Volunteer at Operation Kindness

Transcription

Introduction
Michael Perkins
3
4
Table of Contents
Operations Kindness Reference Manual
Table of Contents ...................................................................................... 4
Introduction .............................................................................................. 5
Volunteer Policies & Procedures .............................................................. 8
Contact Information.............................................................................. 8
Dog Kennels ............................................................................................ 11
Clean Dog Cages .................................................................................. 11
Prepare to Walk the Dog..................................................................... 13
Walk the Dog....................................................................................... 15
Cat Kennels.............................................................................................. 21
Cat Rooms ........................................................................................... 21
Clean Cat Cages ................................................................................... 21
Foster Care .............................................................................................. 25
Prepare for Foster Care....................................................................... 25
Office Work ............................................................................................. 31
General Help ....................................................................................... 31
Volunteer Committee ......................................................................... 31
Adoption Counseling ........................................................................... 31
Telephone Committee ........................................................................ 32
Do Laundry .......................................................................................... 32
Outreach ................................................................................................. 37
Off-Site Events..................................................................................... 37
Transportation .................................................................................... 37
Nursing Homes .................................................................................... 37
Speaker's Bureau ................................................................................ 38
References .............................................................................................. 39
Introduction
Introduction
5
Welcome to Operation Kindness. Our shelter was founded in 1976 and
is the oldest and largest no-kill animal shelter in Texas. Our first shelter
was located in Garland. We only moved to Carrollton in 1988 and
received our brand-new Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Animal Shelter in
July, 1999. Our original shelter was approximately the size of our
current lobby.
Volunteers have always been a major component of our facility.
However, it is only recently that we had the funds to hire a full- and
part-time professional staff. Our volunteers continue to serve as a
critical component of Operation Kindness’ mission as ambassadors of
goodwill while interacting with the public. The hard work of our
volunteers is what allows this shelter to continue doing the good work
of providing aid to animals in need.
During orientation you will learn what is needed from volunteers like
you to keep Operation Kindness running smoothly. You will learn of the
many areas in which you are needed and you will learn how best to
meet those needs. Volunteering is a very important job that needs to be
taken seriously. Some jobs are more difficult than others and will
require a lot of hard work. However, there is no reward greater than
taking a frightened animal, comforting and caring for it, and finally
seeing the happiness in its eyes as you send it off to a loving new home.
You may need to make several trips to the shelter before you learn the
routine of how things work here.
7
For the general public, our hours are –
Monday and Wednesday:
Tuesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Closed
1:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m.
Noon to 5:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Noon to 5:00 p.m.
You will need to park along Earhart Drive. Do not park in the parking lot
around the shelter because we want to leave space for
potential adopters.
Mandatory
• Operation Kindness Name Badge
o Wear the badge to identify yourself as an official
volunteer. Take it home!
• Closed-toe shoes
o These are to protect your toes from heavy doors and
critter love bites and toenails. No sandals or flip flops!
Recommended
• Long pants
o Wear these to protect your legs from scratches and
potential poison ivy contact.
• Washable, unnecessary clothes
o You don’t want your favorite t-shirt to end up stained,
torn, and trashed!
• No dangling earrings or exposed body piercing jewelry
o Playful pups and curious kitties can accidentally tear an
earring out, or even end up with broken or lost jewelry
in their tummies!
• No short-shorts, mini-skirts, or revealing tops, please
o We appreciate your help creating a professional
atmosphere of mutual respect for other volunteers,
staff, and clients.
(Operation Kindness, 2013)
8
Volunteer Policies & Procedures
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You must be at least six years old and must be accompanied by
a legal guardian at all times who is also a volunteer. You must
be at least 17 years old to volunteer without supervision.
You must turn off your cell phones while volunteering and focus
on the animals you handle.
We encourage you to get a tetanus booster if it’s been more
than ten years since your last one.
You cannot brings friends or family along unless they are also
volunteers.
You must heed all signs in the shelter.
