Volunteer
Paws4ever Adoption Center:
6311 Nicks Road,
Mebane, NC 27302
Volunteering at Paws4ever
Looking to make a difference? Volunteers are the heart of Paws4ever! Whether you’re helping with animal care, keeping our Adoption Center sparkling, supporting events, or lending a hand at our ReSale Store, your time and passion make a huge impact. Join our amazing team and help animals! Interested in volunteering and want to know more? Fill out the Volunteer Interest Form and we’ll get in touch!
Volunteer Requirements
Age
- Ages 18 and up: may volunteer by themselves.
- Ages 16-17: may volunteer by themselves but must have a parent/guardian sign a Youth Volunteer Waiver form and submit it to the Volunteer Manager by the time of their initial training.
- Ages 15 and under: can only volunteer under the supervision of a trained parent/guardian who is present. They must also have a parent/guardian complete a Youth Volunteer Waiver form before they volunteer. If their parent/guardian is trained to work with dogs at Paws4ever, they are allowed to be present while their parent/guardian works with dogs; however, volunteers under the age of 16 are not allowed to leash/unleash the dog in the kennel or walk the dog. The parent/guardian must be responsible for these tasks. Volunteers under 16 must be supervised by a parent or guardian while volunteering.
- Volunteers must be at least 25 years old to drive the Paws4ever van.
Commitment Time
- Due to the amount of training involved, with the exception of Feline Companions, for individual volunteering we typically ask that all volunteers commit to volunteer at least 1 time a month for at least 6 months or 2 times a month for at least 3 months.
- If you are not able to make that commitment, you can participate in our Doggie Day Out Program, come spend time with cats as a Feline Companion at our Adoption Center, and/or participate in a one time group event.
Basic Skills
- All volunteers must have the physical ability to complete the position-specific duties.
- Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision, while recognizing limitations in knowledge and abilities, and knowing when to ask for help if needed. If a volunteer is unable to work independently, they must be able to work alongside a parent or guardian with a focused attention on the task at hand.
- Ability to understand and follow all written and verbal Paws4ever instructions and procedures.
- Ability to communicate professionally and politely.
Important Information:
- If anyone in your group is allergic to peanuts, cats, or dogs, this should be discussed with the Volunteer Manager prior to volunteering as these will be present in the Adoption Center.
- Due to the size of our facility, larger groups may need to be split up to work on different tasks at the facility.
Community Service Hours:
Individual Volunteer Opportunities
AM Cleaning Volunteer
These volunteers assist staff with keeping the facility clean and ensuring the animals have the care they need. Typical tasks include cleaning (e.g. sweeping, mopping, cleaning litter boxes, cleaning cat rooms, dishes, laundry) and making cat enrichments.
Available Shift Times: Any day from 9:00AM-11:00AM. We currently have most openings on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Approximate Training Time: 2 hours
Canine Companion
These volunteers assist with exercising and spending time with dogs at Paws4ever. Typical tasks include taking dogs for walks on the trail, exercising dogs in the yards, spending quiet socialization time with the dogs in our Learning Center. Although we do get small dogs on occasion, most of the dogs we have at our Adoption Center are medium to large in size. Since our dogs spend most of their time in their kennels, they often have a lot of energy and it is not uncommon for a dog to jump, pull hard on their leash, or get overstimulated. If you want to work with dogs, but aren’t sure if you are comfortable with these behaviors and/or physically able to manage a large overly excited dog, please feel free to reach out to the Volunteer Manager at volunteer@paws4ever.org or 919-241-8438 x 105.
Available Shift Times: Shifts can be set by the volunteer anytime between 9:00-5:00.
Approximate Training Time: 2 hours
Doggie Day Out
Participants take a dog away from Paws4ever for a few hours, a day, or even overnight. This provides dogs with mental stimulation from new experiences and meeting new people as well as help them exert pent up energy. For more information on Doggie Day Out click here.
Important Note: Because it is unsupervised, the Doggie Day Out program cannot be used to fulfill community service hours that require verification by Paws4ever, whether for school, work, clubs, or other purposes.
Dog/Cat Foster
These volunteers help provide temporary homes to dogs or cats until they can be adopted. Paws4ever’s Foster Program allows us to expand our capacity to rescue more animals and to support animals with special needs. For more information on fostering click here.
Important Note: Fostering cannot be used to fulfill community service hours that require verification by Paws4ever, whether for school, work, clubs, or other purposes.
Dog Handler for Events
*This opportunity is currently unavailable for new volunteers. It will resume after our renovations are complete.*
These volunteers bring adoptable dogs to events and introduce them to members of the community. Since our dogs spend most of their time in their kennels, they often have a lot of energy and it is not uncommon for a dog to jump, pull hard on their leash, or get overstimulated. If you want to work with dogs, but aren’t sure if you are comfortable with these behaviors and/or physically able to manage a large overly excited dog, please feel free to reach out to the Volunteer Manager at volunteer@paws4ever.org or 919-241-8438 x 105.
Available Shift Times: Varies based on the event
Approximate Training Time: 45 minutes
Event Booth Volunteer
These volunteers attend events to help promote Paws4ever, raise awareness, highlight adoptable animals, recruit volunteers, and take donations.
Available Shift Times: Varies based on the event
Approximate Training Time: 30 minutes
Feline Companion
These volunteers spend time with the cats at our Adoption Center. We have three community cat rooms. Spending time with out cats provides them much needed enrichment!
Available Shift Times: Shifts can be set by the volunteer anytime between 9:00-5:00
Approximate Training Time: 15 minutes
Important Note: A maximum of 45 minutes per day can be counted toward verified community service hours. This ensures that each of our three cat rooms receives meaningful attention, with approximately 15 minutes per room.
PM Cleaning Volunteer
These volunteers assist staff with keeping the facility clean and ensuring the animals have the care they need. Typical tasks include sorting donations, restocking, feeding the cats, and cleaning.
Available Shift Times: Everyday from 2:00PM-4:00PM.
Approximate Training Time: 2 hours
ReSale Store Volunteer
These volunteers greet and assist customers, help sort, clean, price, and sell merchandise, and in some cases may assist with cash register sales. Read more about our ReSale Store here.
Available Shift Times: Shifts can be set by the volunteer anytime between 10:00-6:00 Thursday-Saturday.
Location: 305-B Revere Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278 (NOT our Adoption Center)
Approximate Training Time: 30
Transportation Volunteer
These volunteers take dogs and cats to and from their vet appointments, pick up animals from other shelters/fosters, pick up donated supplies, and pick up medications for the animals. Volunteers can choose to drive their own car or the Paws4ever van (as long as they are at least 25 years old).
Approximate Training Time: 45 minutes
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Paws4ever offers group volunteer opportunities for community members who want to support animals in need but may not have time to volunteer regularly. If you’d like to organize a group volunteer event, please reach out to the Paws4ever Volunteer Manager at volunteer@paws4ever.org.
Off-Site Volunteering (Remotely)
Host a supply drive to help collect essential items for our animals. For details on the items we need, click here.
Volunteer In Person at Our Adoption Center
We offer customized group opportunities tailored to your group size and the season.
Typical volunteer tasks include:
- Assisting with cleaning tasks around the Adoption Center (e.g., dishes, laundry, sweeping, mopping, cleaning windows)
- Organizing stock rooms and closets
- Creating enrichment activities for the animals
- Helping with landscaping projects (e.g., weeding, spreading mulch, trimming bushes, trail maintenance)
- Spending time with the cats and/or meeting one of our dogs