Thanks for your interest in volunteering for Westie Rescue Network. The following are ways in which you can help:

Foster a Westie

We are always looking for qualified foster homes to help us provide the extra love and care needed by the Westie in our program. To learn more about fostering, please click here to read an article in one of our newsletters on fostering for WRN. If you would like to volunteer to foster, please contact us.

Transport a Westie

Most transportation requests are immediate so if your schedule is flexible we would love to have your help. When we need assistance we send an email to our list of transport volunteers with information on the location and destination of the Westie. Some requests involve picking up a dog from its owner which requires sensitivity to the situation and making sure the relinquishment paperwork is completed. However most transportation requests involve picking up a dog from its current location, such as a foster or shelter, and taking it to a veterinary facility or back to a foster home in our area of responsibility. All WRN dogs MUST be crated while in transit and we are happy to provide crates, collars and leashes. This is a great service to WRN. If you're interested in adding your name to our transport volunteer list please let us know.

Home Visits, File Management/Record Keeping, Reporting Requirements, Public Inquiries

We always need volunteers to assist with other functions that relate directly to the business issues of our operation.  These typically involves more interactions with people than with dogs.

• Home visits are personal visits to the homes of potential adopters who have passed a phone interview, turned in a complete Adoption Application and received satisfactory responses from the personal references they provided.  The home visit volunteer will complete a form that records information about the safety of the applicants property, a personal assessment of the applicant and their family and an assessment of the behavior of any other household pets.  The home visit report is an important part of the applicant's file and is used by the Adoption Coordinator to match the applicant with a Westie. It is important that the home visit volunteer shares any concerns they may have about an applicant with the Adoption Coordinator.
  
  
• File management and record keeping are just what they sound like.  Each adoption file consists of two major files:  a people file and a dog file.  All required forms, email correspondence, veterinary records and any other written correspondence about applicants/adopters and dogs make up the Adoption file.  We need volunteers who are "computer comfortable" and have working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, email, file sharing software and website interactions. We will train applicants who are interested in helping us with these tasks.
  
  
• The state of Colorado requires us to file our annual report and other reports in order to maintain our license under the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) administered by the State Department of Agriculture.  These volunteers work closely with our Treasurer and Accountant to perform the required duties.
  
  
• People connect us via telephone, email and via our website. Each mode of communication is monitored by a different volunteer and checked at least every other day. Volunteers might need to contact the inquirer and collect  information about their physical location, experience with Westies and any other pertinent information necessary to expedite their information request.  All inquiries must be logged and information  forwarded to a phone Interviewer.
  
  
• Phone Interviewers contact individuals inquiring about adoption. A phone interview typically lasts 15 to 30 minutes and involves a more in-depth discussion about the potential adopter, other family members and pets, type of home/yard and experience with Westies and dogs in general.  The phone interviewer decides whether or not an Adoption Application should be sent to the Inquirer.  All pertinent information collected during the interview must be recorded in our database. Phone interviewers must be well acquainted with the Westie breed and must have a pleasant telephone manner.

If you have questions about volunteering please contact us.