Give a Dog a Bone • Volunteer

Volunteers are the most valuable resource that this organization has and we really appreciate your taking the time to inquire if this is the right fit for you. Thank you for your interest.

Background
GADAB is a volunteer-driven non-profit program run out of the San Francisco municipal shelter (San Francisco Animal Care and Control – ACC). We work with Custody dogs – these are the dogs who are in forced long-term shelter care for a number of reasons. Their owners may have been charged with cruelty or neglect, the dogs may have a bite complaint against them, their owners could be in jail, hospitalized, died, or be in a shelter for battered women. We also tend to the dogs in medically necessary isolation.

All potential volunteers must attend a general volunteer orientation given by Animal Care and Control, whose Custody/Isolation dogs are in our care. The two-hour orientations are given twice each month - to register, please call 554-9414 and register directly on the message machine. If you need to cancel, please call as there are a limited number of spaces. Let Venesa Klein, at giveadogabonesf@yahoo.com know when your orientation is scheduled.

What we do for these dogs is environmental enrichment, quality of life for each and every one of them. We give them the love that some of them may never have experienced, we stimulate them mentally with positive reinforcement training, manners training, and some fun tricks too. We provide physical exercise for them, even the dogs who are confined to their kennels and not allowed to be handled for safety or health reasons. We have devised many interaction for the dogs in our care, many of whom have behavioral issues, some minor, some major. We leave chewies and busy work in the their kennels. Without GADAB, these dogs would have very limited human interaction or socialization. Our dogs can be challenging, difficult, charming, and you will probably fall in love several times. Through our program, some of our dogs will be made available for adoption, some will be returned to owners, and for some, the shelter will be their last home and we will be the last people who love them. It is very rewarding and can also be very emotionally intense.

In keeping with our goal that volunteers have a positive and safe experience, after your orientation, please call 934-4821 to schedule yourself for two great dog classes and a mentoring session.

Walking and interacting with the available dogs under the supervision of Donna Duford (or her assistant, Crissa), who is the ACC behaviorist/trainer/volunteer trainer is wonderfully rewarding in itself and will prepare you for GADAB. When you feel comfortable walking, playing with, and training with those dogs, and feel that you have some knowledge of dog language and behavior under your belt, please contact me via email at corinne.dowling@sfgov.org.

If you are a dog trainer and/or have extensive dog handling experience, please email me directly at corinne.dowling@sfgov.org with your experience.

We ask that each volunteer commit for a minimum of 2-3 hours per week and have a core day on which you work with the dogs for 2-3 hours. Flexibility is our middle name.

If you are interested in assisting with office work we need you! We need a couple of people who are experienced with Microsoft word, Excel, labels, tables, photo related stuff, has writing and/or editing skills, can file and make files, has organization skills, and could contribute with various other tasks.

If you are experienced in the public relations field and would like to add GADAB to your resume - give us a call! We need visibility!

Whether you are working from your home, in the office here, or working hands-on with the dogs at the shelter, we appreciate that you are offering your valuable time for the sake of animal welfare. If any one of you has any questions, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Venesa Klein, at giveadogabonesf@yahoo.com. She'll get back to you as quickly as she can. She is also a volunteer.

Again, thank you so much for your interest.

Cheers, woofs, and wags,
Corinne Dowling
Program Director/Primary Dog Handler
Give a Dog a Bone
www.gadab.org

Smoosh Photo

To put it bluntly, Smoosh was kind of a little jerk when he came to GADAB. An adorable-looking 7-month old pug, Smoosh joined us when his owner went to jail. It soon became very clear that he was very used to getting his own way and, in his mind, the world and all people in it were there for him. Putting a collar on was a true challenge and, once out in the yard, he was only interested in playing catch as long as he didn't have to bring the ball back. All attempts to handle him were met with frantic squirming and mouthing.

As basic rules and routines were added to his daily life, Smoosh gradually found out that he was not the center of the universe. He learned to stop and wait at doors and not to pull on his leash; even discovering that retrieving was fun and rewarding. He began to tolerate being handled, stroked and cradled for short periods of time, and eventually responded to touch with soft eye contact and happy body wiggles. Smoosh got his big break when a pug lover, ready for a challenge, came to the shelter and fell in love with him. He's now happily ensconced in a loving home taking obedience classes in his spare time.

- Mark Rogers
Senior Volunteer

Click here for more Happy Endings dog stories

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