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Aurora Animal Care & Control launches tiered volunteer program, applications open Thursday
Summary
Animal Care & Control announced a redesigned, tiered volunteer program with new training, color-coded safety tiers, five volunteer tracks and an application portal on Better Impact; staff expect high initial interest and a waiting list of roughly 70.
Cameron Devore, animal control manager for the City of Aurora Animal Care & Control, presented a redesigned, tiered volunteer program and said applications will open Thursday.
Devore said the prior volunteer system was informal and lacked training; the new program will use Better Impact to manage applications, training and shift sign-ups. The program introduces five tracks—two general tracks (Dog Paw and Meow Manor) and three specialty tracks (Glamour Paws for certified groomers; Pet Picks for photography and media; and Tranquil Tails for volunteers with specialized animal training). He said the Dog Paw track has four tiers, Meow Manor has three, and volunteers will progress through training modules before gaining access to animals with higher behavioral or medical needs.
Key operational details Devore provided: applicants must be 18 or older (16–17 may volunteer with a parent/guardian who is also approved); a background check is required; volunteers must complete onboarding and a minimum of four hours per month at the facility; and the city will accept volunteers on a case-by-case basis depending on operational need. Devore said staff expect significant interest and reported an existing interest list of about 70 people.
The program will use a color-code posted at the shelter to indicate an animal’s behavioral or medical profile (Devore said cats will have five colors; dogs six), and volunteers will receive training tied to those codes. Devore said the goal is safety and better outcomes for animals and volunteers, including optional continuing-education opportunities.
Alderman Lash asked whether adoption procedures had changed; Devore said the shelter now minimizes people entering kennel rooms to reduce animal stress and that adoption numbers have increased under the revised approach. Alderman Smith said the experience at her household was positive and praised the program’s organization.
Devore said the city will accept small groups into the program at first to avoid logistical bottlenecks and will communicate status updates by email as applications are processed. The application and program materials will be posted on the new city website and on the shelter’s social channels when the application opens Thursday.
