VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Pet Adoption Network has the following volunteer positions available for qualified individuals:
Title: ASSOCIATE ADOPTION COUNSELOR Location: Holmdel Petsmart Days: Saturdays between Noon and 6 PM (Volunteers can choose to stay for all or part of the day) Responsibilities: An Associate Adoption Counselor will show cats and kittens to potential adopters, help them fill out applications, answer questions regarding the policies of Pet Adoption Network as well as general cat-related questions, help keep the cat cages clean, run errands, occasionally accompany a Senior Adoption Counselor on a home visit, do vet reference checks, and help supervise the adoption area.
Qualifications: You should be good with the public, energetic, resourceful and have a basic knowledge of cat care. Sense of humor required. Associate Adoption counselors will not be responsible for making final decisions on whether an applicant is approved or declined for adoption.
Number of positions available: Unlimited.
How do I apply? You can send us an email, but it is best to stop by on a Saturday afternoon to meet the volunteers and see what we do. If it looks like something you would enjoy and be good at, you can sign on as a volunteer. Title: CAT CARE TECHNICIAN Location: The Adoption Center at the Holmdel Petsmart Days: Shifts on Wed, Thurs and Fri mornings are currently available and urgently need to be filled. The time is a little flexible, but morning shifts should begin approximately 9 AM and end approximately 11 AM. A volunteer needs to commit to the same shift each week, but substitutes are available if you can't make your shift now and then. Evening shifts are all filled at this time, but we do keep a waiting list. We also need substitutes, for when someone can't make their shift.
Responsibilities: Cat Care Technicians come to the Adoption Center in the mornings and evenings to let the cats out of their cages for playtime, and clean the cages, scoop litter boxes, refresh food and water, etc. Qualifications: Someone volunteering for this position must be experienced, comfortable, and confident with handling cats and kittens. There is minimal contact with the public but if someone asks to come into the Adoption Center during your shift to see a cat, you must allow it. Volunteers may come in teams of two; in fact we encourage this because it makes it easier to get all the work done and one can cover for the other in event of illness, emergencies, etc. Attention to detail and the ability to follow instructions carefully is essential! Volunteers must be 18 years or older to work alone in the Adoption Center. Younger teenagers and children may accompany their parents or guardians in the Adoption Center.
Number of Positions Available: As noted above we have some morning shifts available on weekdays. We do also accept volunteers to come in mid afternoon to socialize with the cats, show them to people, and do any "in between" tidying that comes up between the morning and evening shifts. Please check with us for availability of afternoon shifts. How do I apply? The best way to apply is to send an email to
PANinc@att.net. Title: FOSTER PET PARENT Location: We prefer foster homes within 10 miles of Red Bank. Days: Foster parents generally keep animals 24/7 until adopted, although a foster arrangement can be terminated at any time at the request of the foster parent or the organization. It is helpful if the foster parent has some availability on Saturdays to drop off and pick up the foster pet(s) at the Holmdel Petsmart, but this is flexible. Responsibilities: As a foster parent you care for a pet or pets until a permanent home can be found, or until there is an opening for the cat to be transferred to stay at the Adoption Center. We are often asked how long a foster home can expect to have an animal, and it can be anywhere from several days to several weeks. We try to give new foster homes "easy" animals that are likely to be adopted quickly. You are responsible for notifying Pet Adoption Network of any health or behavioral problems that arise. If you are available you may be asked to drop foster pets off at the Holmdel Petsmart on Saturdays for adoption events. If you are available you may be asked to transport your foster pet to the vet if necessary. Foster homes can choose to donate pet food and cat litter, or it can be supplied by PAN. All medical expenses are covered by the organization. A lot of people tell us "I could never foster because I could never bear to give the animals back". It is a shame so many people get bogged down in this way of thinking. If people were not willing to put their own feelings aside and become foster parents, thousands and thousands more animals would die in shelters every year. It is a noble thing to do, and once you get used to letting go, it becomes a little easier with each animal. Qualifications: The qualifications are different for dog and cat foster homes. If someone wishes to foster a dog or puppies, we prefer a fenced yard and some experience with training. For cats, some experience dealing with different cat personalities is good, a separate room or area (such as basement or spare bedroom) to confine foster cats is good- although our cats are health screened, we do not recommend mixing with your personal pets at first. If you prefer to keep a foster animal confined to a cage part-time, we can provide cages. We may request a visit to your home or a reference from your vet before accepting your offer to foster animals. Number of positions available: We can never have enough foster homes. How do I apply? Send an email to
PANinc@att.net and tell us a little about yourself, and what kind of pets you are interested in fostering.