helping hands pet rescue volunteer manual - … · bianca bunners, adoption ambassador 2015 edition...

2015Edition

Bianca Bunners

Adoption Ambassador

2015 Edition

VolunteerManual

Bianca Bunners, Adoption Ambassador 2015 Edition

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Welcome to Helping Hands Pet Rescue!..................................................3 • Welcome and Thank You! • About Helping Hands • What does Helping Hands do?

Volunteering at Helping Hands Pet Rescue…….......…………………...6 • What can you do at Helping Hands Pet Rescue? • Process to Volunteer at Helping Hands

Scheduling Your Service………………………………………………..7 • You Must Communicate • Closing Time • Log Your Volunteer Service Hours • Missing Shifts • Contact Information

Code of Conduct…………………...……………………………………8 • Respectful Behavior • Non-Helping Hands/Pets • Privacy Policy & Conveying Correct Information • Dress Code • Fosters • Parking/Directions • Smoking • Drugs and Alcohol • Cell Phones • Animal Care • Injuries • Complaints • Discipline • Volunteer Term

Working with Helping Hands…………………………...……………..12 • Media Relations • Euthanasia • Disease Control


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Community Groups & Events………………………...…..……………13 • Ad Hoc Activities & Events • Volunteer Groups or Organizations

Volunteer Training………………………………….....…...…………..14 • Adoption Event Set-up • Adoption Event Break-down • Dog Care • Cat Care • Adoption Counselor • Puppy Patrol • Transport Services

Volunteer Jobs……………………………………………………...….15 • Adoption Counselor • Dog/Cat Care, Dog Walking • Event Set-Up/Break-Down • Puppy Patrol

Community Support…………………….……………………………..20 • Donations


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Welcome to Helping Hands Pet Rescue! As a volunteer, your role is a very important part of our organization. You may not realize the difference your time and volunteering make. Not only does your volunteer work help the dogs and cats of Helping Hands find loving and forever homes, you also have a hand in the interactions with the adopters and being a pillar in the community. It’s rewarding to see the happiness in the eyes of a child or the happy wag of a tail, as perfect matches are formed.

Every small interaction that you have, whether it be walking a dog, assisting a family with finding a specific type of dog, or helping by fostering a dog or cat, you are important to helping our organization run smoothly. Our fostering program helps dogs and cats exhibit socialization skills, and many volunteers are involved in this. This is a great way of letting the animals improve interactions with humans, so records can be kept and displayed at adoption events.

Thank You for Your Help!

Thank you for giving us your time and for helping animals to find their forever homes. We appreciate your commitment to helping us to help cats and dogs get a second chance. An individual’s reason for coming to dedicate their time may be unique, but many have reasons in common:

→ Your wish to help find homes for animals that deserve a second chance → You want to be a part of making our community more responsible for our pets → You want to help save lives

One of our goals is to empty out shelters and help save animals on the euthanasia lists. Another is to help the animals we rescue find a safe and loving forever homes. The time and energy you contribute by volunteering helps us achieve these goals.

Since your support as a volunteer is extremely important, your decision to participate must be made with the full understanding of the commitment and responsibility it demands. This handbook has been prepared for you as a reference guide. It contains information regarding our policies & procedures, tools for dealing with the public, and how to safely handle shelter animals. Please read it carefully so you will be well equipped to answer questions knowledgeably and to provide quality care to the animals.

Thank you for giving your time and energy to Helping Hands Pet Rescue! We hope the time you spend here will be beneficial and rewarding to you, as well as the animals you will be helping.


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Helping Hands Pet Rescue is a 501C3 non-profit pet rescue dedicated to saving the lives of shelter dogs and cats. All adoptable animals are available for viewing at PetSmart on select weekends, or by appointment. While we do not have a shelter where people can come and view our dogs and cats, we make sure to try and work with people who are interested in adopting an animal. We have built a wonderful team that stewards our mission of professionalism, compassion, responsibility, commitment, integrity, and accountability. We work closely with Alachua County Animal Services and several rural animal shelters.

We are committed to promoting responsible pet ownership through spaying/neutering, micro-chipping, and vaccinations. Our mission is to save the lives of and rehome unwanted companion animals while promoting spay/neuter and responsible pet ownership.

