VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH CAAWS

Please print our Volunteer Application. (You must be 18 or older to volunteer with CAAWS) After completing our application either drop it by our shelter on Saturdays between 11 and 3 or mail it to:

CAAWS
P.O. Box 77765
Baton Rouge, LA 70879

Please remember that CAAWS is run solely by unpaid volunteers and 100% of the monies received go towards helping our animals. The majority of our volunteers work or go to school full time. Please be patient and we will get in touch with you as soon as we can.

Telephone Volunteer

CAAWS receives many phone inquiries regarding our services or asking for information or advice. Volunteers check these messages on their assigned day and return these messages from their homes. This is a great way to volunteer during the week if you can spare an hour or two from your schedule.

Public Relations

CAAWS needs volunteers to go to local public events and let the community know what we do! As hard as we work, the volunteers know if more people knew the enormity of the homeless animals, the more they would help us. We need reliable, independent, and enthusiastic volunteers to go get the CAAWS word out. Events are sporadic throughout the year and you would help the Public Relations Coordinator in planning and attending the events.

Cat Room Volunteer Openings

Saturday Adoption Help. We need help transporting the cats to Petsmart on Airline Hwy for adoptions. Help set up the tables and cages. Work with adoption counselors to keep the cat and kittens happy and safe. Greet the public and answer their questions. You can come for the full day 10:30 am to 3:30 pm or do a half day 10:30-1 or 1-3:30.
Vet Transport. Pick up any cats needing to go the vet and either drop them off at a convenient clinic or stay with them during an appointment. Availability during normal business hours is a must.
Feral Cat Work - Help us identify, trap, vet, and spay/neuter feral colonies in Baton Rouge. We also need people to help with Public Outreach/Education. Some knowledge of feral cat behavior is helpful.
Cat Shift - If you love cats this is the job for you. A cat shift consists of feeding the cats, scooping/dumping liter, general cleaning (sweeping, mopping, laundry), and the glorious joy of playing with and loving the CAAWS cats and kittens. The morning shift can start anywhere from 7am to 10am and the evening shift should start between 4pm and 8pm. A shift typically lasts 1-2 hours (depending on the attention span of the cats). It is just 20 minutes of work and the rest is a love fest. You must be able to commit to doing the same shift every week. Shift availability varies.
Cat Video-ographer- We will be using YouTube.com to show off our CAAWS cats in live action on a trial basis to boost adoptions. All of our cats are sweet, loving animals, but some of them go to adoption day and turn into complete freaks. Many of our cats never go to adoption day because all they do is hiss and spit. Posting videos of the cats in their natural environment will allow the public to see more than fangs. We need a creative volunteer to get our cats purring, rubbing against legs, chasing toy mice, climbing up the cat tree, darting after a feather, pouncing on one another, and in general being the loving, silly creatures that they are for the camera. This opportunity is for about three hours a week on a regular basis at out shelter on Quinn Drive. Required Skills: Must be 18 years of age. Must have own transportation. Must have own camera and editing software and have very basic filming/editing skills. Must have a whole lot of patience!

Dog Room Volunteer Openings

Evening Dog Shift - A dog shift consists of feeding, medicating, letting out, cleaning up after, and playing with our CAAWS dogs. The evening shift starts between 5pm and 6pm, and each shift takes about 3 hours. You will be expected to consistently volunteer on the same shift every week. We usually schedule two volunteers a shift so you will be working with another volunteer who currently does the dog shift. If you love to interact and meet many different breeds (mutts) and sizes (giant) of dogs then this is the job for you. It is helpful if you have knowledge of dog behavior, and you must be able to handle large dogs. It is a lot of work but well worth the effort. A dog shift can be messy so please dress accordingly (they can paint with mud). Shift availability varies.
Morning Dog Room Shift-We need help with our morning dog room shifts. We need volunteers to take care of our CAAWS dogs. Your responsibilities would be to feed, medicate, clean up after, exercise and love our dogs. We have mainly large dogs in our shelter so experience handling large dogs is a plus but not necessary. We have at least one volunteer on each shift so you will have a partner, sometimes two, to help you. You will be required to do the same morning shift each week. The shift starts between 7 and 8 am and lasts for 3 to 4 hours. It can be hard work sometimes but it is well worth the effort and with a helper it is much easier than alone. Please consider helping out our animals and volunteers. This would be a great opportunity for someone who is retired and just wants to have something to do once or twice a week.
Vet Transport-You will be required to pick up a dog who needs to see a vet and either drop it off at the Veterinary Clinic or stay with it during its appointment or pick it up at the end of the business day. You must be willing to carry LARGE dogs as well as small dogs. These animals may be slobbery, shed a bit, cry, etc. Remember some of these dogs have taken very few car rides. Availability during normal business hours is a must. Most Veterinary Clinics close by 6 pm.

Human Education

Our Humane Education Volunteers go to elementary school classes with CAAWS dogs to teach responsible pet ownership, spay and neuter, and child safety. Our presentations usually last from 45 minutes to an hour. If we go to a school that wants us to talk to several classes, then it might take up to 3 hours. During the summer months, we give presentations at several libraries. We always need people to assist with the props, handle the CAAWS dog, or do a presentation. All teaching materials will be provided for you, and no training is necessary.

Project BARK (Bonding, Acceptance, Responsibility with K-nines) Project BARK is a youth correctional program that pairs juvenile offenders with unwanted dogs from the Capital Area Animal Welfare Society (CAAWS) or the Baton Rouge Animal Control Center. Dogs that are homeless are paired with a juvenile for obedience training once a week, either a Tuesday or Thursday. VOLUNTEER Times: Tuesday: 12:15p.m to 3:00p.m. we meet at CAAWS for transport or Thursday-10:45-1:00p.m- meet at Animal Control for transport. If you are interested in Project BARK please contact Paula Schoen @ pbschoen@cox.net for more information.

Cash for Critters

Recycle inkjet and laser cartridges to help raise money for The Capital Area Animal Welfare Society. Coordinate with local businesses that donate cartridges, transport, and ready them for shipment. Recruit new companies to join the program. Cartridges may be left at our building on Quinn Drive during Saturday Adoption Days from 11-3.

Home
About CAAWS
Map to CAAWS
Contact Us

Adoption Programs

Cats and Kittens
Dogs and Puppies
Public Animals
Adoption Procedure

Services

Spay/Neuter Program
Feral Cat Program
Pet Therapy
Humane Education
Special Events
Krewe of Mutts Parade

How You Can Help

Volunteer Opportunities
Membership/Donations
Best Buddy Program
Foster Homes
Used Printer Cartridges

Links

Updated 05/04/2008