Event Assistants

Save to Favorites

The offsite assistant helps the Offsite Event Coordinator by handling adoptable animals and talking to the public about HSGD’s services and programs at events around the community including adoption events, festivals, fundraisers and parades.

Essential Duties:

• Help Offsite Event Coordinator prepare animals for offsite events
• Handle animals properly to take them to and from their enclosures
• Talk to the public about HSGD’s service and programs
• Talk to the public about the animals present as well as the ones available at the facility
• Help match an animal with the possible adopters’ needs
• Walk the dogs around the location or monitor cats in cages
• Show off the animals at the location
• Pass out HSGD literature when needed
• Clean up fecal matter or debris left by the animal when necessary

Hours:

Vary based on event schedule

Training Required:

Training is required prior to volunteering. Volunteers must complete the Volunteer Orientation, Online Quiz, two or more two hour sessions with a volunteer mentor and online.

Requirements:

• Must be at least 16
• Must be able to serve at least 4 hours per month
• Quick reflexes and ability to use both hands simultaneously (example: open cage door while handling animal).
• Ability to handle and restrain animals with extreme caution and care. This requires a high level of manual dexterity, average vision and hearing, steadiness of hands and body, quick reflexes, physical strength, and mental alertness.
• These animals are often highly stressed from being in a shelter environment and can act unpredictably and must be handled safely to prevent injury to the animal and to the volunteer.
• Ability to walk unaided, including on sometimes wet linoleum and pavement
• Ability to bend and squat in order to pick up an animal.
• Dog volunteers must be able to control very large/powerful dogs that are often untrained and jump and pull.
• Ability to maneuver well in tight spaces and react and move quickly in order to prevent animals from escaping; ability to quickly pursue and retrieve any animal who has escaped from an enclosure. Capturing of loose and escaped animals requires quick and quiet movements, and ability to use hands simultaneously with a blanket, leash or net for capture.
• Ability to stand and walk for significant periods of time
• Ability to speak and communicate verbally as well as in written form.
• Ability to judge animal’s reactions and to change voice to a soft or a strong, authoritative tone in order to calm a dog’s response or to give commands.
• Ability to cope with a very loud environment due to animal noises.
• Exceptional customer service skills and ability to work with a very diverse population and, at times, with angry and irate citizens.