Volunteer Adoption Counselor (16+ years)

 

Volunteers in this position will directly support our community, staff, and animals by performing animal adoptions from start to finish. 

 

Skills Needed 

Volunteers must understand and be on board with our client-centered philosophy and approach; this includes approaching clients and situations without judgment. Volunteers must be committed to providing a welcoming environment for all visitors. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, outgoing, and detail oriented. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write, and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers, and clients. The physical demands of this job include the following: standing, walking, bending, stooping, writing, lifting, grasping, reading, talking, and hearing. It is also imperative that volunteers are computer savvy, as they will be using our computers, database systems, copier, and retail POS system. Volunteers in this role need to enjoy working with people and be able to engage in conversation with clients, be comfortable handling animals and reading animal body language, be computer savvy, and have good time management skills while feeling comfortable working in a busy environment.  Volunteers also need to be open-minded and have compassion for wanting to help people find their furry companions.  During training, staff and volunteer trainers will coach the new volunteers and provide feedback on their skills to make sure this position is the right fit for them. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older.

 

Objective 

Assist potential adopters at the Wisconsin Humane Society and provide support to our Operations Staff.

 

Duties 

  • Work one-on-one with potential adopters to adopt an animal by sharing information about our adoptable animals and providing supportive resources to make their adoption as successful as possible.
  • Answer client questions and provide support to clients as needed.
  • Able to use our computers and software to complete paperwork for adoptions.
  • Ring up clients for their adoption fee.
  • Connect with Supervisors and staff as necessary for guidance on how to navigate and work through more challenging conversations and/or share pertinent information with clients.

 

Required Training 

  • Meet & Greet with Volunteer Coordinator
  • Volunteer Handbook & Waivers – Online Training
  • People Centered Philosophy Video– Online Training
  • Client Services Handbook – Online Training
  • Cat, Dog, and Small Animal Handling Training Videos – Online Training
  • Animal Hands-On Trainings-With Staff
  • One on One Training with Staff 

 

Commitment/Age Requirement

Minimum of a 6-month commitment required.

Must be 16 years old or older.

Training Commitment – Approximately 35–40 total hours.
    • New VACs are asked to do about 6 hours per week during training (typically 7–8 weeks).  This is an ideal amount of training per week so that we can get new VACs up and running in a timely manner. We will work with each volunteer’s schedule to be as flexible as possible. 

 

Current Open Shifts: 

  • Tuesdays: 2-4pm
  • Wednesdays: 4-6pm
  • Thursdays: 4-6pm
  • Fridays: 4-6pm
  • Saturdays: 12-230pm, 230-5pm