Block Party

Baypath has a volunteer program to recruit and train a robust volunteer team to help us fulfill our mission. Our volunteers are involved in every facet of the organization, including day-to-day animal care, dog evaluations, medical transport, events, outreach, fostering, social media, and the spay & neuter pilot program.

Some of our most critical needs and opportunities are onsite at the shelter helping us tend to the day to day operational needs - dog and cat care, medical transport and general shelter cleaning. For those opportunities working hands on with the animals, the training process consists of an onsite orientation, which includes an overview of the organization, as well as a workshop in safe animal handling. New volunteers are on-boarded to the organization via a mentorship program where they are paired with seasoned volunteers to guide them in their roles.

Baypath provides for continued education via workshops on topics such as cat enrichment and dog separation anxiety. The organization keeps volunteers apprised of pertinent information via a bi-weekly volunteer newsletter. Volunteers are also encouraged to take on additional roles and responsibilities such as the Dog Behavior Team, where volunteers are empowered to work with some of the more challenging dogs, and the Kitty’s Gone Friendly Team, where volunteers are empowered to help comfort some of the more shy cats and kittens.

Our Dog Care volunteers are a critical part of our team. From walks in the woods and playtime in our large back pen to just sitting with a dog or building enrichment, like Kongs and Lickimats, our Dog Care volunteers help enrich the lives of the dogs in our care and make their stay as positive as possible.

The Dog Care Volunteer Program includes:

• Dog Kennel Cleaning: Volunteers will sometimes work with our staff to help provide overall care of the animals, learning how to clean and set up the indoor and outdoor dog kennels, feed, etc.
• Dog Walking & Socializing: Volunteers can take a leisurely walk with one of our dogs on or our many wooded trails. Our goal is to ensure that each dog walks a few times a day, for at least 20 minutes at a time - if a walk is advised. With sometimes over 20 dogs, this is a big commitment that we really need your help to achieve. After walking a dog, it is great to socialize with the dog in the back play area. Volunteers who want more of a challenge can work with our staff learning to make the dogs more adoptable.
• Dog Enrichment: Volunteers can help us provide critical daily enrichment to the dogs in our care - from helping us make Kongs to freeze, to making ‘boxes of fun’, to simply sitting with a dog in a pen, and more.
• Dog Training: Volunteers can leverage their own skills of clicker training or positive reinforcement training to do small training sessions with the dogs - even simply reinforcing attention, sit, come, etc. provides great stimulation for the dog and reinforces valuable skills.

Current Dog Care Volunteer Program opportunities:

Mondays – 7am - 9am
Tuesdays – 7am - 9am
Wednesdays – 7am - 9am
Thursdays – 7am - 9am
Fridays – 7am - 9am

Our Cat Care volunteers are essential to the daily care and enrichment of the cats and kittens in shelter. From cleaning their spaces and monitoring their well being to socializing a new cat or playing with kittens in our cat rooms, our Cat Care volunteers ensure a healthy and stimulating environment for our cats.

The Cat Care Volunteer Program includes:

• Cat Cleaning: Volunteers will sometimes work with our staff to help provide overall care of the animals, learning how to clean and set up the cat spaces, feed, etc.
• Cat Playing & Socializing: Volunteers can engage in play with our more social cats and kittens. - or, for shyer cats, simply sitting with them and petting them. Our goal is to ensure that each cat gets personalized social time each day. With sometimes over 20 cats in our care, this is a big commitment that we really need your help to achieve.  Volunteers who want more of a challenge can work with our staff learning to help our more fearful cats acclimate.
• Cat Enrichment: Volunteers can help us provide critical daily enrichment to the cats in our care - from helping us make treat puzzles, to making ‘boxes of fun’, to simply sitting with a cat and reading to them, and more.

Current Cat Care Volunteer Program opportunities:

We do not currently have any Cat Care openings, but please check back as the needs are always changing!