SEMO Pets hosts volunteer training

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – Southeast Missouri Pets will offer free volunteer training on two separate occasions in June.

On Saturday, June 15 at 10 a.m., and again on Friday, June 21 at 2 p.m., people can go to SEMO Pets to take part in the training, which involves an hour-long slideshow presentation, facility tour, and question-and-answer portion.

“Our last volunteer training was definitely a record, with 34 people in training,” volunteer coordinator Kelli Dysinger said.

The amount of time volunteering takes up during the week is up to the volunteer. Dysinger said people sometimes come by to walk a dog on their lunch break from work.

“It may be 30 minutes, or it may be an hour. We have volunteers that want to stay for three or four hours. Some of our volunteers wanna come in and put a whole day in. So really, it’s whatever amount of time you can give up to come and help us out.”

Mother-daughter volunteer duo Jessica and Callen Davison said the training is not difficult.

“You kinda talk about safety precautions, how to interact with a pet, some different jobs you might do as a volunteer, and then you get a tour of the facility,” Jessica Davison said.

Those activities can include bathing animals, doing laundry, cleaning kennels, and helping socialize puppies and kittens, among other tasks.

Volunteers must be 16 years old or in the fourth grade accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Callen Davison, who turns 10 on her next birthday, said working with SEMO Pets teaches children about “responsibility, interacting carefully, and patience.” Callen’s favorite thing to do is walk the dogs at the shelter.

Currently, SEMO Pets has about 550 active volunteers. Between 40 and 50 people help out consistently on a weekly basis. “We lose a lot of our volunteers during the summertime when our college students go back home for the summer, and then we really ramp back up in August when they come back,” Dysinger said.

Most people love dogs and cats, but the ones who give their time to care for animals in need stand out. “Everybody that walks through our shelter doors and halls, they have a special love for the pets, and for everybody that’s there as well. It just takes a big heart,” Dysinger said.

Callen Davison said the experience has helped her consider other perspectives. “Really understanding more about the animals, and getting a feel for what scenarios they have been through, and how not everyone has perfect lives. Sometimes it’s a hard road.”

People can also help by bringing in donations or working at a specific event. Something else that’s helpful is adopting an animal.

Eight-week-old puppies Slick and Savannah are “hoodles,” or hound and poodle mixes. They’re spayed and neutered, micro-chipped, and have received all the required vaccinations.

Adoption fees range from $90 to $250. That includes spaying and neutering, vaccines, a heartworm test for dogs older than 6 months, deworming, micro-chipping and registration, and a free vet visit after adoption.

Adoptions are non-refundable.

People can schedule an appointment to meet an adoptable pet by calling 573-334-5837. View available pets online by going to SEMO Pets’ website.

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