The animals and dedicated staff at Animal Care and Control (ACC) are calling for your help! Our shelter is a bustling hub of activity, serving a large number of animals and visitors daily. We are committed to providing exceptional care for every animal that comes through our doors, and to achieve this, we rely heavily on the generous support of volunteers like you. If you’re passionate about animal welfare and looking for a meaningful way to contribute to your community, we invite you to join our volunteer team and support our Animal Care And Control Foster Program indirectly through your valuable assistance within the shelter.
Volunteering at ACC offers a unique opportunity to make a direct impact on the lives of animals in need. Whether you have a few hours to spare each month or can commit to more regular involvement, your contribution is invaluable. To become a dedicated volunteer, we ask for a minimum commitment of 4 hours per month. Here are some of the key areas where your help is most needed:
Key Volunteer Roles at Animal Care and Control
Lobby Assistance and Animal Interaction
Become a friendly face for visitors and a comforting presence for animals! Our lobby attendant volunteers play a vital role in assisting our front desk staff. You’ll be instrumental in bringing animals from their adoption kennels to meet potential new families, facilitating those crucial first introductions that can lead to forever homes. This role also involves educating prospective pet owners about responsible pet ownership and guiding individuals who are searching for their lost companions within our shelter. Your warm demeanor and helpful guidance can make a significant difference during these sensitive interactions.
Animal Exercise and Socialization
Shelter life, while safe, can be restrictive for animals. Our dogs, cats, and small animals spend considerable time in their kennels and enclosures. As a volunteer in animal exercise and socialization, you’ll provide essential enrichment to their day. This rewarding role involves taking dogs for walks, offering gentle petting and affection, engaging in playtime in our side yards, and using toys to stimulate their minds and bodies. These interactions are crucial for their physical and emotional well-being, helping them build trust and maintain their spirits while they await their forever homes.
Laundry Support
Maintaining a clean and sanitary environment is paramount for the health and well-being of our animals. Our laundry volunteers provide essential support to our staff by ensuring a constant supply of clean bedding, towels, and other necessary items. This role involves washing, drying, and folding laundry, helping us keep our animal areas comfortable and hygienic. While seemingly simple, this task is vital to preventing the spread of illness and ensuring a pleasant environment for the animals in our care.
Off-Site Adoption Events
Adoption events are a lifeline for shelter animals, extending their visibility beyond our walls and into the community. As an off-site adoption event volunteer, you’ll be directly involved in helping animals find loving homes. Your tasks will include preparing animals for events through social skill assessments and bathing, gathering necessary supplies, and staffing the events themselves. Event day roles are varied and engaging, ranging from showcasing animals to the public and educating potential adopters, to assisting with adoption paperwork and even bringing smiles as our mascot! These events are critical for increasing adoption rates and finding permanent homes for deserving animals.
Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Clinics
Community health is intertwined with animal health. Our monthly rabies vaccination and microchip clinics provide vital preventative care to pets in our community. Volunteer support is essential to the smooth operation of these clinics, working alongside our veterinary staff. Your assistance may involve completing paperwork for pet owners and ensuring efficient line management, contributing directly to the health and safety of pets in our region.
Weekday Spay/Neuter Clinics
Spay and neuter services are fundamental to responsible animal care and control, helping to reduce pet overpopulation. Our weekday clinics offer these crucial surgeries, and volunteers play a supportive role in various aspects of the clinic. Volunteer tasks can include assisting with animal patient check-in, monitoring animals during surgery recovery, preparing instrument packs, and managing the flow of people in the clinic. Your help in these clinics directly supports our efforts in responsible pet population management.
Creating Animal Profiles: Pictures, Videos, and Bios
In today’s digital age, showcasing our adoptable animals online is essential for finding them homes. Volunteers with a flair for creativity can contribute by creating compelling pictures, engaging videos, and heartwarming biographies for our animals. These marketing materials are crucial for highlighting each animal’s unique personality and making them more appealing to potential adopters online, significantly increasing their chances of adoption.
Kennel Cleaning Assistance
Maintaining clean kennels is a constant need in a busy shelter environment. Our kennel cleaning volunteers are invaluable in helping us uphold hygiene standards for our dogs, cats, and other animals. This role involves cleaning dog kennels, cat cages, and sanitizing food and water bowls and toys. Your dedication to cleanliness directly contributes to a healthier and more comfortable environment for our shelter animals.
ID Tag Creation (“Tag Team”)
Pet identification is crucial for reuniting lost pets with their families. Our ID tag machine allows us to create immediate identification for pets. As a “Tag Team” volunteer, you’ll be trained to operate our user-friendly ID tag machine, providing this valuable service both at the shelter and at community events. Offering free ID tags helps ensure more pets can be quickly and safely returned home if they become lost.
Microchip Checkpoint Booths
Microchipping is a cornerstone of modern pet recovery. Our microchip checkpoint booths at community events offer a proactive way to ensure pets are registered and traceable. As a volunteer at these booths, you will learn to use a microchip scanner to check pets and record their information, registering them in both local and national databases. This service gives pet owners peace of mind and significantly increases the chances of lost pets being reunited with their families.
Joining Our Volunteer Team
Ready to make a difference in the lives of animals? The volunteer application process involves a few steps to ensure the safety and well-being of both our volunteers and animals, as we are part of the police department. After submitting your application and successfully completing a background check, you will be scheduled for a drug test. Once cleared, you’ll meet with a CMPD staff member for orientation and be partnered with a volunteer mentor for training. You’ll also receive your official On-Site Activity volunteer shirt for a small fee of $5.
We appreciate your patience as the volunteer process can take 3-6 weeks due to the necessary background checks and processing. We assure you that the wait is worthwhile, as you will be joining a dedicated team making a real difference for animals in need. Start your journey by filling out the volunteer application.
Group Volunteering Opportunities
If your group is looking for a team-building and impactful way to give back, we welcome group volunteer visits! Groups can provide invaluable assistance with tasks such as laundry and general cleaning around the shelter. To arrange a group volunteer day, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Cody Trespalacios, at [email protected].
Current Volunteers
Thank you to our existing volunteers for your ongoing dedication! Please remember to log your hours at myimpact.com.
By volunteering your time and skills, you directly support Animal Care and Control’s mission to provide exceptional care for animals and promote responsible pet ownership within our community. Your contribution, in any role, helps us create a better future for animals in need and indirectly supports the vital foster programs that rely on a smoothly functioning shelter. Join us today and be a part of something truly meaningful!
