As the Shelter and Animal Services Department prepare to move into a new facility on Eubanks Road in 2009, our need for comes into even sharper focus.

There will be many opportunities for volunteers to care for and nourish animals, evaluate their behaviors and educate the public.

Presently, we have approximately 80 volunteers at any one time, and together they contribute more than 400 volunteer hours each month.

People who decide to volunteer attend an orientation session and then attend a training program that prepares them to help in our mission.

As we grow our program in the coming years, one of our continuing challenges will be to attract individuals who are able to volunteer throughout the year. Our greatest need is during the summer when our animal numbers are highest, but because many of our volunteers are students, our volunteer hours are lower during these months.

As we prepare for exciting changes ahead, we encourage and applaud our volunteers for their tremendous contribution, and we encourage others to join our volunteer program.

Each volunteer is an invaluable part of the life of each animal we care for, and an expression of the deep relationship that must exist between our sheltering responsibilities and our communities.