Volunteer Resources

Cat Cuddling

Cat Cuddlers provide love and affection for kitties awaiting adoption. They help shy cats out of their shells and provide exercise and enrichment for everyone.

Level One Dog Training

Level One Dog Trainers help our canine guests learn good manners and help reduce in-kennel stress. This vital training prepares dogs for adoption.

Dog Walking

Dog Walkers provide outdoor time, exercise, and enrichment outside of the kennel, and get some time outside for themselves as well.

Volunteers are welcome to have preferences for what animals to work with. If someone wishes to exclusively work with only dogs or only cats, that's perfectly fine! Our animals appreciate whatever time you can spare for them.

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Volunteer Handbook

The Volunteer Handbook is updated and adapted as needed.

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Orientation Presentation

Below is the slideshow we saw during Orientation if you'd like to click through it and review. It's also available at: ​http://prezi.com/b8fdjxy47q6z/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

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Cat Cuddling

Cats in the shelter environment are in a stressful environment. Volunteers provide much-needed affection, enrichment, and exercise for cats awaiting adoption.

Dog Training

While a deep interest in animal behavior isn't necessarily essential to spending time with animals awaiting adoption, a basic understanding of positive reinforcement will enhance your relationship with the animals here and help you troubleshoot problematic interactions.

Dog Walking

Dog Walkers have completed 3 hours of Level One Training AND met with a staff member to cover leash techniques in person. While dog walking isn't necessarily a difficult task, there are many variables to navigate in the shelter environment and a member of staff will be able to prepare volunteers for different situations that may arise.

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Understanding Animal Behavior

All these infographics and more are available to view and download at
DoggieDrawings.net

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More Ways to Volunteer

Our greatest need is for people to socialize, exercise, and train animals awaiting adoption; however, we also have special events, fundraisers, adoption showcases, and needs such as transport drivers, foster care providers, and even folks to act as ambassadors for customers on busy Saturdays onsite at the RHSPCA.

Sign Up for An Event

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Taking Training to the Next Level

For volunteers who are interested in more intensive training for animals awaiting adoption, we can work together to get you started. Advanced volunteers will be trained in reading canine and feline behavior, how to cue and reward behaviors, troubleshooting problematic behaviors and offering alternatives that work for the individual animal. To be considered for this extra training, you must have expressed a regular commitment to working with animals onsite. While training cats is 100% possible, most techniques will be dog-focused unless otherwise arranged. Positive reinforcement training is an effective method for training any animal, so these skills can be carried from your work here with us to other venues working with animals.

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