1. WORKING AT THE FACILITY-DOG HANDLING AND/OR CLEANING:
There are two, three hour (approximately) shifts every day, One in the morning and one in the afternoon/early evening. We will interview you to determine your comfort level with handling dogs. If you are comfortable with medium and large dogs, you will be given additional instruction on our safety and training procedures for working with the dogs in the facility and taking them for enjoyable walks. If you are uncomfortable handling and walking medium or large dogs, you may find feeding and cleaning more suitable. You will still have the opportunity to get to know and interact with the dogs, but in a less physically demanding way.
2. DOGGIE DAY OUT:
Maintaining the emotional well being of the dogs is one of our highest priorities. The opportunity for the dogs to enjoy time away from the kennel gives them a much needed break, change of scenery, and enrichment. We can learn new things about their personality and behavior through outings. We will pair you with an appropriate dog and work together to decide the best types of outings for that particular dog. You will be given training on safety procedures while caring for a dog offsite.
3. DOGGIE "CUDDLER":
If you have physical constraints that hinder your ability to walk dogs or assist with kennel cleaning, there is still a place for you here. The one thing dogs living in a shelter environment need more than anything is human contact. A cuddler will spend time with a dog in one of the yards. Chairs are provided, so you do not need to stand for long periods. Based on your particular abilities, we will pair you with the dogs that are a good match. As long as there are other Volunteers present, you may stay as long or as little as you like. The goal of your visit is to provide comfort and interaction in any way appropriate. Petting, brushing, bathing, playing with toys, teaching simple commands and tricks or just plain "hanging out" will give the pups human attention they all desperately crave and need.
4. SHORT TERM FOSTER:
In 2016 a study was done to asses the benefit of short term fostering. This is a quick synopsis of the results: “This data leads us to believe that these sleepovers may act much like weekends to our workweek. They don’t make all our stress go away, but allow us to rest and recharge, before facing the next week,” Gunter said. “We are also surprised by the consistency in our results, as it demonstrates how impactful the intervention can be with a variety of dogs at a diverse range of shelters. Shelters with small populations, ones that are larger and open admission, and those that are limited intake may all benefit from short-term sleepovers.” Can you provide a dog with a short term get-away? Apart from offering a break from the shelter setting, their time with you can furnish essential insights about them that we might otherwise miss by solely observing them within the facility. This information allows us to understand what additional training they may need, what is the most suitable home and proper preparation for a new adopter.
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