Volunteer Opportunites
ARF is proud to be run almost entirely by volunteers! Volunteers make ARF successful and they have a direct impact on the number of animals that we can rescue.
Volunteers typically are required to provide a 6-12 month commitment, usually on a weekly basis, depending on the position. Volunteers are always able to take breaks from their work with ARF; we only ask that you coordinate your breaks with your fellow volunteers and provide reasonable notice.
Due to insurance reasons, you must be at least 18 yrs old to volunteer with ARF; however, some of our younger supporters have also helped ARF by donating the proceeds of bake sales and car/pet washes and by organizing toy drives for our foster dogs and cats.
Do you have questions about volunteering? Contact us at volunteering@arf.ab.ca
To volunteer for any of the positions listed below, fill out our Volunteer Application Form.
Please Note: All volunteer positions are based in the Calgary area.
Looking for fostering opportunities such as foster homes, holding homes & dog sitters? Click here.
"A Pad for Paws" - Capital Campaign - Management
ARF's "Pad for Paws" Campaign is currently entering into its 3rd year of fundraising for a permanent facility and has reached $400,000 of its $1,000,000 goal; raised in majority by grassroots fundraising efforts.
We are currently looking for someone who can help the committee develop a strategy for community funding applications, identify new fundraising opportunities, build corporate relationships and broaden our donor base along with strengthening our current key fundraisers. The committee tries to meet monthly and is a small but dedicated team of volunteers who are passionate and driven to see the campaign through to completion. The ideal candidate(s) will be passionate about animal rescue and have experience with fundraising, corporate relations, grant writing and, to some extent, event planning.
The "Pad for Paws" campaign is ARF's initiative to buy or build a facility that will meet all of our organizational needs for years to come. The facility will be used to temporarily house sick or injured animals requiring surgery, quarantine, veterinary care or behavioural assessments prior to be placed into foster care. It will also be a safe location to house animals on an emergency basis, should there be no foster homes readily available for animals in dire need of rescue. It will also give the people who care for our animals a solid foundation.
For more information or if you can help, email padforpaws@arf.ab.ca
To volunteer for the "A Pad for Paws" Capital Campaign, fill out our Volunteer Application Form.
Community Outreach Volunteers
ARF is currently looking for 2-6 volunteers in each quadrant of the city to build our Community Outreach Team. The Community Outreach Team will be responsible for follow through on donation drives and awareness campaigns. Volunteers will also help both the Events & Awareness Committee and the “Pad for Paws” Committee with visiting local dog parks and talking to patrons, setting up information tables at local shopping centres and markets, flyer distribution and community awareness regarding upcoming events. Potential volunteers should be friendly, outgoing, willing to talk to new people and visit new places. Access to email and frequent communication with various committees is required. Volunteers must also understand ARF’s policies and procedures. Training will be provided. This volunteer opportunity requires a commitment of approximately 10 hours per month.
To volunteer as a Community Outreach Volunteer, fill out our Volunteer Application Form.
General Event Volunteers
ARF is currently looking to grow our event volunteer base. These volunteers will assist various ARF committies with a wide variety of event tasks including event set-up and take-down, clean-up, showcasing ARF’s many adoptable dogs and cats, providing information about ARF to the general public and sales of ARF logo items. Week-end and summertime availability, access to email and frequent communication with various committees and teams is required. Potential volunteers should be friendly and outgoing, willing to meet new people and talk freely about our rescue programs. Volunteers must also understand ARF’s policies and procedures. Training will be provided. This volunteer opportunity requires a commitment of approximately 10 hours per month.
To volunteer as a General Event Volunteer, fill out our Volunteer Application Form.
Telephone Interviewers - Dog Adoption Program
Telephone screeners contact people who have applied to adopt a dog through ARF. The telephone interview takes about 30 minutes and consists of questions relating to animal care and dog training. Screeners typically do two interviews per week. New screeners are interviewed first by a member of the dog adoption team and are asked to volunteer one Saturday at ARF’s PetSmart showing to become familiar with the Dog Adoption Program.
To volunteer as a telephone interviewer, fill out our Volunteer Application Form.