Thank you for supporting our efforts here at SCGSR! You can help us save lives and make happy forever homes. Please review the following information, and review and submit the required forms via email to socalrescue@gmail.com or by fax to 619-685-6878.
There are so many ways you can help! Here are just a few areas where our organization can benefit from volunteer work:
Fostering: One of the best ways to help a dog is to foster. Boarded dogs are bored dogs, and SCGSR monthly boarding costs $400 per dog which adds up very quickly. Boarding and veterinary expenses are year-after-year our highest cost of operation. Under our foster contract, you will give a dog a place to stay while awaiting its forever home. Each dog is different, some need basic training, some need love, some need to be brought back to health to become adoptable. SCGSR pays for all medical needs deemed necessary by the rescue (through SCGSR approved veterinarians only). Most of our foster families pay for food, flea meds, bedding, toys, etc., but we can help if needed. We often have donated items to help our foster families, such as crates available for use during fostering. A foster family will go through the same application, interview and home check process as an adopter. In addition, you will make the dog available for adoption events and meetings with pre-screened adopters. As a applicant to foster, SCGSR expects that you will be able to commit 3-6 months to a dog. Note: Because our volunteers spend much of their time reviewing applications, setting up meetings, and doing home checks, we expect that you are fostering to help a dog while it awaits its forever home. At times we have had fosters who were actually “trying out” a dog and when an adopter is found, the foster then informs us they want to adopt, leaving us with either a disappointed applicant or a disappointed foster. Communication is key and adoptions to fosters are considered on a case by case basis only. SCGSR, at its own discretion, may require a six month volunteer commitment prior to adoption.
Transportation: Shelter transport, vet transport, and transport to adoption events is often needed. If you would like to help with transport, please give us the general area where you can assist. Most needed are volunteers who will do shelter transport from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, and at times Los Angeles. Although our priority is to help German Shepherds in need in San Diego, the bulk of breeders are located in the Inland Empire, and the rescue need is much greater up north.
Home Checks: We adopt all over San Diego county, and the more volunteers we have to do home checks the faster and more efficient we can be. We provide you with a check list and you provide us with feedback so we can make the best decisions for our adoptable dogs.
Marketing: If you have the ability to write news releases, work with television, radio, newspaper, and magazines to promote our rescues and the stories of our dogs in need, we can use your creativity!
Dog walking and enrichment: SCGSR walks our boarded dogs in a group headed by experienced volunteers every weekend. Because our favorite breed is usually big, strong, young and untrained, walkers must have experience with large dogs and be able to handle over-stimulated and untrained dogs in all situations. Walkers must keep their dogs separated by a minimum of 6 feet. Most of the dogs we walk are newly rescued and we are still assessing their dog friendliness. Ideally you should be able to do some training. Because we are a small organization operating on a shoe string, we require that you have your own equipment, a prong or chain collar, and a strong leash. Always bring bags and clean up after your dog, and bring water for your dog. After walking you will be able to interact with your dog and do some training and grooming. No treats are allowed at dog walking to avoid competition over resources.
Fundraising: We need creative fundraisers! If you have an idea and can implement it and raise funds for SCGSR, you will be saving lives. Everything is needed, from selling small items at events to holding large fundraiser, doing arts and crafts, organizing bake sales, doing online fundraisers.
Community Service for Students: More information.
Other ways to help: We can also use volunteers to help with our website, graphic design, record keeping, organizing donated items, photographers, coordinating volunteer efforts, coordinating training sessions, etc. If you can think of it, we can use your help.
About working with dogs: German Shepherds are a large, strong and active breed. Most of the dogs we rescue are between one year and 18 months old. They often come to us having outgrown their cute puppy stage and have never had any training, and they can be lacking in manners and social skills. It is important that volunteers realize that both people and dogs can be injured, and that not all dogs are comfortable with children, small dogs and strangers. If you are handling dogs as a volunteer, you will be required to sign a liability waiver. You will also be asked to attend a skills assessment, normally done at adoption events or weekend dog walking. Please read the materials which we provide you carefully, as they may affect your ability to volunteer and your rights. Erring on the side of caution can save the life of a dog by preventing accidents such as a dog slipping off a flat collar and running into traffic, or a dog injuring a smaller animal or person.
You will sign agreements stating that you will comply with our dog handling rules.
We also have a trainer who can help you learn the ropes. Ask us!
Please download and submit the appropriate forms:
All volunteers:
Foster Homes:
Email forms to socalrescue@gmail.com or fax to 619-685-6878.
Thank you and we very much look forward to working with you to save lives!
Debbie Lou
New Volunteer Coordinator
Email Debbie
www.socalrescue.org
socalrescue@gmail.com