Don’t be surprised if it takes you a while to get a response about volunteering or if a shelter tells you they don’t need volunteers right now. This means volunteer abroad with confidence - knowing that your volunteer work with animals and other like-minded travelers will be rewarding and life-changing. However, if that's not an option. A Comprehensive Guide. Junior Volunteers, ages 12-16 years old, may volunteer with an Adult Volunteer Partner over the age of 21. IVHQ has more than 13 years experience working with responsible and trusted wildlife conservation organizations, animal sanctuaries and animal shelters around the world. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? On top of a commitment to a length of time, you usually also have to commit to at least one shift every other week. Hop to It! You will get to play with animals, but that will not be your only responsibility. In addition to teaching the dogs tricks, you can also take them on walks and train them how to act appropriately on a walk. You may be able to be put on a volunteer waitlist. Volunteers are trained by our staff members and existing volunteers, and commit to a minimum of three months with us, in which they can help in a variety of roles. If you’re unable to find a website, use whatever contact information you can find through Google to get in touch with someone (whether through phone or email) who works at the shelter and ask about volunteering. If you don’t have the time to commit to working at a shelter, consider job shadowing a veterinarian for a day or two. Are you interested in potentially becoming a veterinarian or doing other work with animals? If you're younger than 16, there are other ways to get involved. Keep in mind that, as I said before, volunteer work is not all fun. Photo: ian.m.phillips There are thousands of animal shelters in the United States, and you may be considering volunteering with one of them, or possibly even beginning at job there.. You may be wondering what it’s like to work at a shelter. … is a contributing guest author for Germ, which means the following criteria (and then some) have been met: possessor of a fresh, original voice; creator of fresh, original content; genius storyteller; superlative speller; fantastic dancer; expert joke teller; handy with a toolbox; brilliant at parties; loves us as much as we love them. Overall, volunteering at the animal rescue was one f the most rewarding experiences of my life. Consider checking it out! You'll help to provide veterinary care to animals that would otherwise be left to fend for themselves on the streets. You'll help guide people on their path to finding their dream pet. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It also helps shelters that are low on labor continue their endless care of animals. Love animals? What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Colleges want students who're experts in something. When I first came to the shelter, I have to admit I was terrified of cats. Volunteering at an animal shelter can also be a great experience for your college application. Animal Shelter Volunteer. Volunteering with animals abroad is a great opportunity for everyone who loves animals and wants to give something back to them. Learn how to find their contact information in the next section. Again, contact your local shelter or humane society to ask about their specific volunteer requirements. AHS requires a one-year commitment to volunteering. Care for the animals kept at the shelter by feeding and giving them baths, taking them for walks or playing with them. Ultimately, plan B was a great decision! I can tell you from firsthand experience: Do not wear your favorite shirt when training the dogs how to sit and stay because the big slobbering kiss that the Boxer is going to give you is going all over it. The experience was as motivating and exciting as it was to teach my own Labradoodle puppy to do the same tricks. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. But when I came with my friend, a cat lover, she convinced me to “socialize” the cats and interact with one of them directly. Working at an animal shelter isn’t the most glamorous work. Doria Leibowitz is a high school junior best known for her floor hockey goalie-ing skills, yes FLOOR hockey. We will contact you shortly regarding our next new volunteer orientation. However, fostering is a big commitment, so make sure that you and your family have the time to dedicate to caring for the animal you foster. Job shadowing is a great, quick way to learn more about veterinary work. Our volunteers can work in a number of areas including reception, events, fundraising, fostering, animal care, home checking and Trustees. This is probably the most difficult task because each dog acts differently on their walk, and it becomes hard to gauge how each dog will react in certain situations. However, if that's not an option, try to approach the next closest shelter in your area. Ask questions; get answers. