Mentor to At-Risk Youth while Training Shelter Dogs

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Currently we are looking for volunteers who are interested in working with troubled youth in our ALPHA program at the Sacramento county juvenile detention center and also enjoy working with shelter dogs. Our volunteers are being asked to commit to our entire 5 week program that will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the detention center from 5:00-7:00 pm.

The purpose of ALPHA is to improve the social-emotional health of at-risk youth by developing skills to become resilient, compassionate, responsible, and successful members of the community through training shelter dogs to become more adoptable. Communication, responsibility, goal setting and leadership are the main areas of focus in our program. Volunteers will be partnered with two teens and one dog to work together through our curriculum. Volunteers act as mentors, as well as supervisors of the teens and dogs. We will train the volunteers before the program begins. The program also meets on Saturdays, but volunteers will not be required to come on those days. On Saturdays, the youth will be exposed to numerous guest speakers that currently work in animal related fields that they may be interested in, such as shelter workers, veterinarians, vet techs, animal intake officers and dog groomers. Overall, we want these at-risk youth to feel successful.

Since we are working with the Sacramento county probation department, it is required that all volunteers must be able to pass a background check and pass a medical TB test.

Prior experience working with youth and/or dogs is beneficial, but not required.