You are not allowed in the OFF LIMITS area.
You should staff immediately if you notice any signs of illness in
an animal.
You should only use disinfectants, cleaners and shampoos after
a staff member instructs you on their proper use.
You should not carry kittens or cats by the scruff of the neck
unless instructed otherwise.
If you must smoke, the side of the parking lot by the dumpster
is the designated smoking area.
You must heed the advice of the staff.
Contact Information
Volunteer Manager:
Interim Executive Director:
Director of Animal Care:
Director of Development:
Special Events Manager:
Integrated Services Director:
Intake Manager:
Intake Coordinator:
Client Services Manager:
Medical Manager:
Animal Care Manager:
Tomi D. Tucker
Peggy Marshall
Sandi Laird
Nikki Walker
Julie Goff
Haley Payne
Mark Cooper
Derilyn Turner
Peggy Blotney
Christy Gray
Stephanie Coe
If you have questions or comments about volunteering, contact Tomi
directly at 972-428-3821, or by email at ttucker@operationkindness.org.
Dog Kennels
9
Dog Kennels
11
Dog Kennels
Only staff can feed the animals because of dietary requirements.
Our animals are divided by color coded collars, each one representing
the level of volunteer ability required to handle
the animal.
Orange
Volunteers that have experience training dogs and have
knowledge of canine posturing. Able to train unruly or
stubborn dogs, and dogs that would be considered "staff
only". This level requires staff approval.
Yellow
Volunteers that have shown an interest in and the skill to
handle dogs that are categorized as yellow. Able to
handle somewhat difficult dogs and has the desire to help
train the dog to move to green. This level requires staff
approval.
Blue
All volunteers that have attended and completed the
large dog Level II training. Able to enter large kennels and
safely take the dogs in/out with no issues or problems.
Green
All volunteers that have only gone through Level I
volunteer orientation, as well as cat volunteers.
Clean Dog Cages
At Operation Kindness, cleanliness is next to godliness. Because of our
policy of accepting all animals regardless of prior health condition, our
shelter animals are very susceptible to disease, especially the younger
ones. You will need to clean the cages on a daily basis and we
encourage you to take precautions to limit the spread of disease.
12
You will start with the top cages
and work your way down.
As a cage cleaner, you should be
able to bend down to reach the
lower cages and be able to lift at
least 15 pounds on a
regular basis.
If you have any medical
conditions, we ask that you not
come to the facility
that day.
If an animal displays any health
problems, such as lethargy, runny nose, vomiting, etc., then write your
observations on the Animal Concerns sheet located in the cabinets in
each kennel area.
Apply hand sanitizer before cleaning the cage, and wear
disposable gloves.
•
•
•
•
•
Approach animals calmly so as not to frighten them.
Calmly reach out with hand open and palm down to assure the
dog that you are ok.
Allow the dog to sniff and become comfortable with you before
you remove it from the cage.
Remove animals and hand them off to a walker.
o Never use cleaning chemicals while the dog is still in
the cage.
Remove any bedding, cloth, toys, bowl, old food, old
newspapers and waste.
a) Take cloth, bedding and toys to laundry room.
b) Send bowls to the food storage room for washing.
c) Collect all solid waste using newspapers, plastic bags, or
pooper scoopers.
Dog Kennels
13
d) Cleaning utensils will be provided by staff in bottles
labeled “cage cleaner”. Never use unmarked bottles.
The hose is only used with attached cleaner in the large
dog runs.
e) Apply cleaning agent onto the floor, ceiling and walls of
the cage and scrub thoroughly.
f) Remove the cage door for a more thorough cleaning if
necessary. Ask the staff for directions on detaching and
replacing the cage door.
g) Let the cage air out and dry completely.
h) Line the floor with new newspaper.
i) Place new bedding into the cage, along with fresh water
and food as needed.
j) Return animal to the cage and securely fasten the door
latch and clip if applicable.
