We
list all of our current volunteer opportunities on the
website of the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona
- www.volunteersoaz.org.
Our
greatest need is for people to provide temporary foster
care for dogs or cats in their homes. We do not have
a shelter facility. All of our animals live with volunteers
in their homes. This is great for the animal, because
it is less stressful and more individualized attention
than in a shelter environment. It also gives us the
chance to get to know the personalities of each individual
animal so we can find the best match for them and for
you. The time commitment for foster care can range from
a few weeks to a few months, depending on the situation.
What
is "Foster Care"?
As
a volunteer foster care provider, you provide basic
care, socialization, playtime and love. We provide transportation,
medication, ongoing medical care, collar, leash, food,
bowls, bedding, kennel-crate and some other supplies.
No financial commitment is required on the part of the
foster care provider, although donations are welcome.
Volunteer foster care providers are unpaid.
Fostering
is an ideal opportunity for a stay-at-home parent, families
that homeschool, people who work at home, students,
retirees or anyone who isn't quite ready for the long-term
commitment of adopting.
Foster care providers should be comfortable handling
animals and have patience and compassion, but no special
training is needed. We'll brief you on the basics. We
do need foster care providers to be flexible in allowing
us to come pick up the animals periodically to show
the animals to prospective adopters. Sometimes, this
can happen on relatively short notice.
Please
contact us at (520) 237-2331 or info@savemoreanimals.org
for more information.
Other
Opportunities
If
you are interested in volunteering with less time
commitment, you may wish to contact one of the groups
in town that does have a physical shelter, sanctuary
or adoption center. Animals at these locations need
exercise, kennel maintenance and lots of love and
attention.
All
of the other groups in the community are foster care
based, like we are. Feel free to contact the group
that best suits your interests - besides groups for
dogs and cats of all ages and breeds/mixes, there
are groups for horses, pot-bellied pigs, birds, rabbits,
ferrets, reptiles, rats and other small animals.
You
should research organizations thoroughly before deciding
to work with a particular group. Responsible rescuers
spay/neuter before adoption, and you should make sure
you are comfortable with their policies regarding
breeding and euthanasia. Please be patient when contacting
rescuers, and keep in mind that many are all-volunteer
(many have full-time jobs and families in addition
to their rescue work) and foster care-based (which
means they do not have a shelter facility to house
the animals in their care). Resources are stretched
to the maximum at any given time, so the more flexible
you can be with your request, the more likely you
will be able to find a group to assist you.
For
a comprehensive listing of animal shelters, rescue
groups and private rescuers serving
Southern Arizona, please visit our Resources
section.
