Volunteer Positions – Dog
Dog Walking | 7am – 9am (North Side Shelter) | 8am – 10am (East Side Shelter) | 4pm – 6pm (daily at both Shelters)
This is exactly what it sounds like! Volunteers work as a team to help our Animal Care staff with taking our dogs out for their daily morning or evening walks, either around the North side neighborhood or on our East side campus. All volunteers are trained in handling techniques, harnessing, and HARP-specific protocols.
In-Kennel Training | 2pm – 4pm | Daily
In-Kennel Training volunteers work with our dogs in a protected-contact setting (you are outside the kennel, the dog stays inside the kennel) to help them exercise their minds and learn new skills! This role focuses on basic obedience skills, as well as training protocols designed to help build positive associations with human handlers. All volunteers are trained in recognizing dog body language and how to utilize the specific training protocols.
Enrichment Distribution | 10:30am – 12:30pm | Daily
These volunteers are also working with dogs in protected contact! The focus of enrichment distribution is the making and passing out of edible enrichment. These can take the form of frozen treats, treat tubes, treasure boxes, licky mats… the options are endless! All volunteers are trained in using the HARP enrichment making equipment, as well as distribution techniques when in the kennels.
Free Work Attendant | 8am – 10am (East Side Shelter Only*) | Daily
*North Side Free Work Attendant Volunteer Opportunity coming soon.
This role runs concurrently during walking hours, and this volunteer works alongside the dog walkers to provide extra enrichment opportunities during the dog’s walk. Free work volunteers are tasked with setting up, maintaining, and tearing down a free work course – essentially, an area that the dogs can walk through to sniff out treats, solve some puzzles, and get some decompression time when their walks are done. All volunteers are trained in dog body language; there is also an additional video to watch that covers the basics of free work.
