Volunteer for Underdog Rescue!
Underdog Rescue – and the companion animals we serve – could not survive without the support and commitment of our wonderful volunteers. In fact, all of our staff members are volunteers. Thank you for considering Underdog Rescue to meet your volunteerism goal.
We are always in need of new foster homes, volunteer drivers, and home-visit specialists; however, please consider other skills you have (accounting, fundraising, organizational development and planning, etc.) and whether that expertise could help us meet our mission of saving lives.
Foster Home
Today’s tough economy has led to increases in dog and cat neglect, abandonment and abuse. Sadly, there are more adoptable cats and dogs being held in animal control facilities than there are spaces in foster homes to save them. Every week, we see and interact with these animals, each of whom is deserving of a home. Yet every week, we find ourselves making painful decisions about which of these dogs and cats we can save from euthanasia. If you want to become a part of the solution, please consider becoming a foster home. If you have room in your home and in your heart for a temporary pet, there is a life, right now, that you can help us save.
Want to learn more about becoming a foster home? Visit our Foster Care page.
Volunteer Driver
Drivers Wanted!
We always need help transporting our adoptable cats and dogs. Here are some examples of when we need help:
To and from veterinarian appointments when foster families are unable;
Transporting new foster pets from our rescue partner in IA;
To and from adoption events on those occasions when foster families are unable; or
Some of our pets are temporarily housed at boarding facilities, they need transportation to/from our adoption events.
If you are a safe driver, have your own vehicle & insurance, and can make room in your calendar for these kinds of short trips, you will be a hero! Even if you can’t commit to driving every week, offering to “on call” for occasional transports will be a huge help.
Complete a Volunteer Application.
Home-visit Specialists
A part of any adoption or foster home application is a successful home visit. We require a prospective adopter/foster care provider to pass a home inspection, and many times scheduling this visit is a major delay in placements.
We provide training to volunteers who pass our background check so that they may become Home-visit Specialists. If you are contentious, detail-oriented, and have great inter-personal skills, this fun & rewarding volunteer opportunity may be a perfect fit!
To be considered as a Home-Visit Specialist, you must complete and submit a notarized Background Check Consent Form and a Volunteer Application.
Download this form, and when complete, submit it to our Volunteer Coordinator, Emily (emily@underdogrescuemn.com).
Background Check/Informed Consent Form
Complete a Volunteer Application.
Other Opportunities
We are always open to new volunteers who have a variety of skills to offer! Here is a short list of additional volunteer jobs:
Emergency/Vacation Foster Homes:
Fostering is a big commitment. If you are unable to take on a pet full time but would like to help out from time to time, we could always use volunteers that we can call on for last minute situations or when our full time fosters need someone to care for their pets while they are away for short periods of time.
Adoption Event Coordinators:
Each week, Underdog hosts adoption events at local area pet supply stores. We are always in need of volunteers to arrive at the event early, set up, and coordinate which pets are attending the events. These volunteers help potential adopters find and meet the pets they are there to see. Coordinators would also help tear down and clean up at the end of the event.
These are just a few areas that we need volunteer assistance. If you are interested in helping us another way, we would be happy to work with you!
Please click HERE and complete the Contact Us form letting us know you are interested in volunteering and how you may be able to help!