Canine Foster Volunteers provide a safe, loving and temporary home for puppies, senior dogs and adult dogs with specific needs.  You must have the ability to separate the foster animals from any pets in your home by keeping them in a separate room, if necessary.  We will provide training and all the supplies you need.

In 2023, our Animal Care Team looked after more than 1500 animals onsite and, thanks to our Foster Volunteers, 1044 additional cats and dogs were cared for in loving foster homes.

Description

Canine Foster Volunteers are responsible for helping puppies (litter sizes can range from 4-6 puppies), seniors and / or adult dogs in their care thrive until they are ready to be adopted.  This will include feeding the animals at least twice a day, possibly more, potty training (for puppies), and exercising and socializing the animals.  It may also include bottle feeding and administering oral medications.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Maintain clean and tidy environment
• Provide treats, food, clean water and clean bedding as required
• Provide puppy pee-pad training, if necessary
• Bathe and groom dogs, as necessary and if comfortable doing so
• Interact with dogs for walks, training and socialization
• Provide a structured environment and reinforce behaviours that make dogs more adoptable
• Assist in the maintenance of dogs’ health and welfare
• Administer medication, as required and as instructed
• Ensure any veterinary appointments are kept
• Return dogs to GTHS Animal Centre as required (for surgery, treatment, adoption…)
• Ensure dogs are safe and secure
• Follow appropriate protocol, policies and procedures

Assist staff to deliver various programs such as crafts, bingo, outings and trips for adults with diverse disabilities. We offer a hybrid approach that involves both in-person programs at our Centre and virtual programs.

Volunteers tasks:
• Telephone check-ins with our Consumers
• Accompny consumers at programs at the Centre
• Organizational/administrative assistance for our Connecting with Seniors program
• Opportunity to do crafting or recipe videos for our social media outlets
• Other opportunities

Volunteer drivers assist with deliveries of food boxes to distribution sites (Collingwood, Clearview and Wasaga Beach) and/or individuals in the surrounding communities.  
 
Volunteers help with packing fruits and vegetables for monthly good food box orders

Shovel snow for neighbours. For this opportunity, please register on line here through website: Snow Angels

Various opportunities inculding:

• Friendly visiting 

• Activity programming. ie. crafts, coffee socials, inter-generational programs 

• Student placements and internships (College/Universities) 

• Administration 

• Meal assistance 

• Pet visitor 

• Music volunteer 

• Simcoe Cycling without Age bike program
 

• Work with a team of volunteers to sort fruits and vegetables into individual orders
• Handle food gently and hygienically, and arrange the boxes for maximum appeal
• Assist with packing site set-up and clean-up

• Provide weekly companionship to client of Breaking Down Barriers.
• Assist with activities like arts & crafts, cooking, scrapbooking, weaving and Friendship Café
• Meet for conversation, maybe go for an outing and just be a friendly face to someone who may otherwise be isolated.

• Friendly Visiting, Coffee Social 
• Knitting, Painting, Crafts 
• Scrabble Players, Bingo Caller, Pin Setters for Bowling 
• Assisting in the Dining Room and Program Set up 
• Movie Night Volunteer 
• Friendly Reminder Volunteer 
• Manicures 
• Musical Talent

• Talk about Coffee Break in their community
• Deliver Kits to Coffee Break Hosts
• Collect donations and unused supplies following events
• Sign up new hosts