Volunteer Programs
Why Become a Volunteer?
Volunteers are an important part of SCAC, and much of our success is due to the dedication of those assisting with shelter activities, community events, and animal care.
SCAC volunteers donate precious time, skills, and expertise. You don’t need to be a trained professional to help – a bit of spare time and a lot of desire is all you need. We will work with you to assign a volunteer activity that matches your interests and time availability. The list below gives you an idea of what volunteer opportunities are currently available. We can sometimes create a special, temporary opportunity to meet the needs of students requiring community volunteer work as part of their school curriculum.
Contact our Service Advisor at 802-375-2898 for information about volunteer opportunities or to have a volunteer application mailed to you. You can also complete our Volunteer Application online.
Volunteer Positions
Animal Care
Those interested in this position are asked to dedicate themselves to at least one reoccurring day of the week. The volunteer can decide if they wish to be assigned to the canine or feline section and will clean according to SCAC guidelines and protocols. Must be 18 years or older.
Animal Socializer
Socializing is essential to the well-being of shelter animals and helps to increase their chances of adoption more quickly. As an Animal Socializer, you will give individual attention to the animals on the adoption floor while petting them, playing with them, brushing them, and allowing them to cuddle close to you.
Camp Companion Assistant
We need volunteer assistants to work during our popular summer camp, Camp Companion. You will assist our Youth Education Coordinator and help our campers with activities throughout the week. There are usually 6 camp sessions, so you can select the session that best fits your busy summer schedule. For students who require community service hours for school curriculum and/or club membership, this is a fun way to meet those requirements. Must be 13 years or older.
Dog Walker
Our canine residents need to be exercised every day, and we depend on volunteers to assist with this task. You will provide companionship and exercise by walking dogs around our fields and along a secondary dirt road and by playing fetch in our fenced paddock. Must be 18 years or older and required to attend a mandatory dog-walking orientation scheduled at Second Chance.
Events
We enjoy being out in the community, so we often schedule events around the region to promote our programs, raise funds for our operations, and organize off-site adoption events. There are a multitude of tasks before, during, and after these events, and we often need help from volunteers. Whether you prefer to do some behind-the-scenes work or enjoy talking about Second Chance with the public, we probably have something to fit your skills. Your time commitment is flexible as a call for volunteers will go out as we develop our event plans, so you can work as your schedule allows. Must be 16 years or older.
Front Desk
In this role, you will be the first person to greet some of our 7,000 annual shelter visitors! You will welcome them as they arrive, answer questions about Second Chance’s community programs, and answer/forward calls received through our main phone line. Must be 18 years or older.
Grounds/Maintenance
Our facility is used and occupied 24 hours a day, 365 days a year… that’s a lot of wear and tear! Assist staff with minor shelter repairs and carpentry tasks, such as building shelves, repairing leaky sinks, and other small projects that improve our building. Outside work includes raking, shoveling, sweeping, picking up trash/debris, and generally sprucing up our grounds. Must be 16 years or older and able to work with power tools.
Shelter Buddies
If you are under the age of 15 and want to volunteer at the shelter, we have just the program for you! Our Shelter Buddies spend time socializing our cats, giving them a chance to play and enjoy the company of people. We also have a special Words for Whiskers program so you can read to our cats under medical treatment. We have specific rules for our Shelter Buddies, and you are encouraged to come to the shelter any time during our public hours – no need to schedule a regular time commitment. Shelter Buddies should be at least 5 years old, and an adult must accompany you during each shelter visit. If you would like to participate in this program, please complete an application.
Foster Care
Sometimes a shelter is an extremely stressful environment for an animal. When we need a safe, temporary off-site home for stressed animals, we call upon our foster-care families for support. Foster care enables us to place a single animal or an entire litter with a trained foster-care giver. We supply the food, litter, veterinary care, and all treatments needed while our animals are living with a foster family.
We are always looking for caring and compassionate supporters who might be available at a moment’s notice to assist us with foster care. Click here to complete a volunteer Foster Care application.