Volunteers are the heart and soul of rescue.
"Once you believe you can make a difference,
you will never be bored again."
Thank you for your interest in helping to save the animals who need us, and in making new friends with people who share your dedication and vision.
Please click the links below for some of the ways you can help by volunteering.
- Adoptions
- Special Events
- Administration and Fundraising
- Foster Homes
- Pet Photographer
- Rescue Express Transporter
- Website
- Rescue Writer
- Humane Educator
- Volunteer Manager
- Additional ways that you can make a difference
Please email us with your contact information and volunteer interests, and we will contact you shortly.
Have an idea of how to help that's not listed? Email us with your ideas!
People looking to adopt deserve warm customer service and help choosing the right pet for their lifestyle and family. The pets for adoption need us to counsel the adopters and check on them to be sure they are placed into safe, loving environments.
- Adoption Counselor
- Call vet offices to perform veterinary reference checks to approve adopters
- Follow up adoption calls
- Home checks
- Introduce adopters to their new pets – and witness the joy of adoption!
- Dog grooming – bathing and brushing
- Play with the dogs – socialization is important
- Bring pets to off-site adoption venues
- Train puppies and dogs
The Shelter Showcase Expo super-adoption events promote adoptions and help find loving homes for pets at shelters across the state. Future events will also promote crucial spay/neuter programs saving even more lives.
Fun events are needed to help raise money to support our life-saving programs. We need help in the following areas:
- Organize special events (project management and hands-on)
- Publicize events by distributing posters and event fliers at dog parks and other venues
- Create marketing materials
- Prepare for events by making signs, goody bags and more
- Volunteering on the day of events to help everything run smoothly
- Attending the events!
Administration and Fundraising
Running a non-profit requires organization and commitment. We need dedicated help for tracking donations, expenses, goals and results.
- Track donations and expenses
- Write and send appeals
- Send acknowledgements
- Grant writing
- Build relationships for corporate sponsorship
The Shelter Showcase short term foster program is a great opportunity to save a life without making a long term commitment. Love puppies? Become a puppy fosterer. Want to bottle feed kittens, or help socialize a shy dog? Can you provide a temporary home for a loving, active dog who is just looking for a family of his own?
Fostering is great for frequent travelers, college students, retirees that don’t want a long term commitment and people who have enough pets but want to save more. Short term fostering is normally a maximum of 2 weeks.
We need help in the following:
- Short term fostering
- Long term fostering
- Puppy and kitten fostering
A great picture of a pet for adoption significantly helps a homeless pet find a loving family. We need photographers for the following initiatives:
- Petfinder pictures of pets for adoption
- Post adoption pictures for Happy Tail stories
- Special event pictures for website and press releases
We help animals from all parts of New Jersey and throughout the country. We need help transporting these great pets from shelters to rescues, and to foster and permanent homes.
- Local transports (small)
- Long distance transports (small)
- Long distance van transports (large)
Our website is our main avenue of communication with the public. We are looking for the following help:
- Website designer
- Content updates
- Coding for innovative online waysto help everyone make a difference
Writing is an essential talent in saving lives. We need good writers for the following:
- "Happy Tail" stories of adoption for the website, newsletter and upcoming book!
- Grant writing
- Press releases
- Petfinder descriptions
- Special appeals
- Acknowledgement
Teaching the next generation will make our world a better place, for people and for pets.
- Develop humane education program
- Visit schools and youth groups
Volunteers are the most valuable asset to a non-profit, but we need a personable and organized leader to organize well-meaning volunteers into a powerhouse for the animals! We are looking for help for the following:
- Volunteer Manager
- Junior Volunteer Program Leader
- Volunteer Manager Leader for Various Committees or Events
- Recruiting new volunteers
Below are additional ways that individuals like you are making a difference:
- Adopt your next pet from a shelter or rescue group
- Foster an orphaned pet until a loving, permanent home can be found. (Contact us for more info!)
- Keep identifying tags on your pet for a safe return.
- Neuter and spay your pets.
- Participate in T-N-R (Trap-Neuter-Return) efforts if you feed feral cats. Go to
www.alleycatallies.org
for more information.
Report animal abuse ... to the authorities and the media. (Pictures are worth a thousand words!) - Place an ad in your local paper saying "Adopt a Pet. www.Petfinder.com
- If you must find a new home for your pet, leave plenty of time to find a great adoptive family for your pet. Be your own pet's foster home until a new home is found!
- Spread the word to family and friends
Volunteer with us! We have plenty of openings! You will be making a real difference in no time!