Volunteering

  • Orientation:
    • Orientation will take place on select days shown on our Events Calendar.  Email our volunteer coordinator and you'll receive the link to the online application.
    • Once you fill out the application, you'll receive online material to read before you attend the class. The class typically lasts from 12 -4 PM.
    • NOTE: Due to scheduling, we don NOT hold orientation monthly.
  • Requirements to Volunteer:
    • Volunteers will be required to become members of THHS and pay a $25 membership fee which will cover the cost of the volunteer t-shirt, nametag and any other items awarded upon completion of the program.
      • Volunteers are required to be 16 years old. A waiver must be signed by a parent/guardian for those under 18.
        • Special needs adults will be accepted on a case-by-case basis and pending an interview that would include the Volunteer Coordinator and the caregiver for that individual.
        • Group volunteers will be accepted on a case-by-case basis (i.e. Scouts, church groups, college organizations, etc).
    • Community Service Volunteers:
      • Those who are only interested in volunteering for community service hours (for HS and college students) will complete hours under the following system.
        • Fill out a separate application.
        • Complete tasks that include cleaning kennels, working in the laundry room, cleaning yards and other tasks that do not include handling animals at the facility or that would require you to have specific training.
        • Animal handling can take place at Events with the direct supervision of the Event Leader.
        • You will not attend Orientation so you will not be considered a THHS volunteer.
        • You will pay no fee.
        • After hours are completed, and you wish to become an official volunteer, you can attend Volunteer Orientation, pay the fee, and become a volunteer.
    • Court Ordered Community Service
      • Court ordered community service is arranged on a case-by-case basis. Please call the shelter at 812-232-0293 to setup an interview.

 

These are the available teams for Volunteering. As a volunteer, you are not required to work on a minimum number of teams:

Greeter - Taking a shift to sit at the front lobby and greet and help guests accomplish what they came to do. The greeter should stay at their desk so as not to miss anyone coming in, but when it is slow, they can get an animal and have it out there with them. We encourage any way to interact and help advertise the animals in there. Also, this position can help the front desk if there is something that we can do for them.

Clerical -Work on computers from home, help with mailings of newsletters and phone calling, when needed. Lost/Found - Watching paper to see if you can match the lost/found animals, we have files in our office as well that can be viewed and gone through to compare lost with found animals(again an excellent opportunity for parent/child team). Breed Request box – contacting people when what they have stated they want (a particular breed of animal) comes in to the shelter and is available to adopt.
 

Events – These are outings to get our animals marketed/adopted like Mutts at the mall, Bark in the Park, Microchipping days, Adoption events, PetSMART, etc. where you can go and handle a dog/cat or aid people in filling out adoption papers. Also we use this forum to advertise fund-raising events (Bingo, Raffles, etc.)

Outreach Program – We present to groups around the city and need people to go speak there about what THHS needs and/or how we might be able to help them.

Quality of Life Team - Taking a shift and walking/exercising the dogs 20 min ea(2 times/day is our goal for our dogs). Shifts are one hour to get three dogs out.

Photography - Taking a shift to photograph animals and send them to our computer people to put on our site (this is good for a team of two - excellent parent/child opportunity).

Manual Labor - Cleaning yards, cleaning crates, kennels, moving things around, mowing, weed-eating, gutter cleaning, tree trimming, building shelves, painting, anything that looks like it needs to be done.

Cat Care – Includes cage care and cleaning practices to keep our cats/kittens safe. Training will also include how to handle cats properly and identify if there are issues to alert staff about individual animals.

Foster Care - Taking on sick, overflow for the humane society in your own home (at our expense minus food). You can set your own requirements for animals you foster, i.e. size or age and quantity.

Outreach Visits - Take animals from the humane society (or your own) to area nursing homes, long-term care facilities and other similar places.

Grooming/Laundry - Bathing, cleaning ears, clipping nails...We call in the grooming team so the babies can smell good and beg to be handled when we have events. Groomers do not have to be professional, just a desire to bathe and maintain an animal that looks (or smells) like it needs it. This can happen for an animal at any time, not just for our events. LAUNDRY is obvious and VERY necessary!!!

 

  If you have any questions, please email our volunteer coordinator at  volunteer@thhs.org