Ways to Volunteer

Youth-Canine Programs

For this program, you would not bring your dog when volunteering.

• Mentor/Coach volunteers are needed to help youth in the program train shelter dogs on basic obedience using positive reinforcement methods.
• Provide evening care for dogs in our Pawsitive Correction Program. This includes walking, feeding, and playing with the dogs who stay overnight at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center during the week of the program.
• Help at the craft table at the program graduation. Volunteers put together keepsakes for the youth in the program and assist the youth with making kennel cards for their dogs to display at the shelter to help the dogs get adopted.
• Age Requirement: Volunteers must be 18 or older to participate. Volunteers at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center must be at least 21 years old.

To get involved with our Youth-Canine Programs, please visit the Youth-Canine Volunteers page.

Therapy Dog Programs

Volunteer with your dog at Paws & Think’s partner venues where you will interact with children and adults from all different backgrounds. To learn more about how to register with your dog as a therapy team with Paws & Think, visit our Become a Therapy Dog Team page.

Age Requirement: The minimum age to be a registered Paws & Think Handler with your dog is 16 years old. Handlers 16-17 must have permission from a parent or guardian. Junior Handlers aged 12-15 may volunteer with an adult active Paws & Think volunteer.

We also have a need for volunteers without therapy dogs to help as escorts for our Paws to Heal program and as Reading Buddies for our Paws to Read programs. Visit our Therapy Dog Programs page for more information about each program and how to get involved.

Therapy Dog Training & Evaluations Assistance

For these opportunities, you would not bring your dog when volunteering.

• Assist with the training classes where dogs and their handlers learn the skills needed to become a registered therapy team with Paws & Think.
• Assist with conducting evaluations where dogs and their handlers are tested on the skills needed to become a registered therapy team with Paws & Think.
• Great opportunity for youth volunteers! Youth under 12 may volunteer as helpers, accompanied by an adult Paws & Think volunteer and with parental or guardian permission.

For more information, visit the Therapy Dog Training Helpers page.

Other Opportunities

If you are interested in becoming an intern, serving on a committee, or joining Paws & Think’s Board of Directors, please send an email describing your interest to info@pawsandthink.org.