Ways to Volunteer

Each year, FOTAS helps the Shelter care for over 7,000 lost, abandoned, and stray pets. Here are some examples of how you can make a difference in the lives of these animals.

Fostering

FOSTER VOLUNTEERS ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS. 

Providing a “home between homes” for dogs/puppies and cats/kittens prior to adoption as a foster family can be fun and rewarding.  With support from FOTAS, you help socialize animal(s) in your loving home – making them highly adoptable.  This is a wonderful and personal way to help save homeless pets.  

For more information, click here.

Dog Care

Volunteer to walk dogs and puppies that are waiting for a family to give them a good home. Daily walks provide dogs with mental stimulation, socialization, exercise, training, and the opportunity to relieve themselves outside of the kennels. It is rewarding to see how enthusiastically the dogs respond to their walker companions and how calm and well behaved they are when prospective adopters come to visit.

Cat Care

Volunteer to spend time petting, grooming and socializing cats and kittens that are waiting to be adopted. Daily attention and tender loving care helps to keep cats friendly and relieves the stress from living in a kennel. Cat volunteers help the cats look and feel better, as well as make them easier to handle, which helps them get adopted quicker.

Adoption Counselors

Help pets find new homes by answering potential adopters’ questions at the Shelter and off-site adoption events. Adoption counseling can be one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities because you help potential adopters find a pet that matches their personality and lifestyle, thus ensuring the pet has a permanent, loving home.

• Spanish-Speaking Volunteers Needed
  We would love to have more Spanish-speaking volunteers to help out as Adoption Counselors.  If you’re bi-lingual and comfortable talking with people, we need you!

Education

FOTAS attempts to strike at the root of the animal-welfare and over-population problems in our area by educating our community. Your time and energy can help foster a sense of empathy for pets and other animals through classroom activities, information booths, pet-adoption flyers, media outreach, and other programs, while promoting spay/neuter, and dispelling myths about spaying and neutering pets.

Special Events

Lend a helping hand at fun community-outreach events such as the Puss ‘n Boots Costume Ball and Silent Auction, parades, fairs, monthly outreach events, and our annual Ashland and Medford dog washes. Check out our calendar page to find out more about upcoming events.

The Street Dogs Project

Consider contributing to and/or joining our Street Dog outreach team to contribute up to 4 hours/week passing out dog food, harnesses and leashes to homeless dog owners (and cat owners) in order to establish rapport and encourage them to get their pets spayed/neutered.

Taking a compassionate approach to help those in the homeless community decide to spay or neuter their dogs is good for the entire community and helps to reduce the overpopulation problem.  For more information, click here.

Fundraising

Volunteer to help raise funds to support FOTAS’ lifesaving programs and services. Volunteers help at fundraising events, assist with mailing the annual appeal newsletter, write thank you cards, find sponsors for print ads, and much more.

Office Help

Some volunteer opportunities do not involve working hands-on with the animals. We always need volunteers with clerical and reception skills to assist with office duties, answering phones, and special projects.

And Lots More!

There are many more ways you can help save homeless pets. For a complete list of volunteer opportunities, please come to a New Volunteer Orientation meeting.  Find the volunteer activity that works best for you!