• If you see an animal with wet bedding, remove the bedding and
replace it with fresh bedding as quickly as possible, regardless of
when the cage was last cleaned.
Prepare to Walk the Dog
An important aspect of maintaining an animal’s health is ensuring that it
receives plenty of exercise. You and other volunteers are to walk the
dogs at a minimum of twice per day. You may treat the dogs to longer
and more frequent walks if there are enough volunteers around.
For Green Coded Small Dogs:
• Walk each dog once in the morning and once in the evening
unless instructed otherwise.
• Take only one dog at a time.
• Bring a plastic bag to pick up all dog droppings.
o Throw away used bags after the walk.
• Keep an eye on the color of the dog’s collar.
o Dog collars are used to indicate the level of difficulty in
handling the dog. Do not walk a dog that is above
your level.
o Collar color is also used to designate which dogs are
comfortable with each other.
14
Two dogs wearing red collars should be able to walk
together without incident, but stay on alert.
o Dogs with different color collars are to be kept at a
reasonable distance from each other.
Leashes and slip collars/slip chains are located on the wall in the
dog run area and small dog room.
o Despite the name “choke” collar, it will not actually
choke the dog.
o Make sure the chain is forward on the neck and close to
the jawbone to maintain maximum control of the dog.
o Select a collar large enough to slip over the dog’s head
without force. Go to the next size up if the current collar
seems too small.
o Hold the ring of the chain on one end parallel to the
floor, and the other ring straight above it. Feed the
chain down through the bottom ring.
o Attach the leash to the top ring. Check that you have
put on the slip collar correctly by pulling on the leash to
ensure it tightens around the dog’s neck. Use your wrist
as a ‘stand in” for the dog’s neck to check if it tightens
before putting it on the dog. Redo the process if the
leash does not tighten.
o When retrieving a dog from the top cage, open the cage
door only enough to get your arm in. get a firm grip on
the dog’s collar before opening the cage any wider to
get the dog out.
o Put the collar on while the dog is still in the cage.
o Carry small dogs out to the back area if it is
small enough.
o Do not let dogs jump from the top cages as this may
result in injury.
o Keep the dog on a short leash to prevent confrontations
with other dogs and for better control during the walk.
o Place the loop of the leash around your wrist for
extra control.
Walk each dog for approximately ten minutes, but feel free to
adjust the length depending on what the dog feels
comfortable with.
o
•
•
Dog Kennels
Ask for assistance from any staff member if you have questions
regarding the proper use of slip collars/slip chains.
15
Additional Tips
• Praise the dog warmly and enthusiastically when it goes to the
bathroom. Before you move on, pick up after the dog, or do
anything else, please stroke, treat and pet the dog while you
continue to offer praise. Part of the dog’s training is learning
that you are pleased that he or she has used the bathroom
outside. Their future owners will appreciate this training.
• This practice is necessary even if the dog is already
housetrained because it reminds them that these rules
still apply.
Walk the Dog
•
•
•
Before you begin your
walk, be sure to fill
out the sign out sheet
regarding which dog
has been walked at
what time.
Take the dog out
through the door at
the rear of the dog
run area. Collect a few
plastic bags near the
door in order to pick
up solid waste.
o Do not let the
dogs urinate
on vehicles, the building, or the landscaping.
Place solid waste in the trashcan upon returning from
the walk.
16
•
•
•
•
Walk your dog on
the paths in the
wooded area behind
the building, but not
in front of the shelter
or in the parking lot.
o Keep dogs
off the
cement
porch in the
back of the
shelter
because
some of our
resident
dogs have
been known to make escape attempts.
Do not let dogs run into the wooded brush.
o There are stickers and burs which are painful to the
animal and the human who has to remove them.
Never let the dog run free.
o Except in dog parks.
Remove the slip collar and leash only after the dog is back inside
its cage. Remove the leash and slip collar and hang them back
on the wall or hook where you originally got it. Make sure the
cage is completely closed before proceeding to any other task.
