THANK YOU, FUNDRAISERS

JOANN HUBERT 2023 Top Individual Fundraiser

2023 1 st Place Pack

PARty ANIMALS

2023 2 nd Place Pack

2023 3 rd Place Pack

Making A Difference

What it’s like to Volunteer at HSTB

In 2022 alone, 213,401 volunteer hours were donated to our animals, equivalent to 102 full-time staff positions . HSTB would not be able save as many lives without the amazing individuals and families who choose to give their time and talents to the organization, and they are valued members of the team. Not only are volunteers essential to the well-being of the animals, but they contribute significantly to the success of HSTB’s programs and the health of the organization as a whole. With a variety of positions, there is an opportunity for every interest! To show what a “day in the life” of a new HSTB volunteer is like, we interviewed two members of our corps, Laurie Allen and Kirsten Beard. Here is what they had to say:

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT HSTB?

LAURIE: I have been a volunteer for 7 months.

KIRSTEN: About 1 year.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO?

LAURIE ALLEN Surgery Assistant

LAURIE: I have volunteered in several different positions. I have liked all of them, but my absolute favorite is surgery assistant recovery in the intake department.

KIRSTEN: Recently I started a passion project of mine working one on one with rabbits and pocket pets to socialize them, give them some exercise and enrichment time, and get to know their personalities. From there, I take additional pictures and write up a new profile with more individualized information in hopes that it will help future adopters find their perfect match and better understand the needs of their new family member.

HOW HAS VOLUNTEERING AT HSTB IMPACTED YOU?

LAURIE: Volunteering has made me even more aware of how much animals need our help and how important it is to have our pets spayed or neutered. It is a rewarding job knowing I am helping to make a difference in an animal’s life. Volunteering has made me happier and given me a sense of purpose that I seemed to have lost when I retired from my job. I am amazed at how hard the staff works and they are friendly and very compassionate with the animals. It is an honor to be able to help them when I can. I always look forward to my volunteer days.

KIRSTEN: I’ve always been an animal lover and volunteering at HSTB has given me the ability to channel that into making a difference in not only animals’ lives but people’s lives as well, either through adopting their perfect match at an event or ... helping owners keep their pets through financial hardships at the Pet Pantry.

WALK US THROUGH A TYPICAL VOLUNTEER DAY.

LAURIE: I arrive at 9 a.m. in the surgical recovery room and make sure all supplies are stocked such as towels, blankets, trash bags and cleaning solutions. Surgeries do not start until around 10 a.m. so I will help in other areas in the meantime walking dogs, washing dishes or helping in laundry. Once the surgeries are underway, I assist the technician in clipping toenails, cleaning ears and waking up the dogs from anesthesia. I then monitor them until they are recovered from the anesthesia and take them back to their kennels. I also wash the intubation tubes in a sterile solution and clean the recovery room kennels and restock the supplies for the next shift.

KIRSTEN: Typically I get to HSTB in the morning and help run the Pet Pantry and Food Assistance program with [staff] and our awesome volunteer team. From there, if we have only one [volunteer] coming in to run the afternoon shift, I stay an extra hour or two downstairs before heading up to work with the rabbits and pocket pets. If I am volunteering on a day when the Pet Pantry isn’t running, I am typically stopping by the shelter to pick up adoptables and supplies before heading out to help at one of our offsite events.

HSTB is proud to be a Points of Light Certified Service Enterprise committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture that welcomes individuals of any race, color, religion, disability status, sexual orientation or gender identity. With a variety of positions, there is an opportunity for every interest.

It is easy to get started, simply visit our website to review program details then follow the prompts to sign up. Initial training can be done online, additional training may be required depending on position desired.