Volunteer

Reminder to ALL Dog walking Volunteers:

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Effective February 2018
Our volunteer program is under revision and review.
Moving forward, we are ONLY accepting volunteers who have volunteered with us the past year. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we are looking for commited volunteers that can donate multiple hours with our animals. We will no longer accept first time walk-in volunteers.

If you are a NEW volunteer and would like to begin volunteering with us please visit and sign up with NYCares, who provides BARC shelter with volunteers. Go to NY Cares to begin the process. After signing up and attending their orientation, you can choose what date to come in and are held responsible for your own time

Our Corporate/Group volunteering rules have changed, please email us at info@barcshelter.org for more information or visit the drop down menu.

Morning Dog Walking Hours: Tuesday - Saturday**, 9:30am - 12:00pm*

Evening Dog Walking Hours: Monday &Tuesday, 5:30pm - 7:30pm*

There are NO volunteer shifts on Saturday night or Sunday morning/evening.

ALL DOG WALKERS MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE—THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS (INCLUDING KIDS AND ANYONE UNDER 21 ACCOMPANIED BY A PERSON OVER THE AGE OF 21)

When volunteering, please wear comfortable clothes and sneakers you don't mind getting dirty, and don't bring personal belongings, as we have no storage space. We require all our volunteers to follow our guidelines listed below, and sign in before walking dogs EVERY TIME.

All BARC dogs must be kept on the leash at all times.
Please place your hand through the loop on the leash and keep our dogs on a short leash.
Keep both hands FREE of CELL PHONES, DRINKS, etc. when walking.
Do not let other people, children, or other dogs play with or pet our BARC dog.
Never take any BARC dog to a dog run.
Never take anything (bones, food, garbage, etc.) out of our dogs’ mouths. We will deal with it when you bring the dog back to the shelter.
Do not try to “train” the dogs, as it will only confuse them.
Never tie up the BARC dog you are walking or leave them unattended for ANY reason.
If your dog is ever in a fight, never put your hands in to separate the dogs. Grab your dog’s hind legs, have the other person grab their dog’s hind legs, and pull them apart.
Always take some poop bags with you from near the front door. Picking up the poop makes us good neighbors and it is the law.
If a dog gets away from you, do not chase it! Squat or lie down and call the dog’s name and it should come back to you. If you chase them, they think it’s a game and will keep running away.
Take the dog for a 20-30 minute walk, or as directed. If your dog seems tired, come back
When your walk is finished, please bring your dog back to the kennel area for a staff member to put the dog away. Never go inside the kennel without a staff member.
If no one is in the kennel, ring the bell and someone will come to assist you.
Don't assume because the dog is small that it likes to be picked up.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE RULES MAY LEAD TO YOUR VOLUNTEER STATUS BEING REVOKED.

NY Cares Team dogwalking:
Sunday and Monday mornings
(10:30-1:00 pm) and
Wednesday and Thursday evenings (6:00-7:30 pm).

NOTE: At these times, we are not able to host individual volunteers. To walk with NYCares, go to their website and sign up with them

WE WILL NOT BE BOOKING GROUPS UNTIL MID AUGUST 2018