VOLUNTEER INFORMATION:
NON-VETERINARY VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are essential to the success of the RAVS program.
We depend on the many knowledgeable, compassionate individuals who generously
contribute their time and expertise. We literally could not do it without
your support. While animal shelter staff and volunteers, animal control
officers and humane educators are especially encouraged to apply, opportunities
exist for volunteers from any background. Some of our best volunteers have
had no prior animal care experience!
Most non-veterinary volunteers will assist in the intake area. Here you
will greet clients, help maintain medical records and spend time talking
with clients and community members and children about animal care. However,
depending on your interests and experience, you may also be asked to assist
in most other areas of the clinic.
THE RAVS EXPERIENCE
There are many reasons for volunteers to participate in RAVS’
field clinics. For many, the chance to care for animals in need is what
draws them to the program. For others, the opportunity to work with dedicated
veterinary professionals and students from all over the country and to learn
new skills and information is an important factor. Certainly the chance
to travel and interact with people and animals in “out of the way”
places is also an attraction. If you haven’t experienced life on a
reservation, seen the wide prairies of the Dakotas, or high desert of northern
Arizona, RAVS is a great way to go there with a purpose.
Of course, working on a RAVS trip is unlikely to be a restful vacation. The hours are long and the accommodations are not always the best. Volunteers must be prepared to accept such inconveniences as camping out on the floor of a high school gym without the benefit of hot water. The days start very early and often end late. There are often long travel times and meals can be sporadic. In many ways this adds to the shared challenge of the trip and a sense of camaraderie. Adventure and humor are two very important “senses” in a RAVS experience.
There is no doubt that joining a RAVS field clinic can be extremely challenging.
For the right person, living and working as part of a team of dedicated
volunteers to provide care for the neediest of animals and their families
can also be an amazing opportunity and a life-changing experience. The support
and hard work of volunteers of all types is crucial to the success of RAVS’
field programs. I hope you will consider joining us!
TOP
RAVS may be for you if . . .
You are in it to give, to learn and to provide the best care to animals
in need. . .
You are flexible, enthusiastic and open to new experiences and cultures
. . .
You are willing to commit to adequate preparation for your field experience.
. .
You are able to work under a variety of conditions and environments. . .
Sleep deprivation and 'rustic' conditions sound more like an adventure than
torture. . .
Fleas, ticks and mange mites are some of your closest friends. . .
Living and working under challenging conditions brings out the best in you
. . .
