|
Volunteering at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League
Another way to help the animals is to volunteer your time and skills. If you think you can't volunteer at the shelter because you'd want to take all the animals home, there are other areas and departments that need your help as well. Keep in mind that it's people like you who care deeply about animals who have they most to offer them. As a volunteer, you are vitally important and each task you perform is a significant contribution.
Requirements
- Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age and attend a new volunteer orientation. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and the parent or guardian is required to sign the volunteer application.
- Volunteer orientations are held on the first Saturday of every month from 10:00am to 11:30 am. We start promptly at 10:00 am, so please arrive a few minutes early and sign in at the front desk in the shelter. Latecomers will unfortunately not be seated, although you are welcome to visit the shelter and attend another orientation at a later date. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 561.472.8867 or at volunteer@hspb.org to set up your next orientation.
- Volunteers will participate in additional training to better understand the operation of the shelter, safety procedures, animal behavior, and other important information about volunteer activities.
- Once you’ve complete orientation and training, you will be able to assist us between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm daily, except for major holidays. Holiday schedules will be announced.
- Dress code: long pants, close-toed shoes (sneakers or boots), and something you don’t mind getting dirty! No sandals, no shorts. Once you have earned your volunteer t-shirt, you should wear it along with your name badge when you are working in the shelter. Please be neat, as your appearance and conduct reflects on our organization. No “do rags” or hanging jewelry permitted. All volunteers and staff are strictly prohibited from using electronics such as CD players, MP3 players, cell phones, PDA’s, etc while working.
- Shelter telephones: if you need to use a telephone while working, please ask an ARL staff member for assistance.
- Off Limits Areas: Volunteers are not to assist in the Holding and/or clinic areas unless scheduled by the Volunteer Coordinator.
- Public interaction: You will be answering questions from the public about the animals, their temperaments and dispositions, our adoption procedures, etc. It is very important that you understand our policies in order to give accurate information. If you’re unsure of anything, ask a staff member.
Click here to download (PDF) the Volunteer Manual
Why Volunteer?
- Develop new skills while exploring the field of animal care.
- Meet new people with similar interests.
- Acquire work experience for future endeavors.
- Receive support and guidance from professional staff.
- Most importantly, volunteering will make life brighter for the pets in our care, and better for the people and animals in our community.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers perform a wide variety of jobs throughout the League. Once you have attended orientation, you are welcome to come in and volunteer at any time the shelter is open to the public. You can volunteer as many or as few hours as your schedule permits.
Community service hours are offered for all volunteer positions for students in middle school, high school and college working towards a scholarship or special project. We also offer court-ordered hours for certain misdemeanors and minor juvenile offenses. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 561.472.8867 for details.
Volunteers from all areas also assist with chores, such as bathing dogs and cats, washing food and water bowls, doing laundry, folding newspapers, organizing areas, stocking and so much more. Here are just a few of them:
Administration
Volunteers assist the administrative staff with filing, folding brochures, mailings, phone calls, photocopying, faxing, data entry, computer projects, and much more. Our administrative staff supports the daily functions of the entire shelter, and volunteers are always appreciated in the office. Administrative volunteers are welcome Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cat Companions
Cat Companion volunteers help with all aspects of cat and kitten care by cleaning cages, feeding, doing laundry, and washing food and water bowls. Cat Companion volunteers also provide the cats and kittens with affection, stimulation, and socialization and interact with potential adopters to provide information about a cat’s personality and temperament. The most important shift for a Cat Companion is 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. as that is when the Cat Rooms are being prepared for visitors. Cat Companion trainings are scheduled one-on-one or in small groups. Times will be announced during your volunteer orientation.
Dog Walkers
Dog Walkers have a great deal of physical contact with the dogs in adoption. Dog Walkers take each dog outside while staff members clean cages. Since we have quite a few dogs and puppies in adoption every day, volunteers are essential. After the cage cleaning is completed, Dog Walkers may take dogs out to the exercise area for socialization, training, and to play. The most important shift for a Dog Walker is 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. as that is when the Dog Rooms are being prepared for visitors.
Dog Walkers may also help with folding newspapers, bathing dogs, grooming dogs, washing food and water bowls, and other chores. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring any dog’s health or behavioral issues to the attention of staff.
All dogs and puppies are walked again in the afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. while staff members spot clean the cages and make sure that the dogs have clean water for the night.
Dog Walkers must complete a 3-hour training program. Training for Dog Walkers will be schedule regularly, and times will be announced during your volunteer orientation.
Greeters
Volunteers greet visitors, direct them to different areas, answer questions, help locate staff members, and much more. This is an important component of the adoption process, and is valuable support for our customer service staff.
Foster Parents
Foster Parents provide temporary homes for dogs and cats with special needs, such as a quiet place for newborns, animals receiving medical treatment, or recovering from injuries or abuse. Fostering an animal requires a more significant commitment than volunteering at the shelter. This program has saved the lives of hundreds of animals who, otherwise, might not have survived their circumstances. For more information about being a Foster Parent, please call 561. 472.8848.
Marketing
Volunteers may assist the Marketing Manager with website support, e-campaigns, membership database management, data entry, marketing research, and much more. Marketing volunteers are welcome Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Special Events and Fundraising
Assist with special events and projects at various sites throughout the community. Activities may include display set-up, pre-event planning, processing paperwork, decorating, transporting supplies and/or animals, securing silent auction items, selling raffle tickets, selling merchandise, supervising booths, accepting donations, and more. These events are vital to the support of the shelter.
Thrift Store
The Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League Thrift Store, located in the antique district of historic downtown West Palm Beach, sells new and used treasures. Volunteers assist customers, display merchandise, price and stock merchandise, clean and more. The Thrift Store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Volunteer Policies and Procedures
A two- to four-hour shift once a week is appreciated, but not required. Longer commitments are encouraged and welcomed. Some of the volunteer assignments (such as Special Events volunteers) are done on a periodic, as-needed basis.
Sign-In Procedure
Please record your arrival time on the Volunteer Log Sheet, located in the Adoption Center. Remember to sign out upon departure as well. To receive credit for hours worked, you must sign in and sign out. (It will also help you when doing your resume to say you completed “X” amount of volunteer hours!) This helps us to also keep track of who is active in what programs.
Volunteer Release Form
Each volunteer is asked to sign a release form and waiver of liability for insurance purposes prior to beginning at ARL.
Other Information
Please do not bring young children to the shelter when volunteering. If your children would like to visit the animals, please bring them during open hours when you are not volunteering. For your pet’s safety, and out of concern for the animals at the shelter, please leave your pet(s) at home.
Questions About Volunteering? If you have any additional questions,
please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 561.472.8867.
|
|
View and Print Documents 