If you love Collies, Shelties, and mixes thereof, and you want to be a part of a dynamic and fun group who feels the same, read on!
TSCR simply wouldn’t be able to function without the commitment of our fantastic volunteers! We’re always looking for new team members, as the depth and breadth of our service area and activities are directly related to the number, types, and geographic locations of our volunteers.
When you apply to volunteer, you’ll receive a call from a member of Team TSCR to discuss the volunteer areas in which you may be interested, time commitments, and any questions you may have. Below are some of our volunteer opportunities with brief descriptions. If one or more sounds interesting to you, please fill out an application and let us know how you’d like to help!
Note: Being a team member doesn’t mean that you’ll be expected to perform every single one of the team’s functions! You can choose to be involved as little or as much as you’d like.
Adoption & Foster Teams
- Processing Applications: You’ll help check potential adopter/foster references by phone, evaluate the information received, and update our existing spreadsheet with the results.
- Home Visits: You’ll go to potential foster/adopter homes and evaluate the conditions of their yard, home, and other pets (if applicable). You’ll ask questions about where the rescue dog will be kept, how the rescue dog will be exercised, etc. You’ll also answer any questions that the applicant may have—or refer them to the right place to get those answers.
- Meet-and-Greets: You’ll take potential foster/adoptable dogs to meet the potential foster/adoptive family. This is sometimes done in conjunction with the home visit, but not always.
- Adoption/Foster Follow Up: By phone or in person, you’ll inquire about how things are progressing in the foster or adoptive home, or act as a TSCR representative for follow-up visits.
- Foster Mentoring: As an experienced foster, you’ll help new foster families with questions, issues, and advice.
- Working Adoption Events: You’ll assist at approved adoption events by answering potential adopters’ questions, taking applications, and providing information on our adoption process. You can also help water the dogs or take them out for potty breaks during longer events. We may also occasionally need help transporting a dog to an event if his or her foster is not available.
Marketing & Communications Team
- Graphic Design: You’ll assist in creating print and digital media for the TSCR website and social media accounts, and possibly for creating merchandise that can be sold to raise funds for TSCR.
- Web Design: You’ll work with our Website Team to keep our website current and up to date.
- Newsletter: You’ll help to put together photos and content for our newsletter, The Collie Advocate, which is now published annually.
Fundraising & Events Teams
- Booth Work: At events, you’ll work a shift at the TSCR booth, where you will answer questions and promote the rescue, provide literature, and sell merchandise.
- Merchandise: You’ll be responsible for processing online sales of TSCR merchandise.
- Event Planning and Organization: You’ll assist our Event Coordinator with any needed organizational and planning tasks, like contacting vendors and participants or preparing facilities and equipment.
- Event Work: You may be asked to help with set-up/clean-up and everything in between.
- Fundraiser Planning and Organization: You’ll assist our Fundraising Coordinator with planning and organizing fundraising efforts.
- Event Calendar: You’ll ensure that events that need to be advertised on our website are communicated to the Marketing & Communications Team.
Succession Planning
- Succession Planning: If you’re interested in any of the board or team lead positions, you’ll shadow the current position holder and support that function to allow for seamless transition, should you need to fill the role.
Other Needs
- Foster Families: Fostering is the backbone of our operation and is so important that it has its own page!
- Running Errands: You can help pick up supplies or drop off items to fosters or area partners. Availability during weekdays is especially needed!
- Dog Training: You have experience in, and can help with, training dogs or teaching training classes to our volunteers or adopters.
- Behavioral Assessment: You have experience in, and can help with, the assessment of dogs in the shelter or in foster care.
- Photography: You’ll take professional-quality pictures of our adoptables so that they can be showcased in the best possible light on our website.
- Transport: You’ll help transport rescue dogs wherever they need to go: to their foster homes, to the vet clinic, or to the groomer.