times' Streator office spends a morning volunteering at the new Pet Project shelter in Marseilles.

Anyone who knows me well knows Ilove dogs. It's just short of an obsession.

Still, when I signed up to volunteer at Pet Project on a recent Saturday morning, I couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant.

What kind of dogs would there be? Would I be able to handle them? Would I leave in a body cast?

I pulled into the new shelter in Marseilles shortly before 9 a.m. As I got out of my car, I could hear the sounds of excited dogs jumping and barking in their kennels.

Mary Driscoll of Ottawa, who devotes her Saturdays to spending time with and caring for the animals, greeted me when I walked in. She handed me a two-page waiver releasing Pet Project from any responsibility for any injuries incurred during care of the animals.

There were 10 dogs at the shelter, which can hold up to 25 dogs. But at least one of those 10 was set to be adopted that afternoon. The shelter's cats remain at the rural Grand Ridge location, but must be moved by Thursday, Dec. 31.

Mary had already let the dogs into their outside kennels so the inside kennels could be cleaned.

I went through and emptied each of the dogs' water bowls and filled them with fresh water.

While Ifilled the bowls, some regular Saturday volunteers showed up and cleaning commenced. The kennels had to be scrubbed and waste had to be cleaned. It may sound gross, but the volunteers who give their time on a regular basis do a great job in keeping the dogs' living quarters clean, warm and comfortable.

Each of the inside kennels has a bed and a blanket. Mary was doing laundry when I arrived in order to give the dogs fresh, clean bedding.

After the water was filled, Mary took me out and introduced me to the dogs. While some were full-grown and bigger than me, they were very gracious, sniffing me gently through the cages and welcoming me to their territory.

Next, Mary and I took the dogs for a walk outside for exercise. Let me just inject here that I started out with the best of intentions. But when a grown woman with a five-foot, zero-inch frame attempts to take dogs for a walk in the snow... luck is not on her side. There were just too many smells to check out in the snowy, grassy grounds of their new home.

Ithought Iwould be safe walking Elvira, a sweet, 35-pound beagle mix who was dropped at the shelter on Halloween. Surely, she couldn't do much damage, could she? Well, no, other than at times it wasn't clear who was walking who. Imust admit, were I to smuggle a dog out of there, Elvira would be the one. She was just the right size, has a good temperament and is adorable.

After the dogs were walked and back in their inside kennels, it was breakfast time. Each of the dogs got a bowl full of food. I don't know if it was just me, but they all seemed to look at me as if to say, "Who are you and why are you giving me my food?" Needless to say, it didn't take them long to get over that. As I walked up and down the aisle, some of the bigger dogs had already polished off their food for the day.

Before I left, the dogs were given Christmas treats. Mary's husband and daughter brought bags of tuggy ropes, bones and other assorted toys.

Without thinking, Iwalked into Dozer's cage and handed him a cherry-flavored tuggy rope. Dozer is a cocoa-colored pit bull. Lucky for me, Dozer is a happy pit bull. To make the day more festive, Mary tuned into an all-Christmas music station, because "the dogs like Christmas music." Next up? "I Dreamed A Dream," the new CD by Susan Boyle.

Filling fresh water, helping scrub the kennel floors, walking the dogs, feeding the dogs breakfast. All of this took about two hours with lots of hands and hearts helping.

And I'm happy to report, I didn't leave in a body cast.




Pet Project volunteers

Pet Project is always seeking volunteers who care for these furry creatures and want to give them a little affection. If you are interested in volunteering a few hours of your time or adopting one of the pets, call 815-795-WOOF (9663) or visit Pet Project, 2676 E. 2575th Road, Marseilles, on Saturdays.