Helping Hands was formed in 2000 by a team of veterinary technicians and a few wonderfully supportive veterinarians. Initially, we were completely based out of an animal hospital that focused on greyhounds and puppy mill dogs. In 2001, we joined with 4 other local adoption agencies as part of the Alachua County Maddie’s Fund Partners. Named after their beloved pet, Maddie’s Fund was created by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to help save homeless pets in desperate need of love and care. Shelter pets are given new opportunities to find compassionate homes in which they will receive love, joy, and companionship.

Our goal has been to reduce the number of healthy, savable cats and dogs that are euthanized at Animal Services facilities. It is also our desire to help minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering to animals, both in our care and outside our care. The majority of our intakes are acquired directly from the euthanasia list from Alachua County Animal Services, as well as the small rural kill shelters in surrounding counties. We take a limited number of intakes from the public. We’ve grown from an organization that had approximately 20 adoptions in 2000 to an organization that completed 984 adoptions in 2014 and reunited 4 other animals with their rightful owners.

Helping Hands is dedicated to pet adoptions. In addition to housing and providing veterinary care to all animals brought to the rescue, we work diligently to place these animals in forever homes. Through our website and social media sites, we work hard to have a wide adoption pool. We also offer a pet fostering program along with hands-on volunteer training.


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Placement of Pets through Adoption and Rescue Groups → We make dogs and cats available for adoption every weekend, unless specified on

Facebook, at the local PetSmart located on Archer Road in Gainesville. → Our adoption fees vary for each cat and dog. If you contact us through social media or the

e-mail address listed on our website, we will happily talk to you about our adoptable dogs and cats.

Lost and Found → People who have lost pets should be encouraged to contact Helping Hands, if the lost pet

was adopted from us. → If the Helping Hands staff members, or volunteers, locate any stray animal with an ID tag

or microchip, Helping Hands will attempt to contact the owner, or contact the agency that issued the rabies tag, in order to return the pet to its rightful home.

Pet Licensing – the Law in Alachua County → It is required that all dogs and cats living in Alachua County have a license tag and must

wear them at all times. New residents have 30 days from the date they move in to purchase a license tag. If you are a seasonal resident or student and you reside in Alachua County for more than 30 days consecutively or more than 6 months out of the year, you are required to have a license tag.

→ Annual Cost $20 for sterilized dogs $10 for sterilized cats

Rabies Prevention → All untreated animal bites should be reported to the Environmental Health Section of the

Department of Health at: 352-334-7930. Investigating all untreated animal bites prevents the transmission of rabies to humans.

Animal Cruelty → Citizens must report known acts of cruelty or neglect. Cruelty to an animal is often the

training grounds for child abuse or domestic cruelty. The basic needs of an animal require that they have access to food, water, shelter, and exercise. Please report abuse to: Alachua County Animal Services at 352-264-6870

Owner Surrender → Some owners cannot, or chose not to, fulfill the commitment of ownership to animals

brought into their homes. We try to offer alternatives to surrendering, if possible. → If owners choose to surrender the animal to us, we will make every attempt to take it back

in to our rescue and offer the pet another chance at a forever home.


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What can you do for Helping Hands Pet Rescue? On the following pages, you will see a variety of job descriptions. Review the choices and then contact our Volunteer Coordinator who will help you decide where you are most needed, based on your background and your interests.

We are looking for committed volunteers who can participate in Helping Hands activities at least once a month, if possible. While this is not required, reliable participation helps the animals at Helping Hands and helps the volunteer stay connected with the team and current with the happenings of the Helping Hands team.

Any donation of time is helpful. We understand if your schedule prohibits you from volunteering at regularly scheduled times. There are many other ways you can volunteer, such as on special adoption weekends or by making donations. Be sure to keep up with our main Facebook page, as wells as our Volunteer Facebook page for upcoming events. Opportunities to get involved and stay connected with the Helping Hands team are always available.

Process to Volunteer at Helping Hands 1. Go to our website, www.hhrescue.net, where you will find our volunteer form. Fill out

the form to begin your volunteering opportunity. Your next step on the road to volunteering with us is to send the completed for via e-mail to: [email protected]. This will allow you to get more information about volunteer opportunities and additional information on how to get involved.

2. Sign up for Volunteer Orientation. All volunteers should attend a volunteer orientation session to learn the basics of the positions of interest indicated on the volunteer form. The orientation will be brief, but very informative. Volunteer Orientation will last approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of each event at PetSmart, normally starting at 10:30 a.m. Volunteers should wear close-toed shoes and pants, if they are concerned about possibly being scratched by overly excited dogs.

3. Sign up for volunteer activities. Assignments for a variety of volunteer duties are posted on the Volunteer Facebook page at about the middle of the week. Once posted, you can choose the position you feel most comfortable with. You will then post what you would like to do and the hours you can work. Since you attend orientation the day of the event, you don’t have to worry about trying to train before the weekly post. Also, after you have attended training you are not required to attend additional sessions, unless you want to. Feel free to expand on any positions you would like to do.


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You Must Communicate Volunteer accountability and communication is vital to the overall success of Helping Hands. To ensure coverage of volunteer activities, all volunteers must join our Helping Hands Pet Rescue Volunteer group at www.facebook.com/groups/HelpingHandsPetRescue/. Each week there will be a post for that week’s adoption event. Feel free to comment relating the times you can work, if you can work, or if you cannot work. Also, don’t be upset if you indicate you cannot work, and then later find you are free. Helping Hands will welcome you. Feel free to stop by PetSmart to work. Simply let one of the adoption counselors know how long you can stay. Remember, communication is the key to a successful relationship with Helping Hands.

Closing Time Every weekend, our adoption event ends at 5:00 pm. At the end of the day, we break-down, stack the crates together, load the dogs into the trailer, and put away the tables and chairs. This part of the event is very hectic. Therefore, we can always use extra volunteers to help during this time to expedite the break-down process.

Logging your hours This section relates to those who are working to meet a required number of volunteer hours or those recording the number of hours they worked for a class or organization. Logging time is also important for community support and program development as well as volunteer appreciation. Attached is a volunteer log template you can use to keep track of your hours. It is a document so you can type directly on. Helping_Hands_Volunteer_Log.docx

Missing Shifts Your support matters—both the animals and the Helping Hands team are counting you. If you sign-up for a position, be sure to come to work. Notify us on the Facebook page if you cannot make it, or if you will be late. We depend on our volunteers to be dependable and punctual. When two or more are no-shows, it negatively affects the organization’s success.

Contact Information It is very important to keep your contact information up-to-date at all times. Please notify us on Facebook, or e-mail of changes in address, phone number, emergency contact, or email address in a timely manner.


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Respectful Behavior As a member of the Helping Hands team, you are a representative of the Helping Hand’s brand and image. Therefore, you are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner. You must be respectful and courteous in your interactions with the public and team. Disrespectful or unprofessional behavior, sexual harassment, disparaging remarks, threats, discrimination or vulgar language will not be tolerated and you may be asked to cease your volunteer work as a result of such conduct. This code of conduct applies to online and/or written material, as well as personal interactions with Board members, volunteers, and members of the public. The basic principal is to commit to providing excellent customer service to our visitors and fellow volunteers.

Non-Helping Hands Guests/Pets It is not appropriate to bring children who are not registered Helping Hands volunteers or your own pets to the adoption events while you are performing volunteer activities. All Helping Hands volunteers need to be registered, complete the volunteer orientation, sign the appropriate volunteer agreements, and have permission to attend the events. Volunteers with unapproved guests or pets will be asked to leave and return without the pet or guest. If you find you are unable to perform your duty because of complying with the no guest/no pet rule, or any other distraction, please let us know through Facebook or on-site. We will make arrangements.

Privacy Policy & Conveying Correct Information Information pertaining to Helping Hands records, or relating to specific cases surrounding Helping Hands are strictly confidential and may not be discussed with others. Please refrain from offering potential adopters with information on fees and policies unless you are certain you have current and accurate information. When in doubt, always refer the adopter to a Helping Hands team member. Volunteers are not to disclose confidential information (personal information, financial, etc.) of shelter customers or of volunteers/Board Directors. Only Helping Hands approved signage and messaging are allowed on the premises during an event. Do not write notes or messages on the crate cards, on paper signs, or affix any other signs or messages without prior approval from the Executive Director, Volunteer Coordinator or Cat Coordinator.


