Welcome

Welcome to the City of Chico Animal Services Volunteer Program. Being a volunteer is extremely rewarding, educational, exciting and fun. You can have a huge impact, not only on the animals that enter our shelter every day, but on the animals in our community, their owners, and our community as a whole.

The time and talent of many volunteers like you is essential for providing quality care for the animals entering our shelter. Whether you work with animals hands on, work directly with the public, or provide support behind the scenes, you help improve the lives of animals in our shelter and beyond.

There are many volunteer opportunities available, from socializing cats to clerical work, and many tasks in between. No task is too small, and every task is important! This guide has been prepared for you as a reference. It contains information regarding volunteer opportunities and responsibilities, procedures that need to be followed, and ideas on how to make your volunteer time with us safe, fun, and beneficial to all.

We would like to thank you for choosing to volunteer at the Chico Animal Shelter. Your volunteer service is valued and appreciated, and we want it to be a positive and enjoyable experience.

Sincerely,
The Staff at the City of Chico Animal Shelter

Mission Statement

The mission of Chico Animal Services is to: courteously and compassionately promote the health, safety and welfare of citizens and animals through regulation, protection, and education.

Introduction

The Chico Animal Shelter is owned by the City of Chico, and is operated under Animal Services. Animal Services, which is a section of the Chico Police Department, also includes Chico Animal Control. City staff is responsible for the feeding, cleaning, and care of all animals located at the shelter. The Animal Services Manager oversees both Animal Control and the Animal Shelter. Services Chico Animal Shelter provides include taking in stray dogs and sick/injured cats found within the city limits, taking surrendered dogs, enforcing city codes regarding animals, animal quarantines, adoptions, pet reunification, microchipping, and dog licensing.

Donations

The City of Chico Animal Shelter accepts donations from the public. All donations are
handled by the North Valley Community Foundation, and no donations go into the City’s
general fund. Donations are completely separate from the City’s budget for the animal
shelter. No donations are used for operation of the shelter or for salaries, and are set aside to be used for spay/neuter of adopted animals, heartworm and leukemia testing, and any medical care and treatment beyond basic first aid. Because donations are handled by NVCF, they are considered tax deductible.

The shelter also accepts donations of items such as towels, food, leashes and collars, etc. Any item that cannot be used at the shelter is offered to other local animal related
organizations, or donated to Pawprints thrift shop to help pay for spay/neuter in the
community.

Euthanasia Policy

After the animal’s holding period, the animal is evaluated for suitability for adoption. Many things are taken into consideration, including overall health, a temperament or behavioral test, observed behavior in the shelter and the owner’s surrender form (if applicable).

Staff will work with animals that need behavior modification, or treatment for medical
issues based on time and resources available. For animals that will be harder to place due to medical or behavioral issues, we work with rescue groups who may have better
resources to either provide care or place the animals in suitable homes. We also work with breed rescues, which often have waiting lists for that specific breed, and have more
experience finding homes that meet the specific needs of that breed.

The Chico Animal Shelter does not euthanize based on either length of time or for space.

Animals are euthanized only if they are too ill to be treated, or they are found to be
aggressive to people or other animals. Because some animals may stay at the shelter for an extended period of time, it is important that we keep them healthy, both physically and mentally, and this is where volunteers can play an important role.

Euthanasia is a very sad but real part of shelter work. Volunteers are never involved in the euthanasia process. Staff at the Chico Animal Shelter takes the decision to euthanize very seriously. When euthanasia is necessary, the animals are euthanized with great care and dignity. They are petted, talked to, and loved by our staff throughout the whole process, and are sedated if necessary to make the process less stressful for the animal and staff.

Their bodies are handled with great respect, and are taken by Koefran of Sacramento for
burial. We understand that you have chosen to volunteer at the shelter because of your love for animals. We expect that you will develop attachments to individual animals, and it may be challenging to deal with the loss of an animal through adoption or euthanasia. We ask that you do not question the staff or try to make them feel guilty about carrying out the very difficult, emotional, and necessary job of euthanasia. Understand that often a staff member will already have had an opportunity to grieve the loss, so their emotions when discussing euthanasia may be different than your own. If you have questions regarding the outcome of a pet, please feel free to speak with the Animal Services Manager.

