New Life K9s, Thousand Hills Pet Resort, and Gentle Touch Pet Training participate annually in the Downtown SLO Holiday Parade on December 5th. Help us raise awareness and participate in the celebration by decorating our end-of-year float! This volunteer role is perfect for those interested in crafting, building, and assembling, which are the main tasks for our float builders. No previous experience needed.

Join us as a Volunteer Fundraiser! You’ll be calling donors, distributing flyers, and helping plan and staff fundraising events. You’ll also assist with collecting and recording donations, and engaging with supporters to build our campaign’s impact. Flexible schedule, great for someone who loves community outreach and making a difference.

Thousand Hills Pet Resort is seeking a social media marketing volunteer to help raise awareness about the program! This volunteer position involves creating engaging content for our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). No prior marketing or content creation experience is necessary, but it is a plus.

Mission Cars is looking for an ongoing, on-call volunteer to assist with various tasks. These tasks might include picking up cars and returning them, getting cars washed, and having cars smog checked. This position is on-call, with the volunteer available for some hours each week. We are willing to accommodate your schedule and find on-call hours that work well for you.

Join our team as a Volunteer Office Assistant to help keep our office running smoothly! In this role you’ll:

• Answer phones, emails, and direct inquiries

• File, sort, and organize documents and help with data entry

• Assist with light administrative tasks like mailing, copying, and maintaining office supplies

Must be comfortable using a computer. 

This volunteer role helps organize supplies, prep enrichment activities, perform light cleaning, and handle other behind-the-scenes tasks that keep our program running smoothly. While this is not a dog-handling role, there may be occasional opportunities to observe playgroups, assist on supervised outings, or participate in training exercises as a neutral presence.

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This role is great for:

• Those who enjoy structure and organization

• Volunteers not able to handle dogs but still want to contribute

• People who want to be part of the team—no leash required!

Short-term puppy raisers provide temporary care for dogs when their primary raisers are unavailable or when dogs being raised in our prison program leave the prison environment for short-term furloughs. This is a great option for those unable to commit full-time but still want to support our mission.

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Common situations include:

- Coverage during vacations, illness, or transitions

- Medical recovery requiring rest

- In-home behavior evaluation periods

Expectations and Requirements:

• Attend monthly puppy raiser meetings

• Pick up/drop off dogs as needed

• Follow all training guidelines

• If caring for a dog, complete all tasks expected of a full-time puppy raiser (outings, updates, meetings)

• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs

As a full-time puppy raiser, you will raise a puppy through their first year of life with guidance from New Life K9 trainers. You’ll help them master foundational training, house manners, and public behavior as they prepare for life as a service dog.

Expectations and Requirements:

• Be 18 years old, or at least 13 years old with an adult co-raiser in the same household

• Ability to have a dog in your home full-time for a minimum of 6 months

• No personal dogs under 2 years of age living in the same home

• Attend weekly puppy raiser meetings

• Drop off for training in office as needed

• Participate in outings and training sessions with trainers (min. 2/month)

• Complete weekly puppy raiser updates via portal

• Follow the training curriculum and guidelines

• Practice consistent training and socialization at home and in public

• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs

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*Optional: co-raise with another volunteer*

We love having groups come and help with projects! This type of volunteering is great for school groups, family groups, and work groups.

Here are some projects that we need help with:

• Paint dog houses

• Create a dog-friendly hiking path

• Clean dog play equipment

• General landscaping & weed removal

Volunteer at Son Care Foundation's 40-acre ranch, completing a wide variety of maintenance tasks. Help with minor construction, plumbing, landscaping, fabricating, painting, electrical, and many other projects. We welcome all skill levels and will let you choose from a variety of projects. 

This is an excellent opportunity for an individual who is completing the required hours.

• Turnover and sanitization of boarding facilities and equipment including daily removal of animal waste and trash from facilities

• Laundering of bedding and towels for both owners and THPR

• Grounds maintenance to maintain resort appearance for customers

• Maintaining the yard by filling water buckets/pools, picking up any waste, and weeding

• Safe handling and oversight of pets to ensure the safety of all animals and deter inappropriate behavior