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Dress Code Come prepared with the mindset that anything you wear will get dirty. When working with animals, it is advised to cover as much skin as possible to avoid scratches, exposure to zoonotic communicable illness, ringworm, mange, fleas and/or ticks. This is entirely optional, however, so feel free to wear shorts. As a Helping Hands volunteer, you are required to wear the following during each adoption event for Helping Hands:

• Helping Hands Volunteer badge – this will be available when you arrive at the adoption event at PetSmart. Once you complete the volunteer orientation, pick up a name tag from the table and write your name on it. While not everyone has to wear a Helping Hands t-shirt, it would be appropriate to wear pants, if desired, close-toed shoes, and a comfortable shirt.

• Helping Hands volunteer shirt-- If you wish to buy one, ask one of the Helping Hands team members and they can help you order one. When dressing for work please wear something comfortable and appropriate. When talking with potential adopters you are a reflection of our organization. It is helpful when you wear a Helping Hands shirt so that you appear consistently recognizable to the public.

• Long pants are not required but recommended – jeans, khakis, other long pants, or shorts are acceptable. Please do not wear skorts, skirts, or dresses. If you are worried about potential scrapes or scratches, then we recommend you wear pants that are comfortable.

• Comfortable close-toed shoes – no sandals or flip flops please.

Fosters Fosters are considered volunteers and should put on a volunteer badge if they stay during the adoption event. It is their responsibility to arrive at each adoption event in a timely manner so that the animal they are fostering has the best chance possible of getting adopted. If fosters will be late, or cannot make it to the weekly event, they should notify Helping Hands on the Facebook page, by phone, or directly with a volunteer coordinator.


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Parking/Directions Weekend events are located at the Gainesville, FL, PetSmart at 3736 SW Archer Road in Butler Plaza. Enter through the front entrance to volunteer. You may park in the PetSmart parking lot. When you enter PetSmart, proceed past the reptiles and birds and when you reach the pet training area, turn left. We are located right behind the training area. Let them know you are there to work, pick up a name tag, and sign-in.

Smoking Smoking is prohibited in the building and at our adoption events. Volunteers who wish to smoke must do so in a smoking zone. Ask a PetSmart employee to locate designated smoking areas. While working as a Helping Hands volunteer, you may not smoke except when on breaks and out of public view.

Drugs and Alcohol Under no circumstances will a volunteer work at our event under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If suspected of being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, you will be asked to leave immediately and will be subject to termination from the Helping Hands Volunteer Program.

Cell Phones While you are at one of our events, we want you to keep your focus on the animals in your care, as well as the potential adopters who may need assistance. Helping Hands would prefer that you refrain from using your cell phone or mobile device to avoid the possibility of creating unsafe situations. To keep your phone from being damaged by active pets, we suggest you keep it in your pocket or in a purse behind the counseling table in the wood cabinet. Cell phone use while handling an animal is strictly prohibited and volunteers should refrain from using their phones while interacting with Helping Hands customers. If it is necessary for you to have your cell phone with you while volunteering, set the ringer to vibrate or silent, and use your cell phone in non-working areas only. Ear buds, headsets, and headphones shall not be used at any time while volunteering with Helping Hands.

Animal Care It is expected that helping Hands Volunteers will treat all animals in the shelter’s care with compassion and gentleness. Ask for assistance from one of Helping Hands Volunteer Lead when


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needed, and use caution at all times. When handling and animal, volunteers must always have the appropriate crate card visible for that animal. Do not write messages on crate cards – notify the Helping Hands Volunteer Lead of any observations or information you feel may need to be noted for an animal. Volunteers are not to diagnose medical cases, remove sick animals from the shelter without permission from the director, or take and animals from the event without proper documentation and/or approval from the Executive Director or Cat Coordinator. Any volunteer doing so will be subjected to dismissal.

Injuries You are responsible for your own health and welfare, so be sure to mind all signs and safety precautions. If you are injured while at a Helping Hands event, you must notify one of the volunteer team members on duty immediately.