Volunteer Policies, Guidelines, and Expectations

Most of the work done by the City staff consists of cleaning and maintaining the facilities
and providing care for the animals in the shelter. Cleaning tasks may seem tedious at times, but are vital for the wellbeing of our animals. Because many of the animals in our care are strays and are waiting for a behavior evaluation, there are limited opportunities to work directly with the animals on an entry level. Volunteers who are interested in working with animals will have the opportunity to learn about the behaviors of a variety of species and breeds of animals, and will be trained to work safely with animals.

Volunteers who want to help without directly working with animals can assist with special
projects, fundraising and public education, help out in the front office, and participate in
other vital areas, including leadership roles. The potential to help is limited only by your
imagination!

Chico Animal Shelter relies on its volunteers to be dependable and effective during their
volunteer hours. By meeting these commitments, the program operates smoothly and the maximum benefit is derived for the animals.

All shelter volunteers must abide by the policies and guidelines.

Parking
Parking in the shelter parking lot is reserved for the public. All volunteers are expected to park on the street. Please be mindful of the red zone in front of the mail boxes and do not block the back gate, even when it is closed.

Personal Belongings
We recommend that during your volunteer time at the shelter that you lock your personal items in your vehicle. We can store small items such as cell phones in a drawer, but have very limited space for such items as purses or backpacks.

Volunteer Sign‐in / Badges 
Whenever you volunteer at the shelter, please make sure to grab your name tag and sign in and out of your shift at the volunteer station with your Volunteer PIN (located on your name tag). 

In the case of an emergency, we need to know who is here. In addition, we track volunteer hours to include in various reports to both the City and the public, and when writing grants. If you forget to sign in or out for your shift please contact the volunteer coordinator as soon as possible to back log your hours. 

Dress Code
Volunteers are expected to wear: 

-Your Chico Animal Shelter Volunteer shirt.
-Jeans/cargo pants/scrubs (no sweats, yoga pants, or active wear pants) that completely cover your ankles and don't have holes.
-Comfortable sneakers that you don't mind getting wet or dirty

If you are not wearing the appropriate clothing you will not be able to volunteer. 

Smoking
The City of Chico Animal Shelter is a smoke‐free environment. If you need to take a smoke break, please go to the designated smoking area in the back field. Please make sure to extinguish all cigarettes and discard them properly. This will help keep our grounds neat and clean.

Visitors
Please leave friends and family at home, unless they are also trained volunteers. Pets should be left at home as well, for their own safety and well being.

Working with the Public
If you are assigned to an area where you will be working with the public, please be respectful and courteous at all times. There is a binder under the front counter with policies and procedures and FAQ’s that you can refer to when needed. Answer questions and be helpful when you can. If you are unsure of any information, DO NOT GUESS, please refer questions to a staff person.

Confidentiality
As a volunteer you may have access to records and conversations that are confidential. Any information pertaining to records and cases to which you may become privileged, including but not limited to names, addresses, phone numbers, or details of cruelty cases, is confidential and my not be discussed with others or removed from the shelter. Volunteers are specifically prohibited from discussing any aspect of records and cases with any representative of the media, as this is the sole responsibility of Animal Services staff. Any violation of this policy will lead to immediate dismissal and further action if deemed necessary.

Media
Volunteers should direct all “media” requests to the Animal Services Manager. The term “media” includes all TV, radio, and print reporters, producers, photojournalists or print media, and/or anyone else associated with these mediums. Volunteers are encouraged to post and share on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. However, volunteers are not to represent Chico Animal Services or the City of Chico in their posts.

Accident Prevention
The City of Chico Animal Shelter strives to provide a safe, hazard free workplace. Accidents do happen, but with training, forethought, attention to detail, and personal responsibility for keeping areas hazard free, we can greatly reduce the number of accidents in our shelter. Accident prevention is everyone’s job. If you see a safety hazard (such as urine on the floor, spilled kibble, etc.) please address it immediately. If you don’t know what to do, or if you are unsure if it is a safety hazard, please talk to a staff member right away.

