All About Volunteering

Thank you for helping the animals! Once a month we hold a mandatory new volunteer orientation prior to volunteering. If you would like to volunteer regarding any of the opportunities below, please email Catherine Garrett at cgarrett@allaboutanimalsrescue.org with your interests and available time commitments. Orientation will then be scheduled. Most volunteering occurs between 10 am and 4 pm, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise noted. Thank you!

Fostering Saves Lives (Everywhere)
We always need people to temporarily take care of pets while we look for their forever home. All of our pets stay in foster homes where they can be looked after individually and receive all the love and care they deserve. Pets will be vaccinated, de-wormed, fixed and put on heartworm and flea prevention.

Maybe it’s not the right time to add a permanent family member to your house. You can still save an animal by fostering. We also need people who are willing to take pets in on an emergency basis and hold on to them while we look for longer term foster.

Clinic Phones (Warren)
We get well over 1500 calls each week. We need volunteers who will commit to 2 hours or more, one day a week to help with phone calls. Training will be with clinic staff and once fully trained, you will be asked to help with incoming and outgoing calls during your shift. We are looking for adults with a clear voice, exceptional customer service and a patient attitude. Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 6 pm are especially needed.
Frequency – 1 x week
Time – 2+ hours

Grounds Poop and Litter Patrol (Warren and Auburn Hills)
There’s a lot of trash and doggie presents that accumulate quickly. We supply the trash bags, gloves, pooper-scooper and our many thanks! Parents and minors welcome. Grounds Patrol volunteers are welcome during any of our open hours.
Frequency – 1 to 4 x week
Time – 30 minutes to 1 hour

The Pet Support Line (Warren)
Are you good on the phone and can show you care? The Pet Support Line needs committed volunteers to give 10 hours a month to help man this new program. The Pet Support line’s mission is to create, foster and preserve the human–pet bond by helping families who might otherwise feel compelled to give up their pets and by facilitating adoptions from rescue groups and shelters to individuals needing help finding the perfect new addition to their family. Specific objectives are to increase adoptions and decrease pet abandonment. The Pet Support Line will offer a dedicated toll-free phone number to allow people to speak with a knowledgeable and compassionate “Pet Advisor”.

We need people to call back individuals who may be in a pet crisis and need resources. Maybe they need to find pet friendly housing, can’t afford to feed their pets or are trying to find their pet another home.

Volunteers can update databases, transport pets from shelters to the Pet Support Line’s adoption center room at the Warren building and assist with researching information.

Training is conducted with our Pet Support Line specialist and takes place every Wednesday or Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm. Once trained, hours will vary according to your schedule and our open hours.
Frequency – 1 x week
Time – 2 to 4 hours

Trap-Neuter-Return Training Classes and Shelter Building Workshop (Warren)
The second Sunday of every month:
10:30 – 2:30 pm. Volunteers will help set up the room, sign in participants, distribute handbooks and handouts, assign TNR cards, prepare and handout traps/forks to participants.

When Shelter Building Workshops are scheduled, they follow the TNR class. 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Help participants build feral cat houses. If you can use scissors and tape, you can help! Parents and minors welcome.

Spay/Neuter Education Assistant (At offsite events)
Skills Needed – Be able to follow direction, interact with people
Job Description – Educate and sign people up at events.
Frequency – varies
Time – 2 to 6 hours depending on the event

Special Event Assistant (At offsite events)
Skills Needed – Be able to follow direction, interact with people
Job Description – Assist with event, assist public.
Frequency – special events, varies
Time – varies

Fundraising Marketing Committee Member (Everywhere)
Skills Needed – Be able to follow direction, interact/communicate well with people, strategic planning and implementation
Job Description – Assist with research and contacting individuals and companies, write/send donation requests and thank you letters, organize special events, and perform assigned tasks.
Frequency – Once a week – flexible
Time – 2+ hours

Work with kids and have well trained pets? (Tri-County)
Do you have an exceptionally talented dog that you’d like to visit schools with to show off their tricks? Come with us to educate children on dog safety and the importance of spay and neuter. Scheduling would be subject to available events.

Distribute Literature
Need some exercise? How about joining our Walking for Wellness street marketing team? Pairs campus neighborhoods and talk to local stores about displaying our clinic material.

Event Photographer
Skills needed – Professional camera, and able to email pictures
Job Description – Take pictures as requested at events and at prearranged times at the Warren clinic.
Frequency – 2 times per month or more
Time – 1+ hours

Certified Pet Behaviorist
Assist with problem solving and training with foster pets or with the Pet Support Line callers.

Petfinder Assistant
Skills needed – able to use a computer and follow direction.
Job Description – Write up descriptions of adoptable pets based on input from foster families so that the pets are appealing to the general public but still accurately represented. Volunteer will talk or email foster family, obtain information about the pet. Volunteer will obtain a picture, either themselves or from the photographer and add the description and picture to Petfinder, along with some standard identifier information.
Frequency – 1 -2 times per month
Time – 1 to 2 hours

Volunteer from home (Everywhere)
Want to volunteer from home? Write feature stories, design flyers, edit documents, research information. We’re looking for graphic designers, copy writers and creative people!

