There are a variety of jobs that students can do, but some of the students at Yutan High School prefer something a little closer to home. Cottonwood Pet Resort, located just four miles down Highway 92, makes a perfect fit into six students’ lives.
“Well, I’ve had pets all my life, and the fact that it’s close to my house, driving 10 minutes away, compared to 20 minutes that was my old job, it makes Cottonwood a perfect place for me to work,” senior Maddie Fenn said.
There are many different tasks involved in working at Cottonwood, but a love for animals helps with all of them.
“I take care of dogs. I feed them, clean their kennels, take them outside and make sure they have everything they need,” senior Bella Sliva said. “My favorite part of working there is seeing all sorts of different dogs and getting to take care of them.”
Working with animals is more than just cleaning and walking, however. Sometimes one of the animals does something unexpected.
“One time, one of the dogs got out and I didn’t realize it, so when I turned around, the dog was just sitting there staring at me, and then as soon as I walked towards it to leash it and take it back to its kennel, it ran, and I had to chase it throughout the building,” Sliva said.
Junior Cheyenne Luebbe also has experience with the unpredictability of the animals.
“There was one time I was watching this dog in daycare, his name was Bingly. He jumped over the fence three times in one night. It was very annoying,” Luebbe said.
Besides unexpected behavior, there are some other downsides to working with animals.
“The worst part about working with dogs is the mess that you have to clean up. Whether it’s somebody had an accident, somebody threw up, it can be really gross to clean up,” Fenn said. “Taking out the trash, things like that, kind of make it not very glorious.”
Luckily, the pay can make up for the less-glamorous parts of the job as the students make an hourly wage plus tips.
“We get paid every other Friday. So I would say in a paycheck, I have ranging from $50 to $200 in tips, which is amazing,” Luebbe said.
Another benefit is the real-world skills the job helps students develop.
“I think that working, especially as a teenager or before you get into your actual profession, is essential in terms of learning people skills, how to be professional, how to have good teamworking skills,” Fenn said.” It can help you be more responsible because you have to take care of the dogs, and it can help with your people skills.”
Because of the benefits, these students plan to continue working at Cottonwood beyond the summer.
“Working at Cottonwood has been a very good experience for me, and I think that it’s been very beneficial, and I’m happy to continue working there for as long as I can,” Fenn said.