Accident Reporting
Immediately report any injuries, no matter how small, to a staff member. This includes any scratches or bites that break the skin caused by any animal at the shelter.

Drugs and Alcohol
For safety reasons, volunteers should not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This includes prescription medications that might impair reflexes or decision making abilities. Volunteers found to possess, use, sell or be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on City property, or while volunteering for City events will be dismissed immediately, and may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Disease and Prevention

Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic diseases are diseases that humans can get from animals. Examples of diseases
that people can get from animals are: Ringworm, External Parasites (mites, fleas), Internal Parasites (giardia, roundworms), salmonella, and Rabies. While some of these diseases are minor and others are life threatening, there are precautions you can take while volunteering to keep yourself safe. It is especially important to take precautions if you are immune‐compromised due to age, pregnancy, disease or medical treatment. The most effective means to prevent exposure to zoonotic diseases is to:

Wear gloves when handling animals.
Wash hands frequently with soap and water or disinfectant, both between each
animal and before eating or drinking.
Immediately disinfect and scratches or bite wounds.
Protecting Your Pets

Besides protecting yourself from diseases while volunteering at the shelter, it’s equally important to protect your pets at home from getting sick. Diseases such as Parvo, panleukopenia, distemper, and calici‐virus are not transmittable to people, but can be inadvertently brought home to your pets. To prevent exposure of your pets to diseases from the shelter, take the following precautions:

-Make sure your pets are up to date on all their vaccinations.
-Change your clothes before interacting with your own pets, even if this means bringing a clean set of clothes to change into before going home.
-Wash your shelter clothes in hot water and use the high dryer setting to kill germs.
-Designate a pair of shoes for the shelter, and take them off before entering your house.

Preventing the Spread of Disease at the Shelter
The animals that enter the shelter come from a variety of sources, many with unknown backgrounds as to vaccinations or disease exposure. Although every animal is vaccinated upon entry to the shelter, they may be incubating a disease that might not show up until they are at the shelter for a few days or even weeks. In order to prevent animals from getting ill, our cleaning procedures and animal handling procedures are designed to minimize the spread of diseases between animals. We take every precaution to protect the animals, and we need you to be cautious as well. Here are some ways you can help:

-Wear gloves when handling animals or cleaning cages, changing gloves between animals.
-Sanitize hands between handling animals.
-Keep in mind that most disease transmission happens by contact with your arms orclothing.
-Do not handle an animal that appears sick.
-Report all sick animals to a staff member.
-Puppies and kittens are more susceptible to disease because their immune systems are not fully developed.
-Do not “mix” puppies or kittens from different litters, or allow them on the floor
-Puppies under 6 month of age should not be taken to the play yards or walked on the grass.

At The Shelter

Coming in for your shift

The shelter is located at 2579 Fair Street in Chico, CA. Volunteer hours are daily from 9:15 to 6:00. The Staff and Volunteer entrance is located on Scott Ave (yellow marker on map below). The main entrance to the facility is closed and locked at all times as we are only operating by appointment. We do have a bike rack in front of the main building for anyone to use. There are a few bus stops within walking distance.

Volunteer Station

The volunteer station is located in the back hallway in front of the Med Room. This unit is a check in station for all volunteers. It houses the sign-in kiosk, volunteer message board, dog walking supplies, name badges, storage for volunteer belongings, etc. If you have belongings that you don't want to carry around like bags, jackets, and water bottles this will be the place to store them. If there are any notices for volunteers, they will be posted at this station.

Name Badges

Volunteer name badges are kept in the top drawer of the Volunteer Station in a rollodex box. They are organized by the first letter of your last name. Name Badges also have your Volunteer PIN that you will need to sign in for your shift at the sign-in kiosk. 

Volgistics

All volunteers created a Volgistics account when they filled out the Volunteer Application through the website. You will be able to log in to your account through the "Volunteer Portal" link on our website (www.chicoanimalshelter.org/volunteers). Through your account you will be able to view your service hours, sign up for shifts, receive important volunteer mail. 

