Animal Ambassador
Animal Ambassador
Objective: The Animal Ambassador Volunteer role was created to engage the community and promote the Oakville & Milton Humane Society (OMHS) by having ambassador teams (volunteers and their pre-approved pets) attend special events, education programs and group visits. These teams represent OMHS and help foster a positive relationship with animals. Volunteers and their well-behaved pets (dogs, small animals, birds, reptiles) help draw attention to community booths, educate children and youth about animals, and inspire compassion and understanding of animals in need.
Responsibilities:
- Attend special events, group visits and children's programs with your pet to engage with youth and attendees.
- Represent OMHS by being an ambassador for the organization and its mission.
- Ensure that your pet is under control, on-leash, and well-behaved at all times.
- Provide a positive and engaging presence at events, helping to teach and engage community members about animals.
Qualifications:
- Volunteer:
- Excellent animal handling skills and a strong understanding of animal body language.
- Reliable, punctual, and comfortable interacting with the public.
- Strong communication skills to represent OMHS professionally at events.
- Animal
- House-trained (dogs) that are well-behaved in public.
- Small animals, birds and reptiles that are comfortable and not stressed in a public environment, and are comfortable travelling with appropriate housing.
- Excellent manners, calm and friendly with people of all ages.
- Comfortable around other animals.
- Strong self-control and the ability to stay calm in various public settings.
- Dogs - Must be up-to-date on vaccinations (rabies and DHPP/DAPP) with proof provided.
Note: We are not accepting cats at this time.
Training:
- Volunteers and their pets will undergo an assessment to ensure they are a good fit for the role.
- Initial training may include instructions on handling dogs in public, understanding animal behavior, and event-specific guidelines.
- Ongoing training may be provided as necessary.
Time Commitment:
- Minimum six-month time commitment, though longer participation is wonderful.
- Educational programming, group visits and special events occur on weekdays, weekends and evenings.
- Shift length varies depending on the event or program and can vary between 30 minutes to 4 hours.
- Shifts are booked by our team reaching out with opportunities and volunteers indicating availability.
Supervision:
- Humane Education Coordinator
- Manager, Volunteer Program and Thrift Store
- Other roles as needed for special events
