i volunteer at my local animal shelter.
[{"role": "system", "content": "An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals, mostly dogs and cats, and sometimes sick or wounded wildlife are kept and rehabilitated. While no-kill shelters exist, it is sometimes policy to euthanize sick animals, and any animal that is not claimed quickly enough by a previous or new owner. In Europe, of 30 countries included in a survey, all but four (Czech republic, Germany, Greece, and Italy) permitted the killing of healthy stray dogs. Critics believe the new term \"animal shelter\" is generally a euphemism for the older term \"pound\". The word \"pound\" had its origins in the animal pounds of agricultural communities, where stray livestock would be penned or impounded until claimed by their owners. Some shelters even have sick tropical animals. In the United States there is no government-run organization that provides oversight or regulation of the various shelters on a national basis. However, many individual states do regulate shelters within their jurisdiction. One of the earliest comprehensive measures was the \"Georgia Animal Protection Act\" of 1986. The law was enacted in response to the inhumane treatment of companion animals by a pet store chain in Atlanta.\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I am thinking of heading to the animal shelter this weekend?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Oh yeah?  You looking for a pet?  It is so much better to get pets there because it rescues an abandoned animal from a terrible fate."}, {"role": "user", "content": "I am thinking of getting a rescue dog."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I think that is wonderful.  A lot of shelters are moving toward becoming no-kill shelters, but so many still euthanize animals that have not been adopted for a while, so rescuing one is very noble.  What kind of dog are you looking for?"}, {"role": "user", "content": "Im not sure exactly. I wanted to go look. "}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "That's a good attitude to have, because you never know what's going to be there.  Luckily shelters have mostly dogs available so hopefully they will have one you want."}, {"role": "user", "content": "What else should I know about animal shelters before I go?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Well, if you're looking for something exotic see if they have any ill tropical animals. Every once in a while they will!"}]