Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteer Meetings

Volunteer meetings are held every 4th Tuesday of the month at King's Restaurant on Route 19 at 7:00 p.m. These meetings give our volunteers the chance to discuss shelter activities, fundraising, upcoming events, etc. as a community. We truly need dedicated volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Tania at vo@washingtonpashelter.org or 724-222-7387 to register for an upcoming volunteer orientation.

Want to Make an Impact? Dedicated volunteers are always needed at WAHS. Please contact us at 724-222-7387 or vo@washingtonpashelter.org to get involved.

	Volunteer Orientation Schedule
	To get started as a volunteer please register to attend one of the upcoming Volunteer Orientations. These orientations take place at the shelter's pavilion every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 11 AM (2nd Saturday of the month during November and December 2011). Please allow up to 2 hours for the completion of the orientation and tour of the shelter. See the list of dates to the right for all scheduled volunteer orientations. These orientations provide a detailed overview of all volunteer activities and hands-on training necessary for specific tasks such as dog walking [click here for best practices [click here for best practices]. Wear practical shoes (no open toed sandals) and dress appropriately since the orientations take place outside. Reservations are required to attend the volunteer orientations. For reservations, please contact Tania at vo@washingtonpashelter.org or 724-222-7387.		Orientation Dates for 2012: February 11, 2012 February 25, 2012 March 10, 2012 March 24, 2012 April 14, 2012 April 28, 2012 May 5, 2012* May 12, 2012 May 26, 2012 June 2, 2012* June 9, 2012 June 23, 2012 July 7, 2012* July 14, 2012 July 28, 2012 August 11, 2012 August 25, 2012 September 8, 2012 September 22, 2012 October 13, 2012 October 27, 2012 November 10, 2012 December 8, 2012 * as needed

	Thank You
		Check out the Monarch butterfly in the flower bed in the front lawn of our shelter. Betty Robinson, a WAHS volunteer, donated and planted many perennials in our front flower bed this Spring. Some of the plants attract butterflies and this beautiful Monarch is an example. Betty also holds a fundraiser for our shelter, Plants For Paws, by selling plants from her greenhouse, Robison Acres Plant Sanctuary. She has raised the WAHS shelter over $7,000 in the last three years. Thank you, Betty, for all of your continued efforts in helping our shelter maintain a healthy, happy environment for the pets until their Forever Family is found!
	Thanks to Pat Clarke, a dedicated WAHS volunteer, who decorated the outside of our shelter for the Fall Season. Thanks, Pat, for such a great job!

	It is critical that all Dog Walkers familiarize themselves with all the rules, restrictions and Best Practices of WAHS.

	Can't Get the the Shelter to Log Volunteer Hours?
	Download a timesheet to track your volunteer hours. Mail them in or bring them in next time you get to the shelter.

We Need Dedicated Volunteers for the Following Tasks [click here for PDF]

	Shelter Activities	Cat Areas	Major Fundraisers
	• Walking Dogs • Adoption Counseling: Helping the public choose a pet and follow up phone calls after the adoption. • Help with our semi-annual Rabies Clinics.	• Helping with adoptions • Grooming • Cleaning up after the cats • Help with cats at PetCo. If you can help with cats at this offsite location, please call the shelter at 724-222-7387 or email Natalie at nwittik@msn.com.	• Plan, organize, request donations and • Staff our fundraising events including: Golf Outing; Fur Ball; Pumpkin & Covered Bridge Festivals', etc.
	Pet Therapy	Poco Banks	Fostering Animals
	• Visitations with our pets to local nursing homes.	• Requesting donations in our yellow dog "Poco" banks. Placing and retrieving banks at various locations.	• Fostering, in your home, abused animals, new mothers and their litters or animals recovering from surgery.
	Vet Care Volunteers	Special Skills	Groomers
	• Professional active or retired veterinarians, vet techs and anyone with veterinary care experience.	• Licensed Electrician • Rough Carpenter • Grasscutters/Landscapers • General Handyman • Plumber • Hauler for aluminum cans • Fundraisers • Public Relations Person	• Volunteers who will bathe and groom, polish up and pamper dogs to make them more comfortable and attractive for adoption.

	Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age to work with any of the animals at WAHS. Volunteers who are between 18 and 21 years of age are permitted to work with the animals if they have a signed and notarized parental release form. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times during volunteer activities.

Volunteer Meetings 2012:

February 28, 2012
March 27, 2012
April 24, 2012
May 22, 2012
June 26, 2012
July 24, 2012
August 28, 2012
September 25, 2012
October 26, 2012

Cancellations due to inclement weather will be posted on website home page by 6pm

[Download Volunteer
Planning Guidelines]

Can You Foster a Dog or Cat?

The need for foster "parents" to homeless animals is enormous at the shelter. There are pregnant dogs and cats who need to deliver their litters in safety and comfort; and the offspring needs to stay with the mother till they are weaned. There are frightened, emaciated animals who have never known the warmth of a home or the love of a human. There are injured or ill animals who need convalescence. There are old animals who need to spend the short time that they have left somewhere other than in a metal and concrete cage. And there are animals whose fate remains murky during drawn out court proceedings who lie listless and depressed for countless weeks, months and even years.

We see all of these situations and more at the Washington Area Humane Society. Foster homes give animals a huge advantage by providing a nurturing environment where they can be socialized, overcome health and behavioral problems and avoid the stress of the kennels.

If you can help for a few days, a few weeks or a longer period, we implore you to sign up as a foster parent.

For more information on fostering, please call the shelter at 724-222-7387.

[Download Foster Program Document]

[Download Foster Parent Application]

Kuranda Bed Offer

All volunteers and staff members of WAHS are entitled to purchase Kuranda beds at a discount. To avail yourself of this offer, place your order from the Order a Kuranda cat or dog bed here. Then call the shelter an let them know that you placed an order. It will be shipped to the shelter and you can pick it up there.