From the SPA
By Kathi Hamblet
December 5, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

The truth about volunteering for the cats and dogs

Most charitable organizations in San Miguel would tell you that if it wasn’t for their volunteers, they would have to close their doors. The SPA is no exception. Truly, our volunteers make a lot of the day to day work happen at the shelter and we are most grateful.

So we’d like to once again put out a call for volunteers to anyone interested in advancing the work we are doing to help the homeless and abandoned animals of San Miguel. You can get involved in so many ways. Whether you have a few hours a month or several hours a week, are a visitor to San Miguel or a full-time resident, we can use your help. We have a variety of jobs available, whether you want to work directly with the animals or find yourself useful in other capacities.

Before we get into the details of what the shelter needs and how you can get involved, we would love to share with you some great volunteer stories that inspire us. One of our best volunteers isn’t even human. Leo is a Bearded Collie who lives in a happy forever home with Steve and Joan Dipiero and has been willing to open up his home from time to time. Leo has fostered about 50 kittens that have come to the shelter either too young or too fragile to make it in the shelter without some extra TLC. Joan has certainly had a hand in helping him care for all those little ones and they are definitely two of our SPA heroes.

Another volunteer with a great spirit is Jenny who, among other things, goes on many dog walks and then writes special notes about the dogs on their cage cards as she gets to know them. This is really helpful for people that come in looking to adopt a dog with certain traits or personality. It is wonderful to read more about the dogs than just statistics. Volunteer Mary Ellen makes special bibs for our dogs to wear when we take them to the “Jardín on Thursdays,” where we do a weekly adoption table, so everyone will know what great animals we have for adoption. Volunteer Sally recently came by to photograph our training class. We have also had fantastic volunteers at our fundraisers, who have done a variety of jobs for us, all in the name of helping the animals. These are just a few of the stories of people who have made a difference and we hope you can find a little time to be a part of our special work at the SPA.



What are our needs?

Contact us about any special area of interest you may have, but the following are typical volunteer activities: Dog walking, spending time with the cats, making dog treats for our training program (recipes available), making posters and signage, taking pictures, helping our adoption table in the Jardín on Thursdays, painting and small construction jobs, plumbing jobs, landscaping and office work such as data entry.

SPA board members also head several committees. If you are interested in any of the following committees, please contact us at the shelter to be put in contact with the head of that committee: clinic & facility operations, capital improvements & land holdings, legal & financial, fundraising and public relations. 



Who are we looking for?

We are looking for great people with the willingness to help, the time to do it and an attitude of service that will further our mission of animal rescue. We hope our volunteers are able to follow directions, but are also open to voicing their ideas and opinions in the spirit of making progress. And lastly, we need people who are dependable, so when they make a commitment we know we can count on them. 



How do I get started as a volunteer? 

The best way to get started is to contact us at 152-6124 to learn more and decide in which area you would like to help. You can join Rosa, the shelter manager, for a new volunteer orientation Monday–Friday, 11am. Or contact our Volunteer Coordinator Dea Randall, who is also a board member, with questions or suggestions at 152-3761. Check out our website for more information about what we do: www.spasanmiguel.org.

And on a final note, if you want to help but just don’t have time, we are always looking for donations. We can use dog and cat toys, blankets and towels, cleaning supplies, leashes, collars, or just write a check! Your help goes a long way.