VOLUNTEERING AT PVHS

PVHS operates entirely on the efforts of volunteers. Volunteering at our shelter is an opportunity to directly help animals and is very rewarding! We are currently without a building, but we still require volunteers to help fundraise & for spay/neuter shuttles! Once our new shelter is up & running (hopefully in March!), we will need MANY volunteers to help in our new, expanded shelter! If you would like to get your name on our list of volunteers, please email Tracie Titchkosky at tracietitchkosky@hotmail.com!

Note: There are no shift times listed below, as a new schedule may be in place for the new shelter! Times will be posted once the schedule is developed.

Our shelter has participated in the school credit program. If you are a student and would like to earn school credit for working at PVHS, please contact us.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A VOLUNTEER?

Shelter Positions:

Kennel Care Attendant - Care for the animals by providing food and water, and a clean environment to sleep in. This involves cleaning cat litter boxes and soiled paper in dog kennels. In addition, this position does general shelter clean-up duties such as sweeping and mopping floors, washing food bowls, and laundering bedding. Kennel Care Attendants must be 16 years of age or older.

Dog Walker - Give our canine friends some time away from the shelter and take them for a walk. All dogs must be leashed, and messes MUST be picked up. Often our dogs are not trained to walk well on a leash and will pull. This can be quite a work-out for your arm, so be prepared! However, we do have harnesses to help with this behavioral issue. This position may be asked to assist in brushing our dogs' fur when required. Families are welcome, however, anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. .

Cat Cuddler - Spend time socializing and playing with our felines and brushing their fur. Experienced cat people may be asked to clip nails. Families are welcome, however, anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. .

Dog Pee Break Provider - Lucky for us, most of our dogs are "house broken" and they try hard not to mess in their kennels. So, we like to give them extra pee breaks every day! During this time, the Dog Pee Break Provider will let our dogs out, individually or in designated groups, from thier kennel to run in the back yard. This position is also required to check that all water dishes are filled with clean water & any messes in the kennels are cleaned up.  The pm shift is required to settle the dogs into their indoor kennels for the night. The volunteer in this position works independently and will be responsible for locking up the shelter for the night. Dog Pee Break Providers must be 16 years of age or older. .

Shelter Office Attendant - This position involves dealing with the public in person, answering incoming calls, or returning phone messages, regarding adoptions or animals surrenders. The shelter office attendant must be familiar with the animals in order to give knowledable responsed to the public, therefore this position has a pre-requisite that the eligible volunteer has worked for a minimum of one month in any other shelter position. .

Animal Foster Home Provider:

Do you love animals but can't have a pet of your own? Give our animals a break from the shelter environment by offering them your cozy home for a while. Foster placements can be for weeks or months, depending on the situation. Foster homes are needed for dogs or cats with new litters of babies, as the shelter can be stressful for new moms. We require our foster homes with kittens or puppies to spend an hour or two a day handling the babies so they become well socialized with people. Other foster situations may exist for animals that are particularily stressed in the shelter environment. .

Fundraising:

We are always on the lookout for dynamic individuals to help us in raising money to keep the shelter running. The time requirement is minimal depending on the role in which you would like to take on. Some fundraising duties could include:

-participating in the Coin Can Collection Program by collecting coins on a monthly basis from designated cans in Carman, Winkler, Morden, Miami, Altona, Manitou, Morris (**presently all towns are covered but Manitou**)

-manning an adoption & donation solicitation booth at a local store

-soliciting businesses for prize donations for a silent auction

-manning an adoption & donation solicitation booth at a summer festival (Carman Fair in July, Winkler Harvest Festival in Aug, and Corn and Apple Festival in Aug)

-soliciting raffle tickets and donations at festivals by walking the crowd and approaching festival attendees

-participating in festival parades by walking a dog or soliciting a coin collection can

-planning and executing a fundraising event of your own.

HOW DO YOU BECOME A VOLUNTEER?

When you sign up to be a volunteer, you will be assessed as a Level 1 (Kennel Care Attendant, dog walking, cat cuddling) or as a Level 2 (Shift Leader).

All volunteers much complete an application, waiver, and orientation before they begin. Although we request it, only Level 2 volunteers will be required to complete a criminal record check

If you would like to join our team, please email our volunteer co-ordinator, Tracie Titchkosky at tracietitchkosky@hotmail.com or phone 822-9413 and leave your name and contact info. Please feel free to contact us for more information!

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