Volunteer
Volunteer of the month
September’s volunteer of the month is Kelly Jensen!
As of July this year, Kelly has been with Second Chance for 14 years! She was looking for a place to volunteer and found Second Chance online and was thrilled it was so close to her home.
Kelly has played many roles at our shelter. She’s a shift lead and she’s on the board as our volunteer director! Kelly can usually be found cleaning around the shelter. Kelly’s big project this summer has been deep cleaning. She has organized the cleaning of our garage, which looks amazing! She has deep cleaned over half the shelter for us!
As of August, Kelly has been in Texas for 38 years! She grew up in Illinois but had to move to where winter mornings were not started by scraping your windshield. Kelly had a career in recruiting for a large advertising agency downtown Dallas but she is now retired. Kelly and her husband live in east Plano, where they love to work out, walk, and bike on their neighborhood trails. They spend lots of time with their sweet Evee, a Second Chance rescue in August of 2016.
“I love all our animals and learning their different personalities. But I especially love to watch them go home when you know they have found their perfect home. I also love when adopters bring their dogs by for a visit and you can see how happy and well loved they are now. I like that we helped them find that path.”
“One memory that I always remember was a GSH named Sachse. She was so sweet and hated being outside – she would just sit by the fence waiting for us to come get her. She was adopted out and then brought back, which was so sad for her. But one New Year’s Eve a man came looking for her because she looked just like the dog he had that had recently passed. He brought his wife and 3 other dogs. Sachse did great with everyone but the man was crying the whole time. I asked him if we should pause the adoption but he said he was crying for his past dog but happy crying to have found Sachse. She was going to go to his office with him each workday and then every Friday the two of them would head to Texoma for the weekend with his wife and 3 other dogs. Sachse won the lottery with this man!!! I was so thrilled I forgot to charge his adoption fee, but he came back after the holiday and paid.”
We truly could not run our shelter without our amazing and compassionate volunteers!
Volunteering with Second Chance SPCA is a rewarding experience but is also a demanding role and should be taken seriously. To ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers and animals, volunteers must meet the qualifications listed below.
- Volunteers are required to be 16 years old or older
- Volunteers are required to volunteer a minimum of 4 hours per month
- Volunteers are required to commit to 50 hours per year
- Volunteers are required to pay a one-time administrative fee of $30 – This includes a shirt that you will wear when volunteering
- Volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes
- Volunteers must complete the Volunteer application, and sign all release forms
- Volunteers must attend an orientation prior to any volunteering
- Volunteers must work with an experienced volunteer for 2 shifts, before volunteering on their own. We do have limited spots available for new volunteers so that they can be properly trained.
- Quick reflexes and ability to use both hands simultaneously (example: open cage door while handling animal).
- Ability to walk unaided on unpaved, uneven, rugged and sometimes muddy and slippery areas (when walking dogs outdoors).
- Ability to stand for significant periods of time while walking dogs, assisting the public with visits, or cleaning cages/kennels.
- Average vision to move safely around the building, to be able to observe animal body language without difficulty and to be able to read notes.
- Average sense of smell and touch in order to assess condition of animals, and to note signs of illness or injury.
- Ability to hear if an animal is growling or making sounds indicating fear or pain.
- Ability to speak and effectively communicate verbally.
- Ability to maneuver well in tight spaces and react and move quickly to prevent dogs or cats from escaping.
- Ability to handle and restrain animals with extreme caution and care.
- Ability to deal with strong and unpleasant odors, fleas, feces and possible wounds or injuries to animals in our care.
- Ability to cope with a loud environment due to animal noises.
- Average strength to assist with lifting animals or items.
- Ability to understand, retain and follow instructions and procedures.
- The ability to judge an animal’s reaction and to change voice to a soft or strong, authoritative tone to calm a dog or to give commands.
- Must be aware of surroundings when working with the animals. Can remain calm with animals who are upset; behave sensitively and confidently; show good judgment and act appropriately in these situations.
- Once trained, must be able to work independently with minimal supervision, and recognize limitations in knowledge and abilities, and ask for help when needed.
- Must have the ability to work as a team member with other volunteers and take direction from SCSPCA Shift Leaders and Staff.
They help and give attention to the animals.
You may do that after you are finished with your volunteering work!
Just like the rest of us!
Please note: You must complete the orientation and sign the form at the shelter before you sign up for a time.
If you have any questions regarding the volunteer application, please email us at volunteer@secondchancespca.org or call us at 972-424-0077.