TAP Care Team

The Animal Pad is seeking more amazing humans to join our most coveted and most popular volunteer role in the rescue - the TAP Care Team!

TAP Care Team members work onsite at our medical clearing facility in La Mesa, CA and are responsible for feeding, cleaning kennels, administering meds, laundry, and hanging out with the fur babies while they await medical clearance before being matched and welcomed into a foster home. This role is our most active and hands-on volunteer opportunity at TAP, and requires the willingness/ability to handle a variety of different dog personalities as well as dogs of all shapes/sizes/breeds (strong pullers, energetic breeds, shy and decompressing dogs, etc.). Care Team volunteers must be able to lift 30 lbs. and feel comfortable handling dogs that pull on leash.

Morning and evening shifts are available daily, 365 days of the year! The TAP Care Team is looking for volunteers who can commit to a minimum of one, 2-hour shift per month. Morning shifts (8am-10am) and evening shifts (5pm-7pm) are available on both weekdays and weekends.

TAP has become well-known for taking on medical cases that other organizations won't/don't, and as a result you may encounter dogs with specific medical needs during Care Team shifts or while onsite at our facility. Some of these medical cases include:

• Contagious conditions (which we all wear PPE for, provided by TAP)
• TVT, aka transmissible venereal tumors (only transmissible via direct cellular contact w/another dog, which looks like visible tumors and occasionally atypical presentations including fluid draining from facial areas)
• Mobility issues (including dogs who have pending surgeries)
• Dogs with visible conditions in the process of healing (skin conditions, underweight or sometimes emaciated dogs, etc.

This disclaimer is not meant to scare you away, however, we want to be transparent about the sometimes heartbreaking situations dogs come to us in so that you feel better prepared to work directly with dogs in all manners of condition. Our facility is the first place that many dogs ever receive medical care, regular meals, medications, and TLC from dedicated volunteers, and it takes a village (and time) to rehabilitate dogs and prepare them for foster and adoptive homes. If you feel this may hinder your ability to work directly with dogs at our facility, THAT IS OKAY! We have many volunteer opportunities at TAP and want to be sure you find the right fit for your comfort level!

***This volunteer role is strictly 18+.***

If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out a Volunteer Application on our website: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/