Additional Dog Notes
•
Because we don’t euthanize animals except in the most dire
cases, we usually have a few dogs who may bite, either out of
fear or because they have been abused. These dogs are
identified by cage signs which read “Staff Only To Handle”. If
Dog Kennels
17
you have any doubts about a dog, ask a staff member or move
on to another dog.
• Only Staff may put the dogs in their playgrounds.
• Never go into a yard if there are animals in play groups.
• Never hand off an animal to a client unless you are an
adoption counselor.
• You should never try to break up a fight. Yell for help instead.
• Only walk one dog at a time. Never leave your dog unattended.
• You and another adult may walk two dogs together, but only if
the dogs get along.
o A good way to tell if dogs get along is if you find them
sharing a cage.
• You are doing these dogs a favor by helping them socialize.
Many of our animals are who are shy or have never experienced
human affection. You are helping these animals become more
adoptable by walking, petting, and praising them.
• Always feel free to ask the regular staff for help, especially if
you are new.
Cat Kennels
Cat Kennels
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Cat Kennels
Cat Rooms
•
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Always remember to apply hand sanitizer before handling
any animal.
Cats are generally allowed to run free in the cat room, except
for those with cautionary signs on their cages.
Kittens are confined to their cages to reduce the risk of
spreading diseases.
You will need to pay close attention to all signs and cage cards,
as they are posted for your safety.
o Direct all questions toward regular staff.
Keep all items in the supply cabinet in their proper places.
You or other volunteers will need to sweep and mop the
floor daily.
o Change water/cleaning solution frequently
o We pull the cages away from the wall so that we can
mop the area beneath.
Never leave doors open while the air conditioning is on.
Report any signs of illness (coughing, watery eyes, discharge
from the nose or eyes, blood in the stools, vomiting and
diarrhea) to a staff member immediately.
Clean Cat Cages
1. Start with the top cages and work your way down.
2. Remove the animal and all items from the cage, including bowls,
toys, towels, litter box, etc.
3. Change litter boxes completely when they are too soiled. Only
use the scoop if the box seems relatively clean. Replace the box
if the sides of the box appear dirty.
a. Use designated shovels to remove cat droppings from
the box.
b. Collect cat droppings in a plastic bag.
c. Refill sand as needed.
22
4. Look for newspaper in the litter box. This may mean that the cat
has special health problems and may be trying to get a fresh
stool or urine sample, or that the cat may have just been
neutered. Volunteers should check with staff before emptying
these particular cat boxes or letting the cat out of the cage.
5. Only use an approved cleaning solution on the cage, including
the cage ceiling and door.
a. Wipe thoroughly with paper towels and make sure the
cage is completely dry.
6. Place the new litter boxes against the common wall between
two cages. This can help maintain cleanliness by letting the litter
bounce off the wall and back into the box.
7. Line the cage with fresh towels and bedding before replacing
the bowls, toys and litter boxes.
8. Treats can be offered after the animal is safely closed back in
the cage, but only with staff approval. Offer treats sparingly and
never give the cat more than it can eat immediately.
Foster Care
Taken from operationkindness.org
Foster Care
25
Foster Care
Because Operation Kindness is a no-kill animal shelter, we often find
ourselves in a position where we are simply unable to look after every
animal that is brought to us. Volunteers like you can help alleviate this
burden by temporarily bringing these animals to your own home.
Foster care isn’t as simple as a one night stay at a hotel. Because of how
difficult it is to predict when animals will be adopted, some of our
animals may need to stay in foster care for as long as a month. Before
you take on this task, there are a few things you’ll need to prepare for.
One of the most important steps is to make sure that your finances are
secure enough to handle a pet, even temporarily. It has been said that
pets are as expensive as children. While you will never send your foster
dog off to college, you should be ready to handle the bills from
veterinary visits.
