For the last week of every April, we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week! It goes without saying that our hardworking volunteers are invaluable members of our organization. They deserve to be recognized for the many roles they play within AWS. From dog walking, to answering phones, to cleaning kennels, to assisting in clinic work and humane education, our volunteers really step up and make a huge difference for the people and pets in our community. Celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week with us by learning about the specific jobs our volunteers accomplish every day!
Adoption Center Volunteers
Our Adoption Center volunteers are very versatile and dedicated individuals who are willing to help with a variety of daily tasks and general operations of the shelter. Cleaning kennels and animal spaces, tidying up small pet enclosures, running errands, providing animal enrichment, doing laundry, sorting through donations, answering phone calls, mopping all floors… we could go on! Our Adoption Center volunteers keep the animals, visitors, and staff members of AWS happy, healthy, and fulfilled. We truly couldn’t operate without them!
Clinic Volunteers
Our Clinic volunteers play a vital role in AWS’ bustling Community Veterinary Clinic. Whether it’s cleaning, doing laundry, greeting clients and patients, comforting animals during recovery, or sterilizing equipment, we couldn’t keep our resident and community pets happy and healthy without them. We’re always grateful for their hard work and dedication to the care and cleanliness of the clinic, as well as for their trained expertise in the animal medial field. Thank you, volunteers!
Canine Training Volunteers
The AWS Canine Training team rely on the hard work of our volunteers who assist them as a second pair of hands during classes and resident dog socialization. Our Training volunteers help direct students during class, move equipment around, answer clarification questions, as well as set up and clean up before and after all behavior training classes. Our dedicated volunteers love the work they do with both resident and community pets, and they make a difference in the education and socialization of our canine companions! Thank you!
Youth Programs Volunteers
Working with both children and pets takes a special and compassionate person, and that’s exactly how we would describe our Youth Programs volunteers! Alongside our Youth Programs Coordinator, volunteers help children visiting with AWS both inside and outside the classroom with fun games, tasks, education and, of course, animals. With programs like Rescue Readers, Furry Tales, and After School Club, there’s a lot to do around here regarding humane education! We’re grateful for the hard work and dedication of our Youth Programs volunteers who assist in teaching compassion, kindness, and care for all creatures!
Foster Volunteers
Inside the Home
Pets need foster care for a variety of reasons, and luckily our foster volunteers know how to help! Foster volunteers bring our animals into their homes where they might oversee a rabbit’s recovery from surgery, care for a litter of newborn kittens, or simply supply a loving environment to an animal awaiting adoption. There are always pets who will need that extra level of care and attention, which is why foster volunteers are essential to any animal welfare organization. We couldn’t do what we do without them!
Outside the Home
With our Doggy Date Program, volunteers take our pups out for an afternoon, an evening, or a whole day on the town! Volunteers treat our resident canines to a leisurely lunch date, a romp on the beach, perhaps a trip to the park or a stop to get ice cream, and even a hiking adventure in the great outdoors. Spending time outside their kennels is vital to the welfare of our animals, which is why our daytime foster volunteers are some of the best! We never take for granted their love and dedication to our resident dogs!
Thank you volunteers for all you do for the people and pets of our community!
