Dog Care and Enrichment (DCE) Volunteer
Location: PAWS – Progressive Animal Welfare Society
Companion Animal Services (CAS)
Address: 15305 44th Ave W,
Lynnwood, WA 98087
Description:
Dog Care and Enrichment volunteers are instrumental in providing daily care for the dogs during their stay at PAWS. Daily care includes feeding, monitoring for health and behavior, providing exercise, basic training and enrichment, various cleaning tasks.
Experienced volunteers are given the opportunity to learn advanced animal handling and medical skills, including handling dogs with challenging behaviors, assisting with animal transfer processing, administering oral and topical medications, providing advanced enrichment and training.
This is a high animal contact position. Volunteers interact with dogs of various sizes, shapes, breeds and manners.
Duties: Specific duties vary depending on the day and time of the shift and may include any or all of the following.
- Prepare and distribute diets
- Exercising dogs including walking, playing ball, splash pool, buddy play.
- Monitoring behavior and medical needs on daily logs
- Provide enrichment, socialization, and comfort to the dogs.
- Basic training using learned PAWS’ training practices
- Full and spot cleaning tasks in kennels, walkways and play yards
- Cleaning tasks to daily care, including dishes, laundry, sweeping/mopping floors, and other as needed.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must have reliable transportation to PAWS
- Must have an active email address
- Must complete New Volunteer Orientation, CAS Info Session and skills training.
- Must pass a background check
Additional Requirements:
- Must be able to work cooperatively with staff, volunteers, and interns.
- Tolerance for loud noise
- Be in good-to-moderate physical condition because of the high level of physical activity involved
- Tolerate exposure to various cleaning agents
- Capable of working independently under limited supervision, after fully trained.
- Comfortable approaching staff with questions and asking for direction when needed.
- Tolerance for working in all weather conditions (exercise occurs outdoors rain or shine)
Required Training:
- PAWS New Volunteer Orientation
- CAS Info Session
- Online Dog Skills training
- In-person skills training
Shifts & Hours: One 3-hour shift per week (shifts available Sunday – Saturday).
We ask for volunteers to commit to one weekly assigned shift for a minimum of three months.
Location: Lynnwood Campus
Age Requirement: 18
Reports To: CAS Operations Staff; Volunteer Program Manager