You can check part 1 here.

So, let's continue this little story. For everyone that waited for this second post, I apologize making you wait for this long, writing doesn’t come easy to me, and work was hectic.

            My first big responsibility appeared a couple of hours after I arrived at the dog shelter, as the owners announced they will go home before lunch and will return in the evening. I was told I have to release the dogs for their afternoon free-roaming. They explained that's one of the easiest tasks, just got to let them according to size and personality, allow them to play for about an hour then release a different group. There were four main groups: puppies, small, medium and large. Having said that, after one last check, was preparing to leave. At that moment it dawned on me that I had no idea of the dogs’ relationships. Also, they weren't wearing any color coded tags that marked their behavior in a group (that got fixed a week later). After a bunch of questions and a quick scribble on a notepad app, I was set to go.

Lesson no.3: What is part of the daily routine for professional A is not the same for professional B. While common courtesy dictates that the older ones are educating the new-comers, some things are so deeply ingrained that, more often than not, people consider them common sense. Don't be shy to ask all the necessary questions to make sure you got the full understanding of a process. The right question can make all the difference between a job well done and a disaster. In my particular situation there were 6 dogs that had to be separated from others due to aggressively towards other dogs. 3 of them being over 30kg of angry muscle.

From here on everything kind of became a pattern, check on the dogs, let them to roam freely, clean cages, play with them for a while, return them to cages, repeat with another group. Nothing out of the ordinary until towards the end of the second day. We were discussing about the barbecue around 4.30-5.00 PM, when we were supposed return the medium dogs to their cages. The medium sized dogs were still roaming around, having a good time so the owners suggested to let them out for 30 more minutes. Due to the fact they kept running through the hallways (the hall gates weren't yet installed) and getting all the other dogs pumped up and making a huge noise, I suggested to place them in the backyard. Everyone agreed, and quickly I managed to attract most of the group to my location, then secure the gate. 3 dogs were left running around, and we started trying to get them in there too. One of them was an old corgi, a dog with a very weird personality, as it stayed away from the group, but didn't show any aggressive tendencies, neither towards us or the other dogs. He didn't run away when i got to him so I just took him in my arms and started toward the garden. And then he its head around, quickly growled and bit me. Bit my jaw, more exactly. By the time I put him down, blood soaked my beard and started dripping. Due to the density of facial hear, no one else noticed until I asked for disinfectant and pads.

Lesson 4: Working on assumptions leads to nasty surprises. A few minutes earlier you read that the right question can make a huge difference. The question I didn't ask was "Why do you use leashes even on the smallest dogs?". Anyone can be mild mannered or even passive in a familiar environment / situation. Until you get to see how those people react under pressure, make sure to be prepared for the worst while arranging the victory party. No one can plan for every possible outcome, but giving it a little bit of thought and trying to look at it from various angles will give you and your team an edge. It's only wasted time if you don't learn anything from it. At worst it will at least speed up your thinking process for future endeavors. 

I wish I could say I wasn’t pissed an angry, but that would be a lie. I was shaking a little bit and felt dizzy. It was the first time I ever got bitten by a dog. Luckily the owner’s wife was a nurse in her previous life, so the disinfection and sealing of the bitten area was done on the spot. After the initial 30 minutes of shock, I decided to continue with the initial plan. We had the barbecue and a lot of fun that evening. Took some pills before going to bed and the next day I went to the hospital and got a few stitches. The dogs were all returned to their pens, and George (the corgi that bit me) was moved into the “anti-social” group until they got the color coded leashes. As a result of that day, the dog rescue now has a Volunteer’s handbook, safety guides for personnel and color coded leashes for every dog.

Lesson 5: By not allowing my fears to decide for me I managed to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Having interests and passions in any field outside your professional life will make you a better decision-maker, problem-solver and critical thinker. When I was reading about various diseases and problems that can arise from animal bites a few years ago I wasn’t thinking that it will happen to me, just that it is interesting and I’d like to know more about it. Yes, in the world of management, being a specialist is a most sought after skill, but it’s not the only skill required. How you do it defines you more than what you do.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. It would be extremely useful to me to get some feedback, so please use the comments bellow for some constructive criticism.