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age to volunteer independently. Despite all this, volunteering at the animal shelter is a great experience. Ashbourne Animal Welfare: Was established in 1988 and is dedicated to the rescue … You’ll Get Attached to an Animal, and Then it Will Get Adopted. You get to play with them, make sure they live in a clean environment, and help them find loving homes. What will you do as a volunteer? I highly recommend engaging in volunteer work even if you ultimately decide an animal shelter is not the right place for you. Learn how your comment data is processed. Ask below and we'll reply! fter all of these things are done, you'll have a chance to play with the animals. So every time I came with a treat, without even giving the commands, she immediately sat and gave me her paw. Some people stay for an hour or a day and others return year after year. Fill one out to get started. They may require you to be physically fit enough to stand and or walk for up to 3 hours and be able to lift and carry 20 lbs or more. Make sure you complement your animal shelter volunteer work with other animal-related experiences (i.e. Shelters need volunteers to clean cages, fill water or food bowls, provide company to the animals, walk the dogs, play with the cats, do training and socialization, and more. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {}); As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. I realized that I didn’t need a fancy internship just to get the hands-on experience I was looking for. People come from all over the world to volunteer - bringing love, hope and help to our dogs. It’s always a difficult decision because the dogs always get so excited to see you, and it can be hard to just pick one. Prior experience is not essential, but a passion for animal welfare, the desire to work with others and a sense of maturity is vital. Most shelters make you commit to at least a few months of volunteering, if not a full year. Make a difference to pets' lives - and yours too. hosting a fundraiser to build a dog park or gathering signatures to add an animal to the endangered species list). You’ll likely also be cleaning up after them, sweeping, mopping, filling water and food bowls, tidying litter boxes, washing towels, etc. Shifts range from 2-4 hours depending on the shelter. It showed me that there are a lot of wonderful pets who are placed into shelters each and every day who really just want to be loved. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. It inspired me to encourage the people in my community to … Volunteering at an animal shelter can be a rewarding experience with many benefits. Becoming a Volunteer Visit the shelter. While volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience, it's not going to be fun and games all the time. All must attend STEPS training and accompany Junior Volunteers must be accompanied at all times while volunteering at the shelter by their Adult Volunteer Partner. If you have specific questions about our volunteer program, please email: volunteer@azfriends.org. There are so many ways to volunteer your time to the shelter. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. Before you decide to volunteer at the shelter, go visit. Additionally, many extracurricular experiences cost money (such as volunteer abroad programs). Assist in cleaning and sanitizing all cages/kennels on a daily basis. If you’re interested in medicine in general (and not just working with animals), consider doing a summer medical program, summer medical internship, volunteering at a hospital, or job shadowing a doctor. Volunteer with Blue Cross and you could be a dog walker, cat foster or a horse groomer, alongside many other opportunities. It's a great way to make friends and spend time with cuddly critters. From animal handling and cage cleaning to administrative tasks, the work of animal rescue volunteers is the true core of the HSUS’s mission to save animals' lives. Animal Welfare Organisations in the UK. Volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience. Another alternative is fostering an animal if you have space at your house (and your parents allow it). You’ll likely also have to deal with some customer service work such as answering phone calls and responding to adoption questions. You get to work with animals and meet like-minded animal lovers! If your passion is animals, or something similar, working at an animal shelter will look great on your application. If you are over the age of 18, please fill out this online form. How is volunteering at an animal shelter different than other volunteer work? try to be an expert in one field rather than well-rounded. Feb 19, 2015. These jobs include: NOTE: Some shelters require you be 18 years or older to do certain jobs such as animal transport. A $25 application fee is required for all applicants. There’s lots of ways you can get involved, like helping in one of our charity shops where you’ll meet like-minded people and gain valuable experience. Here are a few of the animal welfare charities in the Uk listed in our Volunteering with Animals Ebook, that offer voluntary work experience. Experience: 3 yrs 10 mo. Here at PrepScholar, we often recommend you try to be an expert in one field rather than well-rounded. