Muskoka Location- Muskoka Animal Centre

GOAL for this position:

As a Dog Walking and Enrichment Volunteer, your role will provide essential hands-on support to our busy animal centre.

This role directly works with the dogs and puppies in our care; through this role, you will have a significant impact on their physical wellbeing, and their mental health.

The ripple effect of ensuring enrichment strategies are performed, will extend far beyond the immediate results of your efforts, to have a lasting impact on their health, reducing their ability to pick up diseases, reduce their emotional stress and increase their mental well-being. Ensuring their stay with us is temporary while they await their forever home. 

Volunteer role:

• Clean and disinfect dog caging and enrichment equipment, handle dogs.
• Provide dogs with appropriate mental stimulation and positive physical contact during the walk and enrichment activities.
• Encourage basic leash skills and positive adoptable behaviours.
• Provide relief from emotional stress, through approved animal handling best practices.
• Follow safety practices while walking the dogs, follow planned walking routes.
• Document individual dog behaviours and reactions after each walk/ enrichment interaction.

Skills requirement:

• Bending, lifting, or reaching will be required when interacting with the dogs.
• Experience handling dogs, including large breeds.
• Ability to follow infection control measures.
• Ability to follow specific care plan directions and cleaning protocols.
• Desire to learn dog behaviours and enrichment best practices.