The summer 2023 edition of the Boone County Animal Care & Control Paw Pals program is underway — and organizers say impact of the teen volunteer effort generally extends beyond its conclusion.
“We started the Paw Pals program probably close to 10 years ago,” Boone County Animal Care & Control Volunteer Manager Sloane Lee said. “We have an application process and tend to have a lot more applicants than available positions. So the program has become very popular. We’ll have somewhere around 50 to 60 applicants and we take usually 15 kids for the summer.”
Paw Pals participants execute duties from June 1 to Aug. 31 that include dishwashing, laundry and creating enrichment projects for the animals, such as cat toys and dog treats, Lee said. Additionally, they work with dogs on training, and on socializing the cats and kittens.
“We’ve had many teen volunteers who eventually grow into adults and continue to volunteer,” Lee said. “We had a teen who ultimately wasn’t volunteering on site anymore, but was getting his Eagle Scout badge. He did a huge project for us, repairing our outdoor fence. When the teens volunteer, their parents volunteer with them most of the time — so it ends up being sort of a family affair. A lot of times we’ll retain the adult long term as a volunteer, even if the teen goes off to college.”
Lee said the program seeks teens who are animal lovers, while previous volunteer experience is also a plus.
“If they’re showing me they can commit to a cause and spend their time doing some good, that’s really important to me,” Lee said. “They’re doing things that staff members previously would have had to do. If the staff has to do them, it leaves less time for them to focus on other things, such as services for the community and behavioral evaluations. Through enrichment we have activities where the Paw Pals volunteers teach our dogs to sit when someone walks up to their kennel, which makes them inherently more adoptable. We have activities where they work on helping the dogs learn not to bark incessantly when people walk through, so that makes them more adoptable.”
Volunteers socialize small, scared kittens as a means of aiding them in adjusting to people, Lee said, which is of great benefit to the animals.
“One of the biggest things I hope they (Paw Pal volunteers) get is an understanding of how municipal shelters work and the services they can provide,” Lee said. “A lot of people don’t understand what their county shelter does or how they serve the community. I try to make sure they’re informed in terms of how the organization is structured and what we’re doing to help animals and people. It’s hard work, so I hope they get a lot out of it. They understand that sometimes to get the most pay out, you have to do quite a bit of hard work.”
Florence resident Cynthia Bell said when youth are exposed to volunteerism at an early age, it can expand horizons.
“Volunteering, in this case at an animal shelter, can help them recognize there are needs that extend beyond their own,” Bell noted while departing a local pet store. “If we can come together to take care of animals, which I think is a wonderful thing, then we can surely do the same for the human race. I applaud the county and the young people for their work.”