Volunteer with Cats & Dogs!
Start Making a Difference Today
Cincinnati’s no-kill animal shelters are run with 100% volunteer effort. Do you have three hours a week to devote to animals in need? Save the Animals Foundation explains:
“We have no paid employees and receive no government funding. We fund ourselves, care for the animals, and run our non-profit organization with approximately 400 volunteers. With no salaries to pay, all fund raising and donation dollars go directly to support the animals.”
After attending an orientation training session, you could become one of these important volunteers! (However, volunteers are required to be 18+). Read on to learn more about how to volunteer with cats and dogs.
Opportunities to Volunteer with Cats & Dogs
Every aspect of Save the Animals Foundation (STAF) requires volunteer labor. Volunteers are needed for tasks like:
- Daily care of cats or dogs (each volunteer works with either cats or dogs)
- Obedience training for dogs
- Socialization with cats
- Serving on the board of directors
- Building upkeep and maintenance
- Grounds maintenance
- Working adoption activities and events
- Education outreach with community groups and schools
- Administrative tasks related to financial reporting and management of the non-profit
As you can see, caring for the animals is of top priority, but a lot more goes into helping STAF run smoothly. There’s an opportunity for every kind of skill set to contribute!
What It’s Like to Volunteer with Cats
Each day, the 300 cats who call STAF home (for now) need feeding, nurturing and socializing. And you can imagine how many litter boxes need cleaning several times each day! Cat volunteers work one of two shifts, either morning or evening. Typically, you can be expected to volunteer for a three-hour shift once per week, based on your schedule.
The cats of STAF are kept together in small groups in various rooms throughout the shelter. Roommates are chosen based on age, temperament, health status, etc. Here are some of the options volunteers are given:
“You can choose to work with our younger cats and kittens, our more mature and lap snuggling cats or hang out with some of our sassy seniors. Our volunteers are committed to giving every cat a lifetime of care and love.”
STAF is really a lovely place to spend time. Everything is organized and clean (thanks to volunteers!), and the general atmosphere for the cats is peaceful. Your fellow volunteers love cats and enjoy nurturing friendships with each other.
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What It’s Like to Volunteer with Dogs
The 50 dogs at STAF have their basic feeding and cleaning needs met every day. That’s an important part of your weekly three-hour volunteer shift. But simply staying alive isn’t living, so STAF volunteers also have these opportunities to enrich each dog’s life:
- Walks
- Visits to your home
- Trips to the park
- Quiet time
- Car rides
- Obedience training
- Grooming
- Snuggling
- Playing
- Socialization
Sadly, not every dog finds their forever home right away, so it’s important for volunteers to know:
“Special attention is paid to our ‘Long Term Residents’ or Golden Oldies. These are dogs that have been at STAF for over a year. We make an extra effort to get them out and about for different off-site activities at least 20 times per month.”
The STAF facility is designed for dogs, with a great outdoor space to run and play. Volunteers diligently work to keep the areas clean and pleasant for animals and humans alike.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to give back, consider reaching out to Save the Animals Foundation to learn more.