PAWS Dog
Walkers offer many of
our clients much needed assistance by providing weekly walks and exercise for
their canine companions. A good portion of our clients are homebound and
dealing with challenges around mobility or their respective ailments and
treatment regimens. Having one or more regular volunteer walkers is a
tremendous and in-demand form of support for many of our clients.
This is an
incredibly fun way to get some extra daily steps in and interact with one of
our clients and a new canine friend that goes a long way in helping maintain
the human-animal bond between PAWS dogs and their guardians. Volunteer dog
walkers contribute to the well-being of both our clients and their pups by
ensuring dogs get regular exercise when their owners are not able to walk them.
Can you spare 45 minutes a week to help ensure our clients’ pups get taken out
on their needed neighborhood strolls?
The Pet
Food Bank provides
PAWS clients with a supplemental allotment of pet food, litter and a variety of
pet supplies (e.g., toys, treats, collars, leashes, carriers/crates,
etc.) every month. This basic but essential service can often mean
the difference between our clients meeting their own nutritional needs and
sacrificing their needs to feed their animal companions, or being able to keep
their pets in their lives at all.
Many of our
clients are unable to come to the Pet Food Bank, located at the PAWS office,
due to their disability. We rely on the generosity and commitment of
volunteers to deliver food and supplies to all of our homebound clients. Can
you spare 3 hours on a Saturday morning to help keep these critter companions
fed?
For
more information or to apply: please contact PAWS Volunteer Services Coordinator, Walter
Campbell, at wcampbell@shanti.org
Dog Walker
General
Requirements:
- Minimum of
3 to 6 month commitment
- Available
for regular, weekly visits to same client, rain or shine
- Minimum age
of 18 (or accompanied by a parent/guardian who is a trained PAWS
volunteer)
- Relevant
experience with dogs
- Physically
able to walk assigned dog
- Must be a
trained PAWS volunteer
Duties:
- Participate
on a dog walking team with other volunteers assigned to the same client
- Visit
clients at home and walk their dogs - about 45 minutes to an hour each
week depending upon location and abilities of dog
- Provide
feedback to PAWS staff regarding client and/or pet(s)