Spread the word! Print literature at home and post them in your area. Please be patient with the links, it may take a few seconds to load. Printable flyers:Pick One Kitten, Pick One Dog, Trap Neuter Return Training, Dental Care, Auburn Hills, Detroit & Warren Services

Are you a sewer? Sometimes we need ‘Adopt Me’ vests, feral cat trap covers and polar fleece kennel blankets.

Want to help animals in your area? Help us get the word out that affordable pet preventive care is available! Talk to your friends, neighbors, post on your Facebook page etc.

Making Cat Nip Toys/Crafts at home. Find/buy supplies. Make simple cat nip toys and blankets for the cats and dogs.

Data Input (Warren)
Skills needed – ability to use Access and/or Excel and read hand written documents.
Job Description – Varies, but normally involves entering microchip, surgery record information- like name, address, pet’s name, weight, etc. and updating the email newsletter list.
Frequency – once per week
Time – 2 to 4 hours

Angel Outreach Assistant (Auburn Hills)
Skills Needed – Able to use a computer and telephone, interact with people, detail oriented, organized, strategic planning
Job Description – Coordinate getting and picking up food donations, distribute and record who receives food from the Pet Food Pantry, composing and sending emails, filing, cleaning, compiling spay/neuter lists, fill out Wellness Clinic and Spay/Neuter Paperwork.
Frequency – 1 to 2 times a month
Time – 2 + hours

Kennel Attendant (Warren)
Skills needed – ability to wash cages. Bending, kneeling and standing on a step stool are required.
Job Description – Prepare the cleaning solution according to directions and fill sprayer. Completely spray cages and let stand for 10 minutes. Clean each cage with a new cloth (to prevent transmission of disease). Monday through Friday 5 pm to 6 pm.
Frequency – 5-7 times per week
Time – 1+ hour

Laundry Attendant (Warren)
Skills needed – ability to operate a washing machine and dryer (instructions will be provided for the particular brand of laundry machine). Bending and carrying are required.
Job Description – Shake out laundry to ensure that all debris is removed. Load laundry washing machines to full, ensure that items are of approximate equal weight (for example, thick heavy blankets should be washed by themselves or with another thick heavy blanket). Add appropriate amount of detergent, bleach and start machine. When the cycle finishes , move to the dryer and start cycle. NOTE: surgery drapes (blue/blue green) MUST be washed separately from towels, blankets and other items. Once items are dry, fold towels by rolling them, smaller items and blankets can be folded in squares. Surgery drapes should be folded as instructed (rectangle for pack wraps and fan fold for drapes with a hole).
Frequency – 5 times per week
Time – 2 to 3 hours

Surgery Pack Technician (Warren)
Skills needed – able to wash instruments (similar to washing dishes at home) and able to follow directions.
Job Description – Prepare surgery packs according to the charts. Each surgery pack contains 8 instruments and must be double wrapped, taped using proper techniques. Once the packs are wrapped, they autoclaved. Autoclaved must be properly filled with water before starting, see chart onsite to determine proper fill level.
Frequency – 5 times per week, approximately 2-4 hours

Wellness Veterinary Technician (Warren and Auburn Hills)
Skills Needed – Veterinary Technician experience. Be able to follow direction, work quickly and interact with the public.

Help the veterinarian and veterinary technician during our wellness hours at Warren: Tuesday 10am to 6pm, Wednesday 3pm to 7pm, Thursday 3pm to 7pm or in Auburn Hills: Thursday 3pm to 7pm, Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm.

Prepare vaccines, fill out paperwork, weigh patients, assist Veterinarian with procedures. Help hold animals for exams and vaccinations. Get heartworm and flea prevention ready to be sent home with the patient. Training consists of shadowing a technician until you are signed off by the veterinarian on your shift. This may take multiple sessions before ‘graduating’.
Frequency – 1 to 3 times per week
Time – 4 hours

Wellness Veterinarian (Warren and Auburn Hills)
Skills Needed – Veterinary license in the State of Michigan, ability to work quickly and interact with the public.
Job Description – Perform physical exams, vaccinate, counsel and educate owners.
Time – Warren: Tuesday 10am to 6pm, Wednesday 3pm to 7pm, Thursday 3pm to 7pm
Auburn Hills: Thursday 3pm to 7pm, Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm
Special wellness events are available occasionally on weekends
Frequency – flexible
Time – 5 + hours

Surgery Veterinary Technician (Warren)
Skills Needed – Veterinary Technician and surgical monitoring experience. Be able to follow direction, prepare animals for surgery, monitor patients while in recovery. Must have experience with anesthesia.
Frequency – 1 day per week, Monday through Friday
Time – 9am to 2pm

Veterinarian Surgeon (Warren)
Skills Needed – Veterinary license in the State of Michigan, ability to handle spay/neuter complications, surgery experience.
Job Description – Perform physical exams and spay/neuter surgeries on dogs and cats. Patients can be as young as 8 weeks/2 pounds and may be in heat. Prep work is done by veterinary assistants.
Frequency – varies
Time – flexible, weekends are available occasionally