Volunteer
- Details
- Category: Get Involved
Our dedicated volunteers help us give more time and attention to nearly every shelter task. From maintenance and animal care to fundraising and clerical work, our volunteers help us to increase the impact of our work on behalf of homeless animals. Our volunteer program is growing and you can be part of it!
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, we request the following:
- Attend a volunteer orientation
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be able to commit to eight hours of service per month for six months
- Be able to commit to scheduled volunteer times
- Attend required training classes
Please contact the volunteer desk at (518) 374-3944, ext. 118.
If you are under 18 or have a child who would like to help the animals, please click here for information.
Volunteer Orientation
Your first step toward becoming a volunteer is to attend a Volunteer Orientation. There you will have a chance to ask questions, meet some of our staff, and tour the shelter.
2013 Orientations are scheduled for:
> Thursday, October 24 at 6 pm
Please call (518) 374-3944, ext. 118 to reserve a seat.
Current Volunteer Opportunties
Bottle/Can Sorter - No experience necessary. Flexible hours.
Laundry Assistant - We do over 20 loads a day.
PetSmart Adoption Center - Help to care for our felines in residence at PetSmart in Mohawk Commons in Niskayuna. Help is needed with both cleaning and adoption support. Flexible hours are available. The PetSmart location adoption hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 1:00-8:00 pm; Wednesday and Thursday, 6:00-8:00 pm; and Saturday and Sunday 12:00-4:00 pm.
Outreach Team - With the warm weather comes many invitations for the APF to participate in numerous community evetns. The majority of these occur on weekends and evenings and provide the perfect opportunity to be involved without a regular commitment to the shelter. All of the events require a table where volunteers share information about our organization and many of these events include meet and greets with our available animals. A smile and a friendly ear to listen to the public talk about their pets or inquire about the APF is all that is necessary, though we will offer training.
Feline Friend - Assist our staff in maintaining a clean and comfortable space for our cats. This involves helping with care, sanitation, laundry and other morning duties in preparation for opening to the public in the afternoon. We ask for a time commitment of at least one shift per week, any day except Saturdays, 9:00 am-11:00 am.
Special Events - We often have the opportunity to attend local community events, many of which take place on weekends. We need volunteers with good communication skills to staff our information tables, answer questions, and generally represent the APF in a positive way.
Foster Parent - Whether you have experience caring for orphan kittens or would like to learn, we are looking for reliable people who can provide foster care for the many kittens we receive, particularly in the spring and summer months.
Distribute Flyers and Dog House Merchant Boxes - We have lots of information to get out to the community and the more people we have distributing, the better! We also place Dog House coin collection boxes in various businesses and are always looking for more placements.
Fundraising Assistance - We hold several annual events, such as the Fireplug 500 Walk for Animals and our Tails by Twilight Gala, and are seeking folks who are comfortable approaching businesses for cash or in-kind donations.
For Current Volunteers:
Push Button for Volunteer Login
