Volunteer FAQ

Volunteers are required to:

• Submit an online application – includes a Volunteer Agreement and a Release and Waiver of Liability
• Complete the online orientation and participate in the animal handling training session
• Commit to a minimum of 48 hours per year, or an average of 4 hours a month
• Work as a team member with all volunteers
• Treat animals in our care with kindness – “It’s all about the animals”
• Represent Friends of Rowlett Animals and themselves in a professional manner and be an advocate for the organization and the shelter
• Treat shelter staff, other volunteers, and community members/visitors with respect

The following rules apply to minors (under 18) interested in volunteering for Friends of Rowlett Animals:

• 16-17 years old – be supervised by a parent/guardian unless parent provides a parent waiver after youth and parent complete the online orientation and both participate in the animal handling training (youth and parent must each submit an individual online application)
• 12-15 years old – be supervised by a parent/guardian at all times after youth and parent complete the online orientation and both participate in the animal handling training (youth and parent must each submit an individual online application)

For any minor volunteer, a parent or legal guardian must also fill out the online application and complete the online orientation and both participate in the animal handling training.

Only oriented and trained volunteers may handle the animals. It is all about the animals (and your) safety.

FRAs volunteer opportunities range from marketing, fostering, fundraising, adoptions, photography, and more. Learn about our available volunteer opportunities.

There is no fee to complete the online orientation, participate in the animal handling training, or to volunteer. Once all training (Orientation and Animal Handling) is completed and you are approved to move forward, we do require all volunteers to purchase a t-shirt (and a leash if you are volunteering with dogs) that is to be worn when volunteering at the shelter and off-site events. This helps identify you as a trained volunteer and helps market our group to the community.

You can purchase our volunteer gear here

You will need to email the shelter at animalservices@rowlett.com

Yes, you can get documentation of your volunteer hours. When you complete your online application, orientation, and training you will be able to log in your hours through the MyImpact volunteer portal. You will be in charge of tracking and printing a report of your documented hours through our volunteer portal. You may request that a board member or senior lead volunteer sign your printed report.

Shortly after submitting the online application, you will receive an email prompting you to complete a city application and complete the online orientation. As soon as your application has been approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to register for the New Volunteer Orientation.

You should contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@friendsofrowlettanimals.org

New volunteer orientation is online and generally takes about 20 minutes to watch the video and take the online quiz. We go over our organization, the goals we have, policies and procedures, volunteer opportunities, and current needs. There will be a Q&A at the end to answer any questions you may still have.

After you complete the New Volunteer Orientation video and quiz, you will receive an email letting you know that you are qualified to attend the Animal Handling Training (AHT) with directions on how to register for the training. You can sign up for an AHT time slot on MyImpactPage’s Opportunities page under Volunteer Training.

Feel free to email us at volunteer@friendsofrowlettanimals.org for any other questions you might have. 

Training is done at the shelter by one of our Animal Handling Trainers. This is done after the volunteer completes the online orientation and schedules this training in Better Impact. This training gives the new volunteer a tour of the shelter and introduces them to shelter protocol for taking dogs in and out of different areas. This training is required for all volunteers wishing to handle shelter dogs.

You can expect to learn how to:

• Help dogs learn basic mannerisms and make it a pleasant experience for potential adopters when they visit.
• Get dogs in and out of the shelter runs (kennels) in a safe manner.
• Keep volunteers and the dogs safe by practicing safe distances.
• Train for a soft mouth when some dogs don’t take treats softly.

Beginners and veteran volunteers alike can learn our best practices for handling animals at the shelters. You can review videos of AHT on our volunteer portal.

1. Sign in on your My Impact page: https://app.betterimpact.com/Login/Login
2. Click the HOURS tab at the top.
3. Under Log Hours, click the ACTIVE button.
4. Choose your activity.
5. Enter your time.
6. Click Save.

It’s important to log in these hours since the rescue organization as a whole is eligible for grants of higher amounts related to how many hours we can log. It’s ok to estimate. If you forget, its ok to go back the next day/week/month and approximate.