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Salina shelter restarts volunteer program; staff say volunteers won’t walk dogs pending state standards
Summary
Shelter staff told the advisory board they received 23 volunteer applications and oriented five volunteers; they described four volunteer roles (housekeeping, cat socializing, dog enrichment, photo/video) and said volunteers will not walk dogs so state standards are met by paid staff.
Salina Animal Services told the advisory board on Feb. 11 that it has restarted a volunteer program and held an orientation for five volunteers on Jan. 31.
Staff said 23 people applied for volunteer roles but seven never responded and eight declined; two accepted volunteers failed to attend orientation. The operations superintendent described four volunteer positions: housekeeping (laundry, adoption bags), cat socializing, dog-enrichment/toy-making and photo/video to assist online listings. Staff said volunteers will not be assigned to walk dogs in order to ensure walking meets state standards and is supervised by trained, paid staff.
The board discussed barriers to recruiting volunteers. Staff said background checks run through city human resources currently ask for Social Security numbers and acknowledged that requirement can deter applicants; board members asked staff to explore alternatives (driver’s-license-based checks or secure online submission) to lower barriers to participation.
Several longtime volunteers and public commenters said the program previously disbanded because of a hostile environment between staff and volunteers and urged improved communication and volunteer management. Board members recommended documenting volunteer roles and providing position descriptions and a volunteer manual; staff said the new volunteers received a binder with expectations and that the shelter is using a scheduling app so volunteer shifts are coordinated with staff availability.
What happens next: staff said they will provide the volunteer manual and position descriptions to board members at the next meeting, continue recruiting under a cautious, small-scale approach, and explore whether a dedicated volunteer coordinator role may be necessary if the program grows.
