Volunteer with a Group
Volunteer Groups have played an important part in supporting the PAWS mission! Groups of volunteers work on variety of projects such as constructing equipment for our dogs, assisting with cleaning and maintenance tasks, completing clerical work for our office staff, or playing with and creating enrichment opportunities for our dogs!
Group volunteer opportunities are a great way to promote team building and collaboration amongst your team. PAWS Group Volunteer opportunities are here to offer an fun and engaging way to give back to the community with your corporate team, club, or group of friends.
Group Volunteer Basics
- Groups of volunteers must have between 4-20 members
- All members of the group will be required to sign a volunteer waiver upon arrival at PAWS.
- All members of a group should be age 14+. Volunteers between 14-17 years of age require adult supervision by an adult group member (not provided by PAWS)
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Campus Beautification: Like to garden or paint? Volunteers are needed to maintain our grounds and facilities. Outdoor activities may include weeding, mulching, planting flowers, raking, trimming shrubbery or basic outdoor clean up. Indoor tasks might include painting, decorating, organizing, or cleaning projects.
Office Help: Support our office staff with their special projects! Volunteers may be needed to help with filing, preparing mailings, putting together packets, and other clerical tasks.
Creating Canine Enrichment: W like to keep our dogs occupied! This opportunity may include filling Kongs and frisbees with peanut butter, baking dog treats, creating edible bubbles, or preparing and cleaning enrichment materials!
Cleaning: Support our Care Team as they maintain a clean facility for our dogs! This opportunity may involve cleaning crates, kennels, PAWS vehicles, washing windows, doing laundry, and more.
Exercising & Playing with Dogs: Our dogs love to run and play, and our volunteers give them a chance to get their zoomies out! This opportunity takes place outside in fenced exercise yards if weather permits. (Exercising dogs occurs in a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, volunteers should dress accordingly.)
Campus Construction Projects: There’s always something to build or improve on at PAWS! Help our team with various projects such as fence improvements, building sunshades, or setting up sprinklers and pools for the dogs to play in!
Steps to Volunteering with a Group
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Group Volunteer Application
PAWS Volunteer Login
Group Volunteer FAQS
Do members of a group have to do background checks?
No, background checks are only performed for volunteers committing to a regular schedule of on campus volunteering.
Do groups need to commit to visiting more than once?
No! We’re happy to welcome your group as many times as you’d like to join us, but groups of volunteers are not required to commit to more than one visit.
Is my family a group?
If your family meets the following requirements, then you might be a group:
- The group is only planning on coming to PAWS once, or at most once a month.
- 4+ people are participating in a volunteer experience
- All members of your family are over 14 years of age. Children in your group will need adult supervision, which is not provided by PAWS.
- If your family would like to volunteer consistently, please sign up through the Campus Volunteer application.
Will we be around dogs when volunteering?
Most likely, yes! We have dogs all over campus. Volunteers should be aware that working with and around dogs may present some risks. There are possibilities of injury that may result from contact with animals, such as scratches, bites, and allergic reaction, which may occur when performing volunteer duties.
What breeds of dogs might be on PAWS’ campus?
Breeds include Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Standard Poodles, and Papillons for PAWS Assistance Dogs. Personal dogs that PAWS employees bring into the office may be any breed.
What should I wear to volunteer at PAWS?
Please dress for the weather and volunteer activity. Some activities take place both indoors and outdoors year-round, so we recommend wearing layers to adjust to different environments. We adapt our opportunities to be indoors as best we can with inclement weather, but our dogs love being outside rain or shine!
Our dogs are friendly, but they are in various stages of training all over our campus. We discourage loose or dangling jewelry as dogs may pull on it or become entangled in it. We also recommend sensible footwear for dog interactions.
Some group members have allergies. Will that affect our volunteer experience?
Some activities are more involved with potential allergens than others. We ask that volunteers use their best judgement when signing up for activities and make their volunteer supervisor aware of their allergies when they begin onboarding.
Allergies to be aware of:
- We have both dogs and cats on campus
- We create enrichment materials that use peanut butter
- Outdoor activities will include exposure to dust, grass, and pollen
Do I need to bring anything when I come to volunteer?
PAWS is happy to provide drinking water, tools, and other materials needed for activities. However, we welcome you to bring anything needed to make your experience more comfortable, such as a water bottle, snacks, or personal items (perhaps you have a favorite pair of work gloves!).
Questions?
Please contact Julie Thorington, at jthorington@pawswithacause.org or call (616) 877-7297 ext. 451.