Complaints Your point of contact regarding volunteering, or during activities, is the volunteer lead or counselor at the event. Bring your concerns and questions to them first. If you have a complaint regarding a team member or any issue with Helping Hands policy, immediately bring it to the attention of the volunteer lead at the event so it can be resolved. If you are not satisfied with the resolution, you may take your complaint to the director of Helping Hands.

If you have difficulties working with other volunteers or team members, bring the situation to the attention of the volunteer lead or counselor working the event as soon as possible. We want to resolve issues so that we can all work effectively as a team. Immediately report anything you interpret as harassment from a volunteer or the public to the volunteer lead or director. Helping Hands wants to ensure your safety and the safety of all volunteers.

Discipline Volunteers who commit minor violations of policy and procedure will be verbally counseled in an effort to achieve acceptable compliance. Such violations could include disruptive behavior, habitual absenteeism, misstatement of Helping Hands policies, etc. Continued violations could result in additional counseling or dismissal.

Volunteer Term Both you and Helping Hands, at any time, are free with or without notice or cause, to end the volunteer relationship. Dismissed volunteers are not permitted to work unless first contacted by the Director or Board and then under a supervisory period.


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Media Relations Volunteers are specifically prohibited from speaking on behalf of Helping Hands Pet Rescue to any representative of the media. You are more than welcome to attend rallies in support of causes you believe in. However, please do not wear a Helping Hands volunteer shirt to these events.

Euthanasia Helping Hands is a no-kill organization, with the exception of the pet being completely untreatable or if the case of unhealthy animals that come into our hands. We hope that more animals will be adopted so we can reduce the amount of animals at Alachua County Animal Services and surrounding open intake shelters. We also hope that through spay/neuter efforts and human education there will be far fewer cats and dogs needing homes.

Disease Control Helping Hands Pet Rescue is responsible to ensuring public safety including rabies control and other zoonotic disease containment. As a volunteer at Helping Hands, you must be sure to wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer, frequently as well as clean all animal handling equipment thoroughly to prevent the spread of disease in the shelter.

If you are bitten or scratched, you should report it immediately to the Adoption Counselor or Volunteer Lead. Be sure, if you report it, to have the identity of the animal ready. You are responsible for your own personal health and are advised to seek medical treatment from a doctor if the bite or scratch is serious.


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Ad Hoc Activities & Events Helping Hands schedules and plans events that may coincide with their events, or happen completely separate from the normal weekend event. As such, Helping Hands Pet Rescue has established protocols, procedures, branding standards, and assigned resources. Event proposals should be submitted to the Helping Hands director or one of the Helping Hands Board of Directors through the Facebook page or through the e-mail found on our website. We also hold full weekend events 4 times a year. These events cover both Saturday and Sunday and are very rewarding.

Volunteer Groups or Organizations Any group or organization wishing to sponsor or provide group volunteers must contact us to make arrangements. Groups will not be allowed to assemble at events or promote their business, cause, or messaging without prior approval from Helping Hands Board and/or Director. They will need to fill out the volunteer forms and attend orientation on the weekend they wish to volunteer. Be sure to contact us after you have your volunteer forms filled out so we know the approximate number of people to expect so that each person has a job and position to work.


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Class Description Schedule

Adoption Event Set-up

Set up of crates and adoption area at PetSmart. Generally takes place every Friday late afternoon. Must be reliable. Generally takes about 1-2 hours.

Training that takes place on Friday afternoon, see our Facebook for the specific time to be there and plan to arrive early.

Adoption Event Break-

down

Break down of crates and clean-up of adoption area of PetSmart. This happens either Saturday at 7 PM or Sunday at 4:30 PM.

Training happens at the event, either before or after your first adoption event you attend.

Dog Care

Works during the events. Walks the dogs and helps anyone who wishes to see a particular animal. Also talk with the adopters and answer any questions.

Training happens before your first adoption event between 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM.

Cat Care

In charge of watching the cats and helping potential adopters with any question they may have. Also, will handle the cats if someone would like to see them.


Adoption Counselor

Work behind the tables, helping adopters finalize and answer any questions they may have before they leave with the animal. They also look over each application before starting the actual adoption process.

Special training that will take place outside the event. Send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Puppy Patrol

In charge of the litters of puppies that are at the event. Must make sure that the customers use hand sanitizer before they pet the puppies and in between litters of puppies.


