The following was written by Penny, one of Friends of BCAS's coordinators, as the fourth monthly email to our volunteers.
Fellow Friends of BCAS volunteers,
Our number of volunteer visits to the shelter and volunteers hours decreased compared to the prior month. In March we had 161 visits and 245 volunteer hours. In April, we had 146 visits and 239 volunteer hours. That's a (9.4%) and (2.2%) decrease respectively. (Please remember to sign in & out when you are at the shelter, so our statistics can be as accurate as possible.)
With the decline in volunteer visits & hours, we are falling short of getting the cats and dogs out of their kennels at least once a week. We realize the weather is beautiful and everyone has yard work, spring cleaning and barbecues to attend, but please try to find some time to bring a little joy to the animals at the shelter.
Our number of volunteer visits to the shelter and volunteers hours decreased compared to the prior month. In March we had 161 visits and 245 volunteer hours. In April, we had 146 visits and 239 volunteer hours. That's a (9.4%) and (2.2%) decrease respectively. (Please remember to sign in & out when you are at the shelter, so our statistics can be as accurate as possible.)
With the decline in volunteer visits & hours, we are falling short of getting the cats and dogs out of their kennels at least once a week. We realize the weather is beautiful and everyone has yard work, spring cleaning and barbecues to attend, but please try to find some time to bring a little joy to the animals at the shelter.
Our standout volunteers for April were:
Terry Walsh - Terry has done a great job with photos & postings of the shelter dogs.
Heidi Grundeland - Heidi has been giving the cats the wonderful attention they deserve by clipping nails, brushing out mats and taking photos.
Danielle Gianio & Janice Peak - Danielle & Janice have taken dogs to PetSmart and at least one of the dogs got adopted based on their exposure at PetSmart.Thank you all for your dedication and compassion!!
Danielle Gianio & Janice Peak - Danielle & Janice have taken dogs to PetSmart and at least one of the dogs got adopted based on their exposure at PetSmart.Thank you all for your dedication and compassion!!
We ARE making a difference:
Josie is a perfect example of the positive impact we are making on the animals. Josie was one of several VERY under socialized dogs who was surrendered after her elderly owner had to be placed in a nursing home. After much attention and love from numerous volunteers, Josie was adopted last week and went to her new home. Without caring volunteers, Josie would probably still be cowering in the corner of her kennel. Great job!!
There are three more of these under socialized dogs at the shelter. Please stop by their kennels and give them some attention. Do not try to walk them; petting, sweet talk and love are what they need now.
D-40098 D-40097 D-40096
Bow wow items:
- You are not considered a 'yellow' dog walker until you have been evaluated by John or Lisa (John & Lisa are BCAS staff). If you think you are capable of handling 'yellow' dogs, get evaluated. Please keep in mind most 'yellow' dogs are very strong and undisciplined on a leash, so you'll need strength, confidence and patience to walk these dogs.
- PetSmart on Saturdays: We need volunteers to transport & showcase dogs at the Mt. Laurel PetSmart on Saturdays. You do not have to commit to participating every Saturday or stay for the entire three hour period (12:00pm-3:00pm). This is a great opportunity to get a dog out of the shelter for a couple of hours and increase their chance of being adopted. Please email Jenn for more information: jennak87@yahoo.com.
- Dog groomers needed: We are still in need for volunteers to groom and/or help out with grooming the dogs. We are allowed to groom/bathe dogs in the clinic room on Monday & Thursday evenings from 5:00pm - 7:00pm. If you are interested in helping a dog look and smell wonderful, contact Nancy Jones: NACJ326@aol.com.
Meow items:
- As always, sanitize, sanitize, sanitize everything a cat touches before another cat touches it.
- Kitten fostering needed: Numerous kittens are coming into the shelter this time of year. We need volunteers willing to foster kittens for a short period of time. If you are willing help out these adorable kittens, please contact Linda: lindazaccaria@comcast.net.
Other volunteer opportunities:
- Photos and posting: With the volume of dogs and cats coming in and out of the shelter, we always need help taking photos and posting the photos/bios to the various pet adoption websites. These sites are crucial at promoting the shelter animals. We always see adopters come into the shelter with website printouts of the dogs/cats they are interested in adopting. Contact Jenn at jennak87@yahoo.com for more information!
- Build and maintain a volunteer database: Create a database to provide reporting of volunteer activity, i.e. monthly volunteer hours, monthly visits, last visit, etc. Please contact Penny at fobcas@yahoo.com if you would like to be our database admin.
- Junior volunteer program: We get so many requests from parents and children looking for volunteer opportunities at the shelter. As you know, currently our program requires volunteers to be 18 years or older. If you are interested in researching and preparing a proposal about developing a junior volunteer program, please contact Penny at fobcas@yahoo.com.
Feedback is our friend:
The Friends of BCAS program started in November 2010. In the first six months of the program we have had approximately 130 people attend orientation. Over 21 new volunteers every month, which is very impressive. Not so impressive is about 70% of our volunteers no longer participate after orientation class or 1-2 visits to the shelter. If you are one of those non-participating volunteers, please provide feedback on how the program can be more rewarding. Why did you stop coming to the shelter? The only way we can improve our program is through feedback.
"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart."
Elizabeth Andrew
Thank you all,
Penny & Jenn
Friends of BCAS Coordinators
609-784-8740
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