Washoe County relaunches volunteer program and expands outreach clinics, microchip and pet‑food services

Washoe County Regional Animal Services’ outreach team reported an uptick in community programs and a relaunch of a tiered volunteer program designed to expand support at the shelter and in the field.

Quinn Sweet, outreach program coordinator, told the advisory board the outreach division manages social media, free microchip and ID engraving for residents, microchip scanning stations, a lost‑and‑found texting program, monthly affordable vaccination clinics, community vaccination clinics and a free senior pet food distribution. She said the most recent senior distribution served more than 100 people in one event, a first for the program.

Sweet outlined a three‑tier volunteer model. “Tier 1 is where everyone kind of starts,” she said. Volunteers who progress to tier 2 receive additional training for hands‑on tasks, data entry and senior pet food distributions. Tier 3 volunteers are trained for disaster response and more complex deployments. The relaunch has already onboarded about 10 new volunteers, and two volunteers have advanced to tier 2.

The outreach team also created an online rescue page listing more than 30 vetted partner groups to help residents who ask “How can I adopt?” Sweet said the county rebags donated bulk pet food into smaller portions for “karma boxes” placed around town and coordinates homebound deliveries with Meals on Wheels to reach seniors who cannot travel.

Why it matters: the relaunch increases the shelter’s capacity to provide community services, reduces pressure on kennels through field reunifications and extends basic care for vulnerable pet owners. The board discussed outreach promotion and scoping volunteer capacity; Sweet said staff estimate handling 4–6 volunteers on site at a time and plan a press release for broader recruitment.

Sweet closed by directing people to a volunteer QR code and outline of minimum requirements, including a 16‑year minimum age with parental consent and a suggested six hours per month commitment.