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Woman With Dog

VOLUNTEERING

How Volunteers Help Us

Volunteers make a tremendous difference for our organization and the animals we serve. Together, we’re creating a more humane community for all companion animals.

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No matter what your experience level is, you will have the opportunity to provide hands-on care for the animals as well as other ways to help including:

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  • Walk, socialize, and bathe our dogs

  • Socialize, exercise, and brush our cats

  • Maintenance, cleaning, and beautifying projects

  • On-site and Off-site events

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Time commitments vary but we always encourage donating as much as you can!

 

We love groups, too - if you have a class or group who would like to be involved, contact us to schedule a date and time for you to participate in a project or for general animal handling,

Requirements

To volunteer at JCHS you must meet these requirements:

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  • Child Volunteers:

    • Ages 14 to 18 may volunteer as long as they are accompanied by an adult (age 20 or older). An adult may supervise up to 2 youth volunteers.

    • Ages 15 to 17 may volunteer without an adult.

  • Submit our volunteer application

  • Schedule and attend an orientation visit which includes:

    • A tour of the shelter

    • A review of available volunteer opportunities

    • Signing of release form(s)

  • Sign in and out when you volunteer at the shelter

  • Check in with shelter staff each time to see if anything specific needs to be done for your visit

FAQ

Types of Volunteer Tasks

While we do not require any specific volunteering tasks (except loving our animals!), here is a list of potential tasks available to be accomplished every time you volunteer with us:

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  • Spot cleaning of all animal areas

  • Washing, drying, folding, and storing laundry

  • Washing dishes or dirty toys in sinks

  • Picking up around the shelter and outdoor areas

  • Report pets who have minor grooming, behavior, or health needs

  • Take pictures or video of the pets and shelter/event activities

  • Prepare and give treats to the animals

  • Take dogs for a walk, take them to the outside yards for playtime

  • Give dogs a bath

  • Brush a dog or cat

  • Give active playtime to a cat (get them moving around!)

  • Clean windows or floors

  • Straighten up kitty cities

  • Refill any water in animal kennels

  • Give quiet, gentle attention to new or shy animals

  • Inform staff if an animal is missing a kennel card

  • Straighten up the front merchandise area

  • Put away items and organize cleaning supplies or food pantry areas

  • Support staff during special events and join in the fun!

Volunteering from home

If you are unable to join us at the shelter or events, there are plenty of ways you can still contribute!

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  • Purchase items from our wishlist

  • Make a monetary donation

  • Donate gently used items

  • Donate food to our food pantry

  • Make animal enrichment toys

  • Support us with your special events (birthdays, fundraisers, etc): request gifts from our wish list, collect monetary donations, craft projects for the shelter, etc

  • Organize a donation drive

  • Collect aluminum cans and donate them to the shelter (please make sure it is ONLY aluminum - no tin and no trash/recyclables!)

  • Share our social media posts

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