Volunteers Are Needed for the Following Teams:

Dog Trainers and Behavioral Consultants

This group provides training and assistance in classes offered to animal shelters, foster care homes, and the general public in the greater Kansas City area. These classes teach obedience and behavioral modification methods for dogs. We are promoting positive reinforcement training, and the volunteers need to learn and subscribe to this method of training.

Behavioral and Training Team

This group provides training and assistance to our dog training team in a classroom setting. These classes occur Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (excluding holidays). For some of these classes, we use peer model dogs, which are dogs that exhibit social and proper behavior toward the dogs attending class. Volunteers are sometimes needed to handle the peer model dogs in class, and to transport some peer model dogs to and from class. Volunteers also can work as a training assistant, taking instructions from our trainers on what is needed for each particular client’s class.

Shelter Support Members

This group works with shelter dogs by following a behavior and training plan outlined for the dogs. Volunteers can also transport shelter dogs to and from class and other training opportunities. Volunteers for this group must complete 10 hours of training with The Pet Connection’s training team before they can work with and transport shelter dogs.

Team Support Members

This group helps various teams who work from home or in several different locations in the community. The teams are as follows:

Phone Call Attendants: Volunteers in this group can help make/return phone calls to potential adopters, rescues, shelters, foster homes, adoptive homes, etc.

Fundraising Team: Volunteers in this group will help network The Pet Connection, find fundraising opportunities, seek donations from the community, and help organize and advertise fundraising events.

Adoption Team: Volunteers in this group can help counsel potential adopters, answer questions from potential adopters about the animals available for adoption, ensure that the necessary paperwork is completed for an adoption, and assist The Pet Connection’s trainers in a house visit to implement a behavior protocol for the adopted animal.

The “Adoptable Animals” Liaison

In addition to assisting the above teams, The Pet Connection is in need of an “Adoptable Animals” liaison. This liaison will promote the animals currently being held at the sanctuary, in foster homes, or the boarding facility. The volunteer will obtain information and photos of the animals, make flyers, promote the animals on-line, and update The Pet Connection’s portfolio of adoptive animals.

Volunteer Sign-Up

Interested in volunteering? Fill out and submit the interest form below!

If you are interested in volunteering for one of these teams, please email Melody Huff at www.thepetconnection.net. You will be sent a phone schedule to set up a time for a call to discuss volunteering in more detail.