Volunteers make a difference, sometimes between life or death.

Penpo entered Eagle County Animal Shelter as a mystery case. The staff had no information about the one-year-old Labrador-pit bull mix because he was a stray.

“He was one of those you thought, Lord, he's going to be here forever,” said Christy Pope, operations manager for the shelter.

As a “no kill” shelter, animals occasionally end up with the county facility for a year or more. Penpo was there about 15 months. His strength and high energy made him a difficult prospect for most homes. However, turns out his lengthy stay was meant to be ...

A former local volunteered whenever she could, often multiple times a week. During her visits she made sure to walk every dog, usually for about 20 minutes, even on the coldest days. Over time she got to know each animal. And over time she fell in love with Penpo, adopting him April 2009 before moving to Minnesota.

The staff members miss him, after knowing the dog for so long, but they're used to that bittersweet feeling. As much as they come to love an animal the best part is seeing it adopted to a good home, Pope said.

Plus, a new owner sometimes sends pictures or a card, such as Penpo's case. Pope and her co-workers smile wide when they show off the photos — it's obvious the former stray couldn't have a better life, living on a ranch with K-9 companions and fluffy beds.

Penpo is only one story, very similar to many others at the shelter, which seem to mostly have happy endings. The common theme? Probably volunteers, who help in so many ways, said a few staff members including Pope.

The volunteers “enrich” the cats and dogs by interacting with them. Some animals come to the shelter dirty and fearful — classified “not ready for adoption.” With the patient love of volunteers, animals like Penpo get a chance to shine.

On Dec. 11, a group of eighth-graders from Eagle Valley Charter Academy came to the shelter as part of a weekly community service project. They cuddled all the cats and played with dogs.

“We go to Salvation Army and other places, but I think this is the best service we do,” said eighth-grader Caitlyn Wallace as she pet one of the kitties.

‘No kill' is just a phrase

Shelter director Natalie Duck said the term “no kill” is just that — a term — and not indicative of official rules, such as the “organic” label for foods.

The Eagle County shelter only euthanizes animals for medical reasons or if an animal is not safe, such as a dog with a history of aggression. “Those decisions are not made quickly,” Duck said. Thus, the facility's staff members only accept animals they believe have potential to be adopted because they will work with the creature for an unspecified time.

The process can take a long time, demanding lots of commitment. For example, Dolly the cat has been there for two years. “For whatever reason, her owner hasn't come in, yet,” Pope said. At least Dolly will have a shelter until that happens.

Fewer adoptions during holidays

“People seem more interested in adoptions in the summer, when kids get out of school,” Duck said. “In a downturn economy they are adopting a little less and surrendering a little more.” (A pet is “surrendered” when its original owner gives it to the shelter.)

Additionally, statistics across the nation show dark-colored animals are adopted less, Duck said, perhaps because they don't stand out as well as a fur coat bursting with color.

Of course, there are happy exceptions to the trend of fewer adoptions during the holidays. Two weeks ago, a dog and two cats were adopted the same day.

Eighth-grader Schuyler Simonton, whose dad is a veterinarian, said his family adopted both their dogs in winter.

An open policy

Duck came to the county shelter about five years ago as a new director. Since then, she said she has enjoyed the opportunity to create the program she wanted. That is, education-based effort with an “open adoption policy.”

Such a policy encourages people to take on a pet, Duck said. Other kinds of policies can entail background checks and a lot of paperwork and follow-up, which can discourage would-be owners.

“We like to make our adoption process very friendly, making ourselves available to help (the new owners) work through problems,” she said.

Cheers for ‘teers

The shelter's volunteers must take a training course before they can help. The 90-minute classes are scheduled once or twice a month, or more depending on staff and demand.

“We make it fun for the volunteers,” Duck said, noting the shelter doesn't expect volunteers to clean cages or do other kinds of dirty work. “Certainly, if they want to help us, we love that.”

Once volunteers have gone through training, they can come in to shower the animals with attention as much as they want. Like Penpo's case, sometimes a volunteer realizes a longer-lasting love during the visits.

Pope laughs with glee, recalling stories of people discovering feelings they didn't consciously realize at first.

“People come in with preferences for a particular breed or something like that,” she said, “and then fall in love with a [different] dog unexpectedly.”