Transport Services

Transport of animals from Alachua County Animal Services to either the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, FL or to our kennel facility on Micanopy, FL.

Special training, contact us through our Facebook and keep in touch with our group so you can see any post about needing transport.


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Adoptions at Helping Hands • Adoption Counselor • Set-up and Break-down

Animal Behavior • Dog Care • Cat Care

Foster Home • Foster Home Parent

On-Site Adoption Events • Ad Hoc Events

Animal Care • Dog Walking • Puppy Patrol

Various • Transport Services


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Major Objective: To assist potential adopters with their applications and discuss the specifics of the animal they wish to adopt.

Key Responsibilities

v Read over each application presented by potential adopters and flag any information that may need to be questioned further. This ensures the animal is going to a loving and caring home.

v Provide excellent personal interactions with potential adopters, so that they have a wonderful experience to share with other potential adopters.

v Discuss the medical record with the potential adopter regarding the animal they are interested in. Include the microchip and vaccine record.

v Go over the responsibilities they have as a pet owner, answer any questions they may have, and require the adopter to sign the terms and agreement form.

v Inform them that all dogs must leave on a leash and collar, and all cats must leave in some type of carrier.

v Positively represent the Helping Hand’s policies and philosophies.

Qualifications

v Volunteers must maintain positive and professional attitudes with adopters. v Volunteers must have attended the Volunteer Orientation for being a counselor. v Volunteers should wear close-toed shoes and, if they wish, pants.

Training

v The training for this position is separate from other positions, as it requires more training and practice.

v See our Facebook page, or contact us through our email, if you are interested in training for this position.

Commitment

v Adoptions occur every weekend from 11 AM to 5 PM. While you do not need to be present the entire time, it is recommended that when sign-up is available on the Facebook page during the week, you specify what times you are available to be the adoption counselor. This way we can cover all shifts with the appropriate number of volunteers to keep the adoptions moving forward smoothly.


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Major Objective: As the events can be very tiring on the dogs that are waiting to find their forever homes, they will need some exercise and excitement to keep them healthy and happy. As a volunteer, you can provide them with playful companionship through walking and playing.


v Safely provide the animals in your care with a relaxing but playful experience. v Help ensure that all the animals at the adoption event have the opportunity to enjoy time

outside. v Assist with the movement of animals in and out of their cages, so that adopters have the

opportunity to interact with the animals. v Help adopters with any questions they may have, regarding both the pets and the policies

of Helping Hands. v Help adopters get started in the adoption process.

Qualification

v Volunteers must have attended a Volunteer Orientation. v Volunteers must wear close-toed shoes and, if concerned with getting scraps and

scratches, should wear pants. v Volunteers should be friendly and welcoming to the customers, so everyone has positive

experiences.

Training

v The training for Dog Walking and Dog Care is simple. The training sessions will occur before your shift, from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM. They will teach you how to handle each dog type, and anything that you may need to know to do your job to the best of your ability.

Commitment

v Dog Walking and Dog Care go hand-in-hand in this position. You are working with the dogs and helping the potential adopters interact with the animals at the same time. The walking schedule is very flexible. The dogs are walked during slow times and when there are enough volunteers. This way everyone gets to spend some time both walking the dogs and helping potential adopters as they search for a pet.


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Major Objective: To ensure the adoption location is set-up on Friday afternoon and completely broken down and put away on Saturday afternoon. If there is a two day adoption event, then the break down would happen on Sunday afternoon.


v Set Up o Put crates together and place them in a row. Be certain all crates are sturdy. Set up

X-pens for puppies. o Set up tables and tablecloths for both cats and small dogs (if necessary), and the

adoption section. o Get folding chairs from specified areas and place them at the table. o Set out beds, cat litter trays, cat water bowls, and dog water bowls.

v Break Down o May need to assist in carrying and leading dogs to trailer outside o Collapse crates and set in a stack on pallet. o Take crate cards and any paperwork and place it with the important documents. o Dispose of the hay from X-pens, cat litter, and water from bowls. o Put dog beds in specified bags and cat beds in specified bags. o Fold table clothes, collapse tables, and put folding chairs away in breakroom.

