Do You Volunteer?

Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

I recently adopted a ktten that I'd seen a picture of on Instagram. She was available for adoption at the newly-reopened PAWs Animal Shelter. Even though, in the past we'd taken in strays and even "adopted" kittens from roadside fruit stands, this was my first formal adoption from a pet rescue. 

Once I got there I wondered about volunteering my time and talents. I knew I couldn't work at the actual shelter because truly our house isn't big enough to accommodate all of the pets I'd want to bring home and because,for the most part, I am scared of dogs (other than the Diva Poodle Henrietta). 

I have other talents such as social media and blogging, though that could certainly help the shelter and help get the pets adopted. I looked at their revamped website and didn't see much activity, I couldn't find an active Facebook page and even though they were active on Instagram, it wasn't where I would have gone to look for a pet -- my daughter actually brought her to my attention. 

Volunteering is a great way to get your name known in any realm -- from pets to accounting. It's a great resume builder and also gets you involved in a community in which you may want to play a larger role. Be aware though that if you don't set limits and boundaries, your volunteer work could overtake your life and pull you away from paying markets and if you make a living at pet blogging, you understand the need to balance paying gigs with volunteer work. 

Look around and see if there are any volunteer opportunities in an area of pets in which you're interested... a breed specific rescue, helping host a fundraiser, getting involved in walk-athons to raise money. The opportunities are almost endless. 

Comments

[Carol Bryant]

Robbi, congrats on this kitten and soooo happy to hear this! I volunteer through fundraising and there are so many ways to do it without leaving home, too. Great post!

[Connie]

the shelter I volunteer for has many unique positions for people to fill. One woman comes in simply to do the laundry. I used to help with the book keeping. answering phones, handing out fliers, collecting donations from area businesses.. I foster kittens.

[CompAnimalPsych]

Congratulations on your new kitten!

I volunteer at my local animal shelter. Once a week I spend a couple of hours with the cats, cleaning cages, feeding them and socializing with them. It's very rewarding and I really enjoy it. There are lots of different volunteer opportunities, from fund-raising to dog-walking, driving animals to vet appointments and baking for cake sales, so there's something for every skill set.

Great post. Have fun with your new kitty!

[Colby]

Congratulations on the new kitten! I used to volunteer as a foster for one of our local rescues. More recently I volunteer as a guide dog puppy raiser and do a lot of blogging and vlogging about my experiences. Several of our guide dog area leaders have told me that puppy raisers have found our guide dog school directly from my blogging efforts.

[Matthew]

My wife and I take turns volunteering at a rescue shelter in our county. Great feeling working with the animals but can be tough to leave at the end of the day.

[Lisa B]

Congrats on your little kitten! I volunteer with a local shelter and also with a number of local shelters and rescues as a photographer.

[Allen Pearson]

I volunteer as a photographer for a few rescue groups in my area. I photograph the dogs and cats and give them the images for their website. Should a particular dog or cat not be receiving much attention, the rescue will send me to photograph the dog or cat to see if that helps. I love it!

Also,I write about the dogs and cats on my blog to help draw attention to the need.

[Peter]

Very hard to work at a rescue or shelter and it not have a huge impact on your life. More people should. I think it would be a great learning lesson for the public.