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BE A VOLUNTEER AND HELP SAVE HOMELESS ANIMALS!

PAW is always seeking dedicated volunteers to help save and place our animals. You don't need any special skills, and you can do as much or as little as your time allows. How can you help? There are many ways in which you can help with the PAW rescue effort (see below for more information). They include handling dogs or cats at our weekend adoption shows; transporting animals to shows, or to and from vet appointments; fostering a dog or cat until it is adopted; helping at special events or fund raisers (Baysox concession, and Basket Bingo to name a couple); answering PAW phone or e-mail inquiries; outreach activities; Responsible Pet Ownership education; donations. To get started, volunteers must first attend a New Volunteer Orientation, where you will learn about PAW and see what activities most appeal to you. To find out when an orientation is being held, please see our list of adoption shows and events. You do not need to let us know you are coming. However, you are always welcome to contact pawvolunteer@yahoo.com for more information or to let the Volunteer Coordinator know that you plan to attend a volunteer orientation. WAYS YOU CAN HELP! After you attend your orientation, you are free to help in the following ways: Help at adoption shows. People are always needed to hold a dog on leash, help with the cats and assist show visitors. Check the PAW shows page or the Washington Post classifieds for the next scheduled show. Animal handlers must be 18 years of age or be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Transport an animal. Animals often need rides to/from vet visits, from a shelter, or to/from a foster home or boarding kennel. Transportation is also needed on show days from vets, kennels, and foster homes to the show locations. Foster care. We always have a need for caring people to provide foster homes for dogs or cats. As a foster caregiver, you care for a dog or cat in your home as if he or she were your own. Normally you keep the animal until a home is found, and help find prospective adopters by bringing your foster to our weekend adoption shows. At shows, you answer questions about the animal and ask questions to learn about the applicants. If you cannot attend shows, but can still foster, other volunteers may be able to take your foster to shows. You provide food and daily care for your foster. The Partnership pays for vet work such as vaccinations and neuter. For details and application procedures, see our page about fostering. Help at special events. PAW volunteers set up tables at many local community events such as Bethesda's Strut Your Mutt, the Greenbelt Pet Expo, and BowieFest. The volunteer tables help to raise visibility, solicit donations, attract new volunteers, and have even found new homes for some of our rescued animals. Fund raising. If you like to plan and help with fund-raising events or can solicit support from individuals, companies and vets, your talents are needed! The Partnership is funded through donations and adoption fees. Please contact Fund Coordinator at pawvolunteer@yahoo.com Publicity and administrative. As with any organization, we need help with phone calls, photocopying and other tasks that can be done from your home or office. We also work with the local media to get publicity in newspapers, radio, and TV. Responsible Pet Ownership education. To reduce the number of homeless and neglected pets, we present programs about responsible pet care, humane education and spay/neuter awareness for school and community groups. To help with planning, materials or presenting, visit our Outreach page or contact pawvolunteer@yahoo.com. Donate. The Partnership for Animal Welfare, Inc., is a 501C3 nonprofit organization. Our work is entirely funded by donations and adoption fees. Donations of money and supplies are therefore tax deductible. You can donate to PAW through the United Way and the Combined Federal Campaign. In addition, we need food, treats, blankets, cat litter, and other supplies for our summer events. Visit our How You Can Help page for more information.

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Last updated April 1, 2009 LET