Prepare for Foster Care
•
•
•
Prepare yourself emotionally.
o Understand that the animal does not belong to you and
that you will have to go through the normal adoption
process if you want to keep it.
o Be ready to bring the animal back to the shelter once
your foster period is over.
Prepare your home.
o Survey any areas which may be dangerous for the
animal. Gate or otherwise ensure the animals have no
access to these areas.
o Because the animal may not be accustomed to the rules
of a house, limit its access to clothes, drapes, carpet
and furniture.
Prepare with the foster-care coordinator.
o Talk to the foster-care coordinator about the condition
of your home and what kind of animal(s) you would be
able to look after.
o Attend foster-care training.
26
Make sure your own pets are up-to-date on
their vaccinations.
o If you already have a pet, it may be necessary to have
them meet and become acquainted with each other
before you decide to foster the new animal.
 If you have a dog, bring it to the shelter for
the meeting.
 If the animal intended for foster care is a puppy,
then there shouldn’t be any incident with an
older dog.
 Do not bring cats to the shelter because they
tend to not enjoy long trips.
 You should not foster a female cat if you
already have one because they are
very territorial.
Prepare to look after the animal.
o Make sure that you are allowed to foster the animal.
 Some apartments have weight limits for the
animals they allow.
o Check with veterinary staff to determine if the animal
has any medical needs.
o Ask veterinary staff what to look for regarding special
medical conditions.
o Learn the location and hours of a local veterinary office
before bringing the animal home.
o Be ready to transport the animal on a moment’s notice
to wherever it needs to be.
o Set a designated area to separate your foster animal
from any pre-existing pets.
Care for animals.
o Do not neglect the animal’s needs in an effort to stay
emotionally distant.
o Be compassionate to the animal.
o Take steps to ensure that the animal will be
comfortable at your home.
Supplies you may need.
o House. You need permanent living residence.
o Water. You must provide your animal access to water at
all times.
o
•
•
•
Foster Care
o
o
o
o
o
(Petfinder.com)
27
Food: Your animal will likely prefer food bought from a
pet-supply-store than a grocery store.
Litter box and non-clumping litter: This only applies if
you foster a cat.
Heating pad or hot water bottle: Small animals may
need warmer environments than you may be
comfortable with.
Toys: Most animals like to play and will need a means of
entertainment while you’re not around. The type of
toys needed depend on the size, species and
preferences of the animal.
Scale: A lot of animals have certain dietary
requirements, just like people. You’ll need a scale to
keep up with your animal’s needs.
Office Work
Office Work
31
Office Work
While most of the jobs we offer to you are directly related to care for
the animals, Operation Kindness still functions like a business.
General Help
•
•
•
Answer phones
o Listen to nature of calls
o Direct caller to different departments based on
person’s issue
Greet visitors
o Stand at front and direct them to front desk.
Assist with mailings and general office work
o Send out donation letters.
o Send out invitations to special events.
Volunteer Committee
Each special event has its own committee. Special events include
educations committees which go out to schools and libraries to educate
youth groups.
• Perform tours at the shelter. Tours are conducted roughly once
a week.
• Welcome new volunteers
• Coordinating and assisting with volunteer training
Adoption Counseling
Adoption counseling is arguably the most important job at any animal
shelter. Shelters effectively function as temporary homes, stopping
points before the animals meet their families and live happily ever after.
It doesn’t always work that way, but we try to be optimistic. The job of
the adoption counselor is to interview with clients who are wanting to
adopt an animal and make sure that both they and the animal are an
ideal match.
• Attend counseling training.
• You will need to know a bit of psychology in order to read
people for this job.
• Sometimes you have to say no.
32
Sometimes the person and animal are simply not a good
match. For instance, an elderly couple and an energetic
large dog would not be a good match. It is your job to
inform potential adopters about these problems as
gently as possible. In these cases, you will also need to
sway them towards an animal they can handle.
Council the adopters on what they can handle, meet the
animals, and then come to office to discuss further.
Work with adopters to find their new companion
Counsel adopters on training and pet care.
