There are many ways that volunteers can immediately help the animals at Furry Friends Refuge.
Check out the following opportunities, and remember that many local companies (including Athene, Meredith, Nationwide, Pella, Principal, US Bank, Voya, and Wellmark) will donate to charities where their employees give back!
Adoptions
Assist adoption staff at Furry Friends by welcoming visitors to our facilities and answering questions from the public about our animals.
Additional training is required before volunteers may assist with the adoption process.
Cat and critter care
Make sure cats and small critters have enough food and clean water; clean out cages and litter boxes; sweep and wipe down surfaces in communal rooms; and pet, play with, and brush the animals.
Dog care
You will have the opportunity at general orientation to sign up for a 30-minute basic training program. After completing this, you may take one dog at a time into our courtyard. Once you’ve completed the first dog program, there will be sessions for proper dog-walking training. This is restricted to volunteers 16 and older.
More advanced dog programs include letting dogs out in “playgroups” in the courtyard; working with our highest-need dogs on manners, socialization and basic obedience; and bringing dogs on field trips around the community.
Development
Our organization is completely dependent on donations; volunteers are encouraged to share potential business sponsorships and grant opportunities with shelter staff.
Events
Help plan, identify funding for, and organize our various fundraisers so that they’re both fun and successful.
We also need volunteers to educate people about Furry Friends’ mission and to safely take our adoptables to off-site events, such as our seasonal kitten kiosk at Valley West Mall, Fourth of July parades, and various speaking engagements.
Facility upkeep
Keep the facilities looking — and smelling — nice by doing laundry, washing items (dishes, litterboxes, litter scoops, etc.), cleaning the dog courtyards, sweeping, and wiping down surfaces.
Volunteers can also mow the lawn, shovel snow, and pitch in with smaller-scale maintenance projects around the facilities. Please let us know if you have specialized skills in areas such as plumbing, carpentry, electrical, etc., so that we can contact you with more intensive handyman projects.
Fostering
Provide temporary care for cats or dogs in your home until they can be adopted. Must be the homeowner or provide landlord contact for approval.
Fill out our application and find more info on our foster page. Additional information about these animals’ needs will be provided when your application is received.