ADOPTING A DOG
Rescues at the event will check your references, call your vet, schedule a home visit etc. and this can take a fair amount of time. If you see a dog you want, please fill out our FIND MY NEXT BEST FRIEND form and talk to our adoption counselor, Sue, before the event to be pre-screened. You will still have to speak to the rescue at the event and we don't hold dogs so please show up early if you have your heart set on one.
BEFORE THE EVENT
Well, if you can help us either prepare for the event or run it the weekend we're looking for adopters click here for the online volunteer form and we'll sign you up! On the form you'll see choices for volunteer options and the coordinator for the team you've chosen will contact you within a few days.
We work with all ages and will be happy to come speak to classrooms, after school groups or religious schools about shelter dogs and how we can engage children and young adults in the process of finding good homes for homeless dogs!
Event Coordinators pick their coordinators for each area and those people begin pulling together their teams. Each town will fundraise to pay for their own event and once those request are approved the bake sales etc. begin!
The Vendor Coordinator will contact local area merchants and businesses for advertising and booth opportunities and that income goes toward the event costs as well.
RESCUE RANGERS AND SCOUTS
Rangers is one of the educational pieces of our program where we train people who are interested and willing to manage the dogs the weekend of the event on basic behavioral, medical and training issues. Rangers have been through at least 4 hours of classroom training on how to evaluate a dog for anxiety, aggression, fear as well as proper techniques for walking through crowds with the dogs and accurately communicating with the public about the dog. Each Ranger is required to remain at the event for both days and during the hours we're open to the public.
Scouts is a new program for children ages 12 through 16 who want to learn how to use the power of Social Networking to help save shelter dogs and find homes. We'll teach them how to post dogs for area pounds looking for new homes, how and where to put up fliers and the process of rescuing a dog from a pound or shelter.
VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION
All volunteers must attend an on site registration the Thursday before the event between 5:00pm and 8:00pm, registration will take about 30 minutes and you can come as late as 8:00pm. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE. Volunteers who have not attended the registration meeting will not be allowed on the field during the event. The volunteer form above starts the process.
AT THE EVENT
Volunteers know what they're doing at this point and starting Saturday morning the rescues come in with their dogs. We have stations set up with a vet tech and our Rescue Coordinator to check all paperwork and make sure each dog is healthy enough to come into the event. Rescues then hand off the dog to the Ranger assigned and the Ranger takes the dog to the kennel he's assigned. Each dog has a picture and description of his breed, his characteristics etc. thanks to his Ranger and Scout!
Different areas you may volunteer:
General Store: helping us sell merchandise and supplies to help pay for the event
Parking: Helping the general public park in the designated areas and point them to the main entrance
Volunteer Registration: Helping us check in the volunteers, hand out their badges and paperwork etc.
Rescue Team: for vet techs, veterinarians, groomers and trainers - managing meet and greets and general dog oversight at the event and helping with Ranger training before the event.
Site Crew: people who put the event together and take it down.
Food Team: the folks who somehow figure out a way to keep us all fed and happy!!
Adoption Team: people who will help rescues check the references and paperwork of interested adopters.
Event Photographers: we need a few people who will take pictures of adopters with their new dogs, general event shots and vendors etc.
AFTER THE EVENT
Once we clean up and regroup we get ready for the next event wherever it is. Our coordinators send out thank you notes to those people who donated so much to help a hopeless dog.