Finally you will aid adopters to complete adoption paperwork.
o
•
•
•
•
Telephone Committee
This task is relatively straight forward.
• Call volunteers.
o Inform volunteers if they have not met their yearly
hours or requirements.
• Take calls.
o Most callers are potential volunteers or adopters who
want more information about our facility. Your job is
not to answer their questions, but to direct them to
someone who can.
 We provide you with a reference book.
• Contact adopters after adoption.
o Check up on adopters to make sure they can handle
their new family member.
Do Laundry
Laundry is one of the more crucial elements in maintaining a healthy
environment for our animals. There would be little point in bathing and
brushing our furry friends only to send them back to beds stained
with urine.
•
•
•
Apply hand sanitizer before proceeding and wear
disposable gloves.
Prepare yourself for the smell of fresh urine and
fecal matter.
Sort according to type of material.
Office Work
33
• Set different materials into piles according to which one you
wish to wash first.
o Be sure that each load contains bedding and blankets
for both small and large animals in order to keep up
with demand.
• Follow directions on detergent bottles to determine proper
amount to be used.
• Select the appropriate water temperature.
• Place the piles into washers once they are available.
o Do not stuff the fabrics into the machine.
• Move the laundry into the driers.
• Remove the laundry from the machines once they are dry.
• Fold the laundry as needed and place in a designated area
for pickup.
Chapter 5
Fly Chapter 5
35
Taken from impactloud.com
Outreach
37
Outreach
The final branch of activities at Operation Kindness is our
outreach programs.
Off-Site Events
Your primary purpose will be to educate the public about proper pet
ownership, as well as managing fundraising events and raising
awareness for Operation Kindness in General.
• Manage booths at community events such as the Home and
Garden Show.
• Recurring offsite events Adoption Events which take place at
retail stores or restaurants, such as IKEA, Whole Foods Market,
Pet Supplies Plus, The Wooden House, Blackfinn and Blue Mesa.
Transportation
Our animals need you to transport them to where the need to be.
•
•
•
Transport animals to TV shows
o Fox 4, every Saturday at 8:45
Transport animals to vet’s office
Transport animals to events
Nursing Homes
We are not only concerned with the happiness of animals at Operation
Kindness. Once a month we organize volunteers like you to visit two
nursing homes. There you will bring your own pets and simply spend
time bringing happiness to a group of people who are in need.
• Attend orientation for this volunteer event and fill out
the application.
• You will meet up with your group at the home and enter as
a group.
• We may take the animals to a designated visiting area or take
the animals one at a time from room to room, depending on the
rules of the nursing home.
• You will need to be available on a weekend day.
• Talk to Tomi if you want to know more.
38
Speaker's Bureau
This is a relatively branch for us. Your primary task here is
effectively advertising.
• Head to corporations and
explain what they can do
for us.
o Inform the
corporations that
we help them by
providing an
opportunity to
come to our
Taken from Operation Kindness
facility for team
Facebook page
building
exercises. Tell
them that they can sponsor events in exchange for PR
(they’re put on our website and brochures).
• Perform presentations at schools.
o You can bring an animal if the school allows it. You will
go to the school and give speech about the benefits of
adopting our animals. Your main goal is to raise
awareness but also encourage adopting, volunteering,
donating and so on.
• Reach out to community groups.
References
39
References
Operation Kindness (2013). Level 1 Volunteer Handbook. Carrollton, TX:
Author.
Scott, Richard, and Raye Scott. "Before You Foster." Before You Foster
Comments. Petfinder, June 2013. Web. 03 July 2013.
"July 2nd Sat Event Featuring Operation Kindness." IMPACT » July 2nd
Sat Event Featuring Operation Kindness. Impact Loudoun, 2010.
Web. 03 July 2013.
"Operation Kindness - Carrollton, TX - Animal Shelter, Pet Store |
Facebook." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 July 2013.

Volunteer at Operation Kindness

Transcription

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