Qualifications

v Volunteers must be work oriented and practice safe working skills when collapsing and assembling the crates, as they are metal and it is easy to pinch fingers.

v Volunteers must be registered and attend volunteer orientation.

Training

v Training for set up will take place on Friday instead of Saturday. For the best time to arrive, refer to our volunteer Facebook page. The time to arrive will be posted. For break down, the training will occur after the adoption event on Saturday.

Commitment

v Set up and break down is a crucial part of our organization. The more volunteers that work, the faster it will go. If you plan on going to help, please tell us on our volunteer Facebook page. However, if you cannot make it please let the Volunteer Lead know. Set-up usually takes 1-2 hours and break down is usually an hour, so please plan accordingly.


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Major Objective: To be in charge of adorable, energetic, and of course energetic puppies! This position will help potential adopters visit and interact with the litter of puppies at adoption events.


v Ensure that each person who approaches the puppies has used hand sanitizer, even when changing between puppy litters.

v Answer any question potential adopters asks to the best of your knowledge. v Under no circumstances can puppies be set on the floor. This rule protects them from any

germs that could be found on the floor. v Only on rare occasions will volunteers be allowed to climb into the X-pens. No potential

adopters or their children may climb into the X-pens to play with the puppies. v While not required, but because the puppies tend to push the hay out of the way and lay

on the floor, please move the hay back under them so they are not in direct contact with the floor. Do not sacrifice customer service to potential adopters during this chore.

Qualifications

v Volunteers must attend Volunteer orientation and be registered with us. v Volunteers working this position should not be afraid to be assertive. v Volunteers must have a positive and friendly attitude so that potential adopters have a

pleasant experience. v Volunteers should be familiar with the information on crate cards on the puppies X-pens. v Volunteers must wear close-toed shoes, and if afraid of being scratched, wear pants.

Training

v Training will take place on the day of the event before work starts, from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM. Be sure to listen to all the safety instructions given. Our puppies may not have all their vaccines and therefore are more susceptible to getting sick.

Commitment

v Being in charge of the puppies can be a hard task. You must stay with them for the entire duration of your shift. Come prepared to be assertive and hold your ground with the customers. If you need to take a break, ask the Volunteer Lead or a fellow volunteer to fill in and remind the replacements to make everyone use hand sanitizer.


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We are a non-profit organization and have a limited budget based on our wonderful community supporters. Therefore, we could always benefit from donated items or monetary donations to continue our work placing shelter animals in forever homes.

Every day we receive calls and emails from shelters or people about dogs and cats that need to be rescued. Many of these dogs and cats come to us with huge medical expenses well above the typical spay/neuter & shots. If not for the caring of animal lovers, we would not be able to help these pets. We rely on donations, sales from pet events, and fundraisers to raise money to keep helping these sweet creatures alive. If you would like to open your heart in an effort to help us continue in our mission to save as many dogs and cats as possible, please use the “Donate” PayPal button below to make a one time or monthly donation or mail a donation to: Helping Hands Pet Rescue, Inc., PO Box 484, Micanopy, FL 32667-084.

All supplies donated must be unexpired. Helping Hands is always in need of the following items:

• Dog/Cat Shampoo • Dawn Dishwashing Liquid • Kong and Other Sturdy, Washable

Dog Toys • Wand-type, Interactive Cat Toys • Washable Plastic ball-type cat toys • HE (high efficiency) Liquid

Laundry Detergent • Dryer Sheets • Fabric softener • Unopened, unexpired Peanut Butter • Tennis Balls • Paper Towels • Large Trash Bags • Dog and Cat Food Bowls • Puppy Pads • Plastic Storage Bins • Fleece Blankets • Dry Dog, Cat, Kitten, or Puppy

Food***

• Canned Cat/Kitten, Dog/Puppy Wet Food (any brand)

• Dog and Cat Treats • Litter Boxes • Leashes and Collars (all sizes – non

retractable leashes) • Wire Crates (in good/gently used

condition) • Bleach • Cat/Dog Carriers • Hand Sanitizer • Gallon Zip Lock Bags • Plastic Sheet Protectors • Markers (washable, permanent,

etc.)

*** For food, we only accept dry Science Diet for cats and dogs (all types)

helping hands pet rescue volunteer manual - … · bianca bunners, adoption ambassador 2015 edition...

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