Volunteering at MCAS is a special experience - for both you, and for the animals that can't wait to meet you! There are lots of choices when it comes to volunteering. There's plenty of cleaning, grooming, and dog walking to be done. But you can also choose a quieter volunteer experience, just spending time with a favorite animal. We are always looking for compassionate, animal-loving volunteers. Our volunteers are the cornerstone of our operation and without them; we would not be successful in meeting our no kill goal. We have so many rewarding volunteer opportunities ... there's something for everyone! Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to volunteer unsupervised. Once you have completed your New Volunteer Orientation you will be able to help with a variety of activities, such as feeding, cleaning, grooming, walking, petting, brushing, singing, or just sitting with the animals - you can spend as little or as much time as you wish. Dog Walking Dogs in the shelter need regular exercise and affection, just as we do! Some also need help with their manners, so volunteers may help teach basic commands. Dogs may be walked on the property, and some may be signed out for group play at local dog parks. Dogs need exercise and social interaction. Why is interaction so important? Interaction with our animals socializes them. The more social they are, the better their chances for adoption. Spend time with them - they'll love you for it. Cat Care Who says cats are independent? Cats and kittens need lots of attention to help them adjust to their temporary shelter home. Volunteers who hold them, pet them, play with them, and talk to them help them put their best "paw" forward Dog Bathing Our dogs need regular bathing, particularly those that are going to an offsite adoption event. Cleanliness is part of an animal's health and well being. We want our critters clean and sweet-smelling! Offsite Adoptions We want to market our wonderful animals to as many people as we can. So, if customers don't come to us, we go to them! And, offsite adoption venues are the primary means for our foster parents to find forever homes for their "kids". Many local businesses allow us to showcase our animals on their properties, mostly on weekends. We need volunteers to coordinate offsite adoption events, to transport animals to events and set up, to help with the animals during the events and to assist customers. Communications and Marketing Creative volunteers prepare print and electronic materials to spotlight shelter animals and raise community awareness of the shelter's services and successes. Taking pictures, posting them online, distributing brochures, maintaining the MCAS website, updating websites that feature our animals, creating signs and announcements for special events, and preparing press releases ... these are a few of the ways our Marketing team supports the shelter.