Task Force Volunteer Opportunities

(A brief description of each job follows this list.)

 

Provide a foster home for a cat and/or kittens

 

Help clean the clinic before and/or after clinics

 

Staff a Task Force information booth at area events

 

Be a kitty caretaker for our Task Force cats

 

Gardening chores for the Task Force grounds

 

Assist with client check in and out at the front desk

 

Assist the Veterinarian

 

Pre-surgery cat or dog preparation

 

Post-surgery dog or cat recovery

 

Learn to autoclave (sterilize) surgical instruments

 

All areas of fund-raising

 

Assist with trapping feral cats so they can be altered

 

Cook for the volunteers (we serve breakfast, lunch,

and dinner on clinic days)

 

Distribute fliers around the valley

 

(Jobs which can be done from home)

 

Grant research & writing for animal cruelty

 

Schedule spay/neuter appointments

 

Place reminder calls to those scheduled

 

Task Force Job Descriptions

Foster Homes

Provide a foster home for cats and/or kittens until a permanent home is found. We have many foster homes but when kitten season arrives we need lots more. You would need to provide a safe indoor place that is cat-friendly, good food, fresh water, and loving attention.

 

Clinic Cleaning

Assist volunteers with sweeping, mopping, and generally sprucing up the clinic building for upcoming clinics or after clinics.

 

Task Force Information Booth

Many times throughout the year the Task Force has a booth at area events and we pass out literature and answer questions about animal related issues. Some of the area events are: Whitefish Christmas Stroll, Santa Paws photos, Flathead County Fair, Majestic Valley venues, Rebecca Farms horse events and more.

 

Kitty Caretaker

We have anywhere from 35 to 40 cats in our indoor/outdoor cat adoption center. They live in a 500 square foot building (heated and air-conditioned), with a 400 square foot outdoor enclosure. There are no cages and they are free to move around as they like.  All of the cats have either been abandoned or abused, and some are feral cats that had no caretakers. Kitty caretakers feed, water, clean litter boxes, and monitor health. The volunteer favorite is to interact with cats and give them treats. Many feral cats have become tame and been adopted due to our fabulous kitty moms.

 

Gardening

Keep the grounds nice by moving the lawn, weeding, and watering shrubs and trees.

 

Client Check In and Out

Help clients fill out paper work for their dog or cat's surgery and collect fees. Answer incoming calls during the day. On checkout go over the post-operative instructions in detail and give the client paperwork pertaining to the surgery, and additional care instructions when needed. Organize and file Task Force paperwork for the clinic day.

 

Assist the Veterinarian

Assist the veterinarian with surgeries and procedures. Monitor cardiopulmonary status of animals under anesthesia. Maintain sterile technique for infection and parasite control. Maintain flow of animals through surgery. Respond to emergencies. Administer injections as needed. Clean equipment throughout the day. Complete paperwork and transport animals to recovery. Set-up and take down of surgery room, including cleaning surfaces, vacuuming, and mopping floors at the end of the day.

Dog Preparation

The lead veterinarian technician is responsible for anesthetizing and intubating the dogs. Volunteers assisting the vet tech assist with shaving and sterilizing the surgical site, and helps transport dogs to and from the surgery room, as well as any special duties requested by the veterinarian or technician. The dog prep room is cleaned and sterilized at the end of the day.

 

Cat Preparation

Cats (both tame and feral) are removed from their carriers and placed in a pre-anesthesia bag. Each cat is weighed and administered the appropriate amount of pre-anesthetic. Vital statistics are documented. Cats are prepped for surgery; bladders expressed on female cats; surgical sites are shaved and sterilized; eyes are treated with drops. All cats are tattooed on abdomen so that other veterinarians will recognize that they have already been altered. Feral cats will also have the left ear tipped, to distinguish them from unaltered cats when they are returned to their caretakers. Cats are then transported to the surgery tables and empty cat crates are taken to the cat recovery room.  At the end of the day, the room is cleaned and sterilized.

Cat Recovery

Cats received from surgery are checked for ear mites and treated if necessary and treated for worms or fleas when indicated. Feral cats are vaccinated. Cats are kept warm and monitored for healthy breathing until awakened. Some cats may require an injection to reverse anesthesia. All treatments, medications and vaccinations are noted on the animal's paperwork. They are fed a light snack and placed in their carriers. Their people are then called to take them home. The recovery area is cleaned and disinfected for the next cat received for recovery.

 

Dog Recovery

Newly arrived dogs are checked in and placed in a kennel and paperwork is documented with pertinent information. Dogs are injected with a pre-anesthetic and transported to the dog prep room. Post-surgically, recovering dogs are monitored and kept warm until awake enough to be moved back to their kennel. The admittance desk volunteers are told when dogs are alert enough to call their caretakers to go home. Kennels are cleaned after dogs are released. At the end of the day the room and kennels are cleaned and sterilized.

 

Instrument Room

Wash and clean all instruments used for any procedure during clinic, treat with instrument milk, assemble and wrap each individual instrument set using appropriate tapes to indicate sterility. Sterilize following correct sterilization procedures and times, dry, then return to appropriate surgery (i.e.: cat or dog).

 

Fund-raising

We would love to find a volunteer to coordinate fund-raising events, someone who would be in charge of event creation, planning and development. Be in charge of finding and overseeing volunteers to assist in carrying out the event.

 

Feral Cat Trapping

Our dedicated volunteers help caretakers of feral/shy cats trap them so they can be altered and vaccinated. Spend a day with them and you'll be an expert. People are given traps and shown the proper way to use them. Sometimes, for the elderly or people without cars, our volunteers will deliver cats to the Task Force and return them to their caretakers. It's a very rewarding job.

 

Cooks Needed

Since our volunteers get breakfast, lunch, and dinner during clinic days we always need cooks. The Task Force provides all the food and you prepare it. Meals are generally made for 15 to 20 people. This is a great job because everyone adores the cook!

 

Adopt Cats/Kittens

We have volunteers that hold adoption days at Petco. They would teach you how to screen and find good homes for cats and kittens. It's a fun job for people who like to interact with the public and find these wonderful cats a forever home.

 

Distribute Flyers

This would be a perfect job for anyone that travels around the valley a lot. You would distribute and post flyers that provide information about upcoming clinics, special prices, adoption days, and rewards for assorted animal related issues.

 

(Jobs that can be done from home)

 

Grant Research & Writing

Marvin's Fund of Montana provides education, assistance to law enforcement, and reward money for animal cruelty. We are looking for someone willing to research grants that are available for these areas and to write the grants to finance Marvin's Fund. This would be a rewarding job for an animal lover wanting to make a huge difference in the lives of our furry companions.

 

Schedule Spay/Neuter appointments

Call people that want spay/neuter appointments. You would give them an appointment time, pre-operative instructions, and directions to the Task Force.

 

Reminder Calls

Place reminder calls to people that have an appointment for their dog or cat to be altered.

 

Every job at the Task Force is important and every volunteer is a valued part of the team. Dedicated volunteers allow us to continue our work to reduce the number of homeless animals being euthanized each year.

 

Please call 892-7387 to request that our volunteer coordinator get in touch with you.