Kids ages 14-17 can volunteer at BCAS in many capacities but cannot handle the animals. The child and parents should sign up for an Orientation class, sign a waiver, and then may volunteer. All minor volunteers must be supervised by an adult. Volunteer duties for 14-17 year-olds include lobby greeter, laundry, sorting donations, helping at community events, and cleaning meet and greet rooms.
We are unable to accept people under 14 years of age for most of our volunteer positions, but there are still many ways a kid or a teen can make a significant contribution:
- Run a donation drive: Kids do these all the time and they’re extremely appreciated. Or you can have your birthday party benefit the shelter animals. You can ask your guests to bring food and toys for homeless cats and dogs instead of presents for you, and then bring them to the shelter. It’s a big treat all by itself knowing that your birthday party helped feed a cat or dog who is waiting to find a loving home. Check out our wishlist for a list of items we need.
- Run a fundraiser: Consider doing a bake sale, yard sale, coin collection, lemonade or hot chocolate stand, or some other creative way of raising funds to benefit the animals. We strongly encourage donating any proceeds to FOBCAS rather than BCAS directly, because FOBCAS can be more flexible with charitable spending than the shelter can. Fill out this event form and let us know what you’re doing.
- Help at Events: We may be able to use your help with upcoming events that we participate in, with setup, talking to visitors about volunteering and adoption, handing out educational materials, and more.
- Foster a Pet: With parental permission, provide a temporary home for a cat, kitten, or dog until they can find their forever home.
- Tell your family, friends, neighbors and community about our programs and the shelter. Encourage your friends to adopt a pet from the shelter rather than buying one from a pet store, or to come volunteer with us.
- Schedule a class or group tour of the shelter and get a first-hand look at the adoptable pets and what the shelter does.
- Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel.