Volunteer with PAW Alliance
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Piedmont Animal Welfare Alliance (PAW Alliance). We're an all-volunteer nonprofit working at the intersection of animal welfare and social justice. We need your help. This is righteous work. Become part of our village!
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We have two programs: A New Leash on Life (NLOL), a prison dog-training program, and A New Start in Life (NSIL), which assists domestic violence survivors and the pets they love.
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We have a variety of opportunities, and your gifts, talents, and skills can really help us with our work.
We are the animal welfare partner of the minimum-security prison, Forsyth Correctional Center, in the New Leash on Life program. Dogs needing training are paired with qualifying inmate trainers for a 10-week session supervised by professional Winston-Salem Dog Training Club instructors.
Our New Start in Life program assists Family Services of Forsyth County's domestic violence shelter by caring for pets while the survivor is there. We pay for everything, including all medical care.
Right now, we don't need volunteers at the prison, but we are in serious need of volunteers "on the outside" to help both our programs succeed. We need occasional foster homes for both programs. If you're interested in being a foster, please fill out our Foster application below.
Some short-term volunteer jobs, such as putting up flyers, etc., would also be excellent for teen service hours.
As a first step, please fill out this volunteer application, checking all areas of interest, and we'll get back to you shortly.
When you submit your application, we will assess your interest with our needs, and get back in touch with you. We hope that you will become a PAW ALLIANCE Partner! We look forward to meeting and working with you. Thank you!
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Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age. An adult must accompany volunteers under 16 years of age.
If you are 14-15 years old, please list the name of the adult who will be volunteering with you. (Please note that the adult must also complete a volunteer application).
Volunteers under 18 must have a parent/guardian's approval by completing the Parental Consent and Waiver for Child to Volunteer (https://www.paw-alliance.org/parentalconsentform).
Ways to help
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ERRANDS: Oh, please! The BEST and most important errands are helping us put up flyers around the area advertising NLOL dogs available for adoption. We must work extra hard to promote these dogs, since they live in a prison, and aren’t immediately visible to potential new families. We have flyers and locations to post. Ditto for putting up flyers advertising PAW Alliance in general and our two programs, NLOL and NSIL. There are other errands as well on occasion.
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EVENTS / FUNDRAISING: *Join our fundraising/events committee and help plan, run, and work fun special events and fundraisers to support our important work. Events are fun, and we’re ALWAYS open to new ideas on how to raise funds for our very important work!
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Events include, but are not limited to:
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ADOPTION FAIRS: We have at least 2 adoption fairs every 10-week session, where the dogs, their trainers, and a prison representative come to show off our pups and what they’ve learned. We love having volunteers there to help us. Details available.
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GRADUATION: We have wonderful graduation ceremonies after each NLOL session, when the trainers and dogs show off what they’ve accomplished, and the dogs go to their forever homes. We celebrate with a casual communal meal. We need help with this fun event that is most often at the Winston-Salem Dog Training Club. Details are available.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS: where we can have a table or booth, promoting our community work.
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FOSTER HOMES: Please go to our Foster Home Application.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: Have a knack and a decent camera? We can always use more photos.
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PROMOTION:
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Design flyers and posters advertising our work.
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Join our speakers’ bureau to speak to civic groups and houses of worship about what we do. There’s a script and visuals. Do you have a way with words? Come spread our word!
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SOCIALIZING ANIMALS: Join us in a public setting to be with us, the trainers, and the dogs outside the prison campus and help them become accustomed to different situations and people. You can be a great representative and walk and show the dogs off. Details are available.
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VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT: Love to volunteer? Help us recruit new volunteers and fosters. If you know a friend who’d be interested, please spread the word (it’s fun to volunteer with friends)!
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WORK FROM HOME: Work at home, at your own pace, with a nice cup of tea. Call potential volunteers you may know. Print out flyers (if you have a color printer). If you’re artistic, create promotional flyers for us. Research possible grants we might apply for and possible funders we may not know.
Volunteer Waiver and Release of Liability
Please read carefully and fill out all form areas.
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I, the undersigned, HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE that I have voluntarily applied to assist the Piedmont Animal Welfare Alliance in its work.
I acknowledge that I am voluntarily participating in PAW ALLIANCE-related activities and agree to accept any and all risks associated with my participation, including but not limited to injury and illness.
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I understand there are certain risks and dangers associated with working with animals, including but not limited to bites, scratches and allergic reactions.
I agree to use my best judgment in undertaking designated volunteer and release PAW ALLIANCE from any claim for personal injury that may arise from my participation in volunteer activities at PAW ALLIANCE functions.
If I am under 18 years of age at the time of registration, my parent or legal guardian has completely reviewed this Waiver and Release, understands and consents to its terms and authorizes my participation.
I am aware that this is a RELEASE OF LIABILITY and a contract between me and PAW ALLIANCE and I accept it of my own free will.