VOLUNTEER
You can help pets in need as a volunteer at PAWS! As a volunteer, you become part of a team committed to providing loving, quality care to pets in need, while also making the community a better place for our pets and their people. Paws Along the River volunteers are the "icing on the cake" for our animals. They are hearty, dedicated, and involved in many aspects of the shelter's daily routines. It takes a responsible person to volunteer because not only will the shelter staff begin to depend on you but so will the animals. Together, we can make a big difference for the animals!
Get Started
Thank you for your interest in helping the animals with your time and talent! Your participation is key to helping homeless and abused pets.
There are many different volunteer needs and are listed below. Please complete the volunteer application to let us know your area of interest and time availability. We’ll contact you to let you know more about orientation and the training process. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
Volunteer Application Community Service Application Shop Volunteer Application
Volunteer Opportunities
This is a wonderful program to socialize our dogs and prepare them for a home. A training class is required to become a dog walking volunteer. The training class is a two-part training time with safety being number one on our list. These are not your family pets at home. The kennel setting brings out some different behaviors that our volunteers need to understand and be able to adjust their approach. Getting to know our dogs (some may be special needs), walking, petting, brushing, teaching them to sit and shake is priceless in the day-to-day life of a shelter pet. You will also so be assisting staff with enrichment activities which will keep the dog you are working with engaged. We are looking for a long-term commitment from our dog-walking volunteers. All volunteers are asked for a commitment of 2 hours per month. Inactive dog walkers (after 30 days) will need to attend another dog-walking class. You will need to schedule your volunteer time with our office staff.
Kitty Cuddling
A great opportunity for anyone who has some lap time for a pet. If you have a pet or are not able to own one, kitty cuddling can be for YOU. Socializing our cats can help the cats adjust to their time at the shelter and receive hands-on attention from YOU! Volunteers wishing to work with our cats, will need to attend a training and safety class, usually only 1 hour of your time. A commitment of 2 hours a month is required to be a kitty cuddler. The time spent will help them prepare for a new home and your input will help our staff to match them to a new family. Our Kitty Cuddling time is scheduled in the mornings for one-hour segments and is scheduled with our office staff. Paws Cats are the best! Think about giving time to help the animals in Warren County.
Foster Care Volunteer
Make an immediate and lasting impact on the life of a pet in need as a Foster Care Volunteer. Animals may need foster care for many reasons and your short-term, in-home care can help save lives!
Specialty Needs & Occasional Volunteers
PAWS and the animals have a variety of needs including:
Fundraiser Events:
- Assist with fundraising events, such as Wild Wind, Softball, Open House, other
- AM Kennel Cleaner- Cleaning kennels from 8-11 am is always welcome. Helps staff to do more animals tasks.
- Special Skills - Can you provide any contracting skills?
- Newsletter - Mailings, stuffing envelopes for mailers
- Recycling- Sorting cans. This may be done whether standing or sitting. Our recycling program started nearly 20 years ago. This important fundraiser makes cents for the animals.
- Lawn Care, Gardening/Landscaping - Mowing, trimmings, mulching, weeding, helping keep our grounds inviting for visitors
- Baking and Sewing
- Special Events
- If you have the special skills needed for the above jobs, we would love to have your assistance! Please fill out Volunteer Application and note what your area of choice is.
Host a Fundraiser
You can help the animals with an event at your business, with your own garage sale, lemonade stand, or whatever creative idea you come up with! If this is something you’d like to do, please call the Executive Director at PAWS at (814) 726-1961 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Paws & Shop Thrift Store Volunteer
You can help the animals by helping at the Paws & Shop Thrift Store! Our funding comes from a variety of sources including the revenue from Paws & Shop. There are a variety of different tasks for volunteers at our shop. If this is for you, please fill out the special Paws & Shop Volunteer Application below.