Besides the good activity that it represents in itself, volunteering in an animal shelter can be a very rewarding experience for the ones undertaking it. Apart from the chance to interact with the lovely exponents of the animal world, it can help build new friendships with the staff working in these shelters, as well as other volunteers with the same passions and with adopters and visitors coming to the shelter.
Animal shelters in different cities might have different requirements and expectations of their volunteers; for instance: a fixed number of committed hours per week, certain trainings to be passed before starting the work itself, a specific accident or injury policy that they must agree to, lack of allergies to the relevant types of animals. Also, one must be informed about the kind of tasks that are available to volunteers, in some cases, one must be ready to deal with suffering animals (having injuries, recovering from abuse, or that need to be euthanized).
You should figure out all these details about your local shelter before enrolling, so that you know what you are subscribing for and what is expected of you. To form a realistic opinion, it makes sense to go to the place, and ask for a tour through it.
As for the particular tasks that can be available, they are very diverse, and require different levels of experience. The following are the most common tasks in animal shelters around the country:
• Dog walking - Exercise is crucial for dogs, especially when they spend a lot of time in a confined space. Obviously, this involves a lot of time spent outdoors and being comfortable with dogs of all sizes, breeds, and ages.
• Animal care assistance (in particular, cat care) - includes cleaning the kennels, giving fresh food and water, changing litter boxes. These are routine maintenance tasks that are, nevertheless, crucial for a healthy state of the animals.
• Bathing animals - Because a clean, fluffy and well-smelling animal is more likely to produce an unforgettable impression on potential adopters.
• Preparation for adoption - which involves using different behavior modification protocols to help relieve timidity and fearfulness in animals. These programs make the pets well-behaved and manageable, which greatly increases their ‘social integration’ at their new home.
• Personality assessment - Either for dogs, cats, rabbits or other animals this involves special tests that may ultimately help to find a better match with the personality of the adopter (who are, by the way, also required to take a test).
• Adoption counseling - it means assisting visitors in their search for animals to adopt. This involves being very familiar with the shelter and its inhabitants.
• Exam assistance and surgery assistance, which means providing support to veterinarians during regular examinations and treatment procedures performed on the animals in the shelter.
Besides these, there are multiple other ways in which one can help a shelter, for instance, by taking photographs of the animals and promoting advertisements as well as engaging in special events including youth education. Among all these, there must definitely be a role for you!
