BEFORE THE EVENT
If you can help us either prepare for the event or run it the weekend we're looking for adopters click here for the online volunteer form and we'll sign you up! On the form you'll see choices for volunteer options and the volunteer coordinator will contact you within a few days.
We work with all ages and will be happy to come speak to classrooms, after school groups or religious schools about shelter dogs and how we can engage children and young adults in the process of finding good homes for homeless dogs!
WHO PLANS IT ALL?
We look for team leaders within each community to fill in the volunteer opportunities listed below.
WHO PAYS FOR IT ALL?
Each town comes up with a fundraiser to pay for some of the expenses for their own event. We would love your ideas or offer of help! The Vendor Coordinator will contact local area merchants and businesses for advertising and booth opportunities and that income goes toward the event costs as well.
WHO DOES IT ALL?
We have a core team of volunteers who have already managed an event and they’re on hand to help community leaders in these areas. Different teams/positions you may volunteer:
Adoption Team: people who will help rescues check the references and paperwork of interested adopters and help the general public through the adoption process at our event.
Rangers is one of the educational pieces of our program where we train people who are interested and willing to manage the dogs the weekend of the event on basic behavioral, medical and training issues. Rangers have been through at least 4 hours of classroom training on how to evaluate a dog for anxiety, aggression, fear as well as proper techniques for walking through crowds with the dogs and accurately communicating with the public about the dog. Each Ranger is required to remain at the event for both days and during the hours we're open to the public.
Scouts is a new program for children ages 12 through 16 who want to learn how to use the power of Social Networking to help save shelter dogs and find homes. We'll teach them how to post dogs for area pounds looking for new homes, how and where to put up fliers and the process of rescuing a dog from a pound or shelter.
Rescue Team: for vet techs, veterinarians, groomers and trainers - managing meet and greets and general dog oversight at the event and helping with Ranger training before the event.
Volunteer Registration: Helping us check in the volunteers, hand out their badges and paperwork etc.
General Store: helping us sell merchandise and supplies to help pay for the event
Site Crew: people who put the event together and take it down - set up is usually on a Wednesday night for about three hours and break down is on Sunday from 2 to 6pm.
Parking: Helping the general public park in the designated areas and point them to the main entrance
Food Team: the folks who somehow figure out a way to keep us all fed and happy!!
Event Photographers & Videographers: we need a few people who will take pictures of adopters with their new dogs, general event shots and vendors etc.
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VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION
All volunteers must attend an on site registration the Thursday before the event from 6:30pm and 8:00pm. There are many facets to our adoption events and it's important that we all know the site layout and event guidelines. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE. Volunteers who have not attended the registration meeting will not be allowed on the field during the event. The volunteer form above starts the process.
AT THE EVENT
Volunteers know what they're doing at this point and starting Saturday morning the rescues come in with their dogs. We have stations set up with a vet tech and our Rescue Coordinator to check all paperwork and make sure each dog is healthy enough to come into the event. Rescues then hand off the dog to the Ranger assigned and the Ranger takes the dog to the kennel he's assigned. Each dog has a picture and description of his breed, his characteristics etc. thanks to his Ranger and Scout!
AFTER THE EVENT
Once we clean up and regroup we get ready for the next event wherever it is. Our coordinators send out thank you notes to those people who donated so much to help a hopeless dog.
