SMAWL Volunteering Opportunities
Rescue is hard work. SMAWL operates fully from Volunteers. It takes a lot of energy, ideas and commitment to keep SMAWL running. Get involved today!
- Cat Castle Support – Weekday/Weekend shifts at the Cat Castle Rescue Center cleaning and caring for our adoptable cats.
- Foster Care – Home care for our adoptable dogs and cats while they wait for their forever homes. No experience necessary, but if you have specialized skills with animals that is always a plus for our harder cases.
- Adoption Event Support (Weekend Events) – Set up/take down support for Adoption Events, working with the public to inform and coordinate adoptions. Holding and/or managing dogs and cats at adoption events.
- Communications/Administrative Support – Get engaged behind the scenes with SMAWL to learn about how our organization functions. Answer e-mails, phone calls, data entry, database support, etc.
- Marketing and Fundraising – SMAWL operates 100% off of donations from the community and public. We are constantly in need of new ideas and dedicated volunteer support in fundraising for and marketing of our organization. The more we improve in this area directly impacts the number of animals that we can rescue! This is such an important volunteer need.
- Grant Writers – SMAWL needs someone who has an interest in engaging in our organization on a level that they can easily translate our mission, goals and financial needs into seeking and writing crucial grants that supplement our fundraising efforts.
- Professional Photographers – We are always in need of a strong team of photographers to shoot great pictures of our adoptable animals and events. We would like to have a strong team of photographers to support multiple areas.
- Graphics – SMAWL needs a strong team of graphics designers to support short-term turn around and longer term needs to design social media and website graphics that make the best possible presentations.
- Drivers – SMAWL needs volunteers willing to drive cats and dogs to/from vet appointments and adoption events.
We are ALWAYS in need of new energy, ideas and commitment.
Foster Care
What is a Foster Home?
A foster home is a temporary living situation for pets in our program while they are awaiting placement in a permanent home or to move into one of our overnight adoption programs. Foster families provide shelter, food, care and love. The number of animals we can save depends entirely on the number of people who open their homes and hearts to foster them.
Why Foster?
Because many of our dogs and cats cannot go directly into one of our overnight adoption programs, the only way we can save these animals is with the help of foster homes. Our young kittens and puppies need to stay in foster until they are old enough to be spayed and neutered, at which time they are ready for adoption. Older pets who are ill or injured may need to stay in foster care until they are well enough for adoption.
In some cases, a foster home is needed to help an animal transition from the stress of having been abandoned at a shelter. For some dogs and cats, they will need to stay in a foster home until they are adopted.
Being a pet foster family has rewards beyond the essential value of helping a pet in need find a new home. For some, it is a chance to have an animal companion without a lifetime commitment, or to try new companions for an existing pet. For others, it is the special challenge of helping an animal recover from an illness or injury, the trauma of losing a beloved owner or home, or to overcome a behavioral issue. Occasionally, it’s the joy of giving extra TLC to kittens and puppies too young to be adopted.
How Long Can I Expect to Foster a Pet?
Fosters will keep animals an average of 4-6 weeks unless it is medically or behaviorally indicated otherwise. Some pets need more time because of age, illness, injury, or behavior issues. You will be told up-front before you agree to foster the pet how long of a commitment we believe it will be.
What are the Responsibilities of a Foster Family?
- Provide a safe, clean, caring environment
- Provide food, water, litter, toys/enrichment, and shelter
- Provide exercise and socialization as appropriate
- Monitor any medical and/or behavioral problems
- Transport to/from any necessary vet appointments
- Transport to/from offsite adoption events
Interested in becoming a foster but want to know more?
Please contact info@smawl.org with questions