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. Most shelters only allow volunteers aged 16 and older. I hope that some day I can return and that you too will see what a difference volunteering at an animal shelter can make in your life and the lives of needy animals. It's challenging work, but it can also be a rewarding process. While there are many tough chores, like cleaning up after the animals and washing their dirty beds, there are also fun ways to directly interact with the animals. Babies Being Scared of Their Own Shadows Is Hilarious, and We Are All Terrible People for Laughing, Big Sky: Intriguing Characters, Horrifying Encounters, The Undoing: HBO’s Latest Thrilling Series, Starring Nicole Kidman, Chemical Hearts: A New, More Dismal Look at Love. While I still prefer hanging out with the dogs, I make sure to set aside enough time to go to the cat room during a visit, especially because most volunteers only come for the dogs. You’ll likely also be cleaning up after them, sweeping, mopping, filling water … It's going to be work first, and then fun. Finding an animal shelter near you should be as simple as conducting a Google Search for “[Your Town Name] Animal Shelter” or “[Your Town Name] Animal Rescue” or  “[Your Town Name] Humane Society.” That should lead you to the website for an animal shelter or, at least, the contact information for an animal shelter near you. New shelter and event volunteers, administration helpers, drivers and foster carers are always needed to help us with our important behind the scenes tasks. When not stopping an orange ball from getting past her or trying to serve an ace, she is playing with her huge dog, Fenway. Many people don’t realize the importance of donations for a shelter’s survival. Volunteers help clean, build and repair houses and fences, walk and cuddle the dogs. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Working in an animal shelter offers plenty of rewards to people who enjoy helping the most vulnerable creatures. Are there alternative experiences? Or maybe you're just hoping to play with animals? If you’re interested in working with animals (but don’t want to or can't work at an animal shelter), you could try some similar alternatives. Related: Veterinary,Animal Trainers. However, fostering is a big commitment, so make sure that you and your family have the time to dedicate to caring for the animal you foster. Looking for something to do this summer? What to Expect: Volunteering at an Animal Shelter. Additionally, if you work at a kill shelter, you might get attached to animals who get adopted or euthanized. Now, however, my family and I were staying for a long visit in the United States, and I … … This guide will answer all those questions and more, so read on! Volunteering in an animal related industry means you have the chance to make friends of both the human and animal varieties. Working as a shelter volunteer, you'll learn so much about what it takes to take care of animals. They may also let you volunteer if your legal guardian signs off on it or if your legal guardian volunteers with you. ), there is a dog walking app called Wag, where you can set your own hours to walk dogs. Are you looking for volunteer opportunities in Gilbert? Get the latest articles and test prep tips! I already had 2 dogs at home. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. You'll have to do menial work such as cleaning up after the animals before you can play with them. Two years ago, when I was seeking summer plans, all I wanted to do was work with animals. While volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience, it's not going to be fun and games all the time. If you’re under 16 and want to volunteer, see if they’ll make an exception. Animal Shelter Volunteer @ ASPCA of Washington County. Create My Resume Animal Shelter Volunteer long walks that I would take with other rescue dogs. You Will Gain New Perspective On Life & Importance. Things to know about volunteer work with Animal Welfare League NSW: Volunteers need their own transport to get to the shelter as public transport is limited; All prospective volunteers must be 18 years or over; Volunteers need to be physically fit; They must possess the ability to work independently; They must be confident in animal handling (experience would be advantageous) They must be able to follow … Getting a volunteer position at an animal shelter is possible if you write a strong resume that impresses the hiring manager. Don't Let Animal Volunteer Opportunities Abroad Pass You by You'll learn how hard it is, how rewarding it is, and how sad it can be. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. Volunteering at animal shelters can be very popular, and some shelters already have a lot of volunteers and don’t need more help. Volunteer. Join us for an unforgettable summer of helping animals by participating in our Student Volunteer Experience program. This unique program is open to high school students entering grades 10-12 and recent high school graduates who want to volunteer with … There are lots of other benefits too, such as: 1. Volunteers are the heart of our shelter. If you need to make money and don’t have the time to volunteer for free, consider trying to get a job as a dog walker or pet sitter. These shelters spend time and money training their volunteers, so they want to make sure you’re committed. You should check out the Emory Pre-College Program and the Boston University Summer Challenge. When I heard about this, I solicited small donations from my school to allow the shelter to purchase necessities, which made the shelter extremely grateful. 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