Signing in and out 

All volunteers will have a name tag (stored in the Volunteer Station) and it will have their PIN on it. Volunteers will use this PIN to sign in and out of their shift at the sign-in kiosk on the Volunteer Station. It is very important that volunteers sign in and out so we can keep an accurate record of service and know who is here that day.  

 

Signing up for shifts

All volunteers will need to sign up for shifts ahead of time. To do so you will need to log into your account, select the "Schedule" tab, and select any of the availble time slots. After completing this training, you will be directed to sign up for a "New Volunteer Orientation" and that will be the only shift type available to you. After completing that, you will have access to the entire calendar and will be able to sign up for any shift available. 

Buildings on Campus

Main office- Check in point for all visitors. Where all shelter business with the public is conducted. This is where you will sign in/out for your shifts.
Main Kennels- Houses dogs that are stray, surrendered, etc. They are not up for adoption and the area is not open to the public. Tasks for this area include kennel cleaning, water checks, some dog walking, and kennel enrichment.
Old City- The original shelter built in the 50's. This area houses small dogs, dogs that are on hold for various reasons, and the three back cat rooms (quarantine, incoming, and sick). There is also a small storage area for toys, towels, beds, etc. This area is not open to the public. Tasks in this area include kennel cleaning, kennel enrichment, water checks, and restocking.
Back Hallway- This hallway is in the Main Office and houses the Med Room, Adoptable Cat Room, and the Laundry Room. The Med Room is off limits to volunteers and visitors. Tasks in the other areas in the Back Hallway include dishes and laundry, restocking, kennel cleaning, cat socialization, and interacting with visitors.
Adoptable Dogs- This building houses adoptable dogs for Chico Animal Shelter and Butte Humane Society. Tasks in this area include dog walking, kennel enrichment, restocking, kennel cleaning, and water checks. 
Animal Control Office- Home base for our Animal Control Officers

Becoming a dog walker...

We are always in need of volunteers to help us work with our adoptable dogs. If you are interested in this there are a few things you need to complete: 

• Complete the online trainings about dog behavior (links on the volunteer page) 
• Come in for a Dog Orientation

Most of the dogs we have here have special needs so we need to make sure anyone who works with them has all the correct training tools in their tool belt. Every time someone takes out a dog, it is a learning experience for the dog (and the handler). 

COVID-19 Safety Reminders

• Masks are required while volunteering. If you do not have a mask we can provide you with one. 
• You must sign up for your shift ahead of time on your Volgistics account. This is so we don't have too many volunteers at the shelter at once and can practice social distancing safely. You will have full access to your Volgistics calendar after completing this training and will have the power to add/remove shifts as necessary. If you sign up for a shift that you are no longer able to attend, please make sure to remove yourself from the calendar so that someone else may take that shift. If you come in to volunteer and you have not signed up ahead of time, you may be asked to leave if there are too many people inside the shelter buidling. 
• If you are feeling ill in anyway or have a fever, please do not come in to volunteer; even if your symptoms are not Covid related. We have a very small staff/volunteer program and cannot afford for anyone to get sick! 
• You will need to check your temperature before starting each shift. There is a wall mounted hands-free thermometer in the main lobby next to the restroom. 
• If you have been potentially exposed to someone with any symptoms, please do not come in to volunteer. 
• When you are done working in a certain area of the shelter, please wipe down anything you have touched with sanitizing wipes found at the volunteer station. 
• There is to be no more than one person working in a room at a time. If there is someone already working in the room you would like to go in to, please wait until they are finished with their task and have sanitized the area. 

**Any incident where these guidelines are not followed will result in immediate dismissal**

 

Training Complete! 

That's it! You're ready to get started! You will receive an email after clicking "Submit" below confirming your completion of the Volunteer Training. After that I will activate you as a volunteer and you will be able to start signing up for shifts. Because we are unable to hold onsite orientations right now, you will be paired up with a staff member or seasoned volunteer for training. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Hannah Booth, the Volunteer Coordinator, at hannah.booth@chicoca.gov or 530-894-5630. Thank you so much for donating your time to Chico Animal Shelter and we will see you soon!