FAQs on Volunteering at Lollypop Farm

• How old do I have to be to volunteer with the animals?
• If I'm under 18, can I still volunteer with the animals if I work alongside a parent or other adult?
• If I'm under 18, what jobs can I do?
• Are college students allowed to volunteer?
• Are there any other requirements for volunteering?
• Do you have a foster care program?
• What jobs are available for people who want to come in and work with the animals at Lollypop Farm?
• Are there any jobs that do not involve contact with animals?
• Can I do more than one job? For example, can I clean cat cages and walk dogs?
• Is there a minimum time commitment?
• Can I drop in and work whenever I have time?
• Are there exceptions to the rules about time commitment and keeping a regular schedule?
• Do you offer a summer-only volunteer program?
• Does your volunteer program cover court-ordered community service?
• What if I only need to do a certain number of hours for school?
• How do I set my schedule?
• I've read all the Volunteer FAQs. What if I still have questions?
• What are the hours during which volunteers can work?
• OK, I'd love to help! What's the next step?

Q. How old do I have to be to volunteer with the animals?

A. You must be at least 18 years of age before you can walk dogs, work in the cat room, or otherwise have contact with any of the animals.

Q. If I'm under 18, can I still volunteer with the animals if I work alongside a parent or other adult?

A. Sorry, no. But there are other ways you can help. Please see below.

Q. If I'm under 18, what jobs can I do?

A. You can help us set up and run special events, like Holiday Pet Photos, and the annual Telethon, etc.

You can also organize a drive to collect items from our Wish List. You can ask your friends, relatives, neighbors, and classmates if they'd like to donate things such as blankets, towels, dog toys, bags of kitty litter, etc. These donations are very helpful to us, since we use-up an enormous amount of supplies every year.

You and your family can also help with foster care.

Q. Are college students allowed to volunteer?

A. Yes, but we've found from past experience that college students (and graduate students) have a very hard time balancing their responsibilities as students with their commitment as volunteers. Because of term papers, exams, group projects, intramural sports, job searches, thesis meetings, winter breaks, spring breaks, summer vacations, etc., students have a difficult time adhering to a regular volunteer schedule. If you are a college student or grad student, we don't want to discourage you, but you have to give the matter some serious thought and decide if you will have enough time to come in for a weekly two-hour shift for at least a year.

Q. Are there any other requirements for volunteering?

A. You should be able to read and communicate well enough to follow instructions. You should get along well with others, because you may have to work closely with staff members or other volunteers. But you should also have the ability to work independently – without close supervision.

Dog-walkers need to be healthy and reasonably strong, since many of the shelter dogs pull hard when they're on a leash.

If you are taking immuno-suppressive drugs, you should check with your doctor before you start volunteering.

Q. Do you have a foster care program?

A. Yes, and the whole family can help with this rewarding job! We're always looking for people who can provide temporary care and housing to young or ill animals. The animals would live with you for a period of a few weeks, until they can be returned to Lollypop Farm for adoption. You don't need to attend our "Get Acquainted" sessions in order to do foster care. Contact the volunteer coordinator for more information or visit our Foster Care Information page.

Q. What jobs are available for people who want to come in and work with the animals at Lollypop Farm?

A. There are a variety of animal care and clerical jobs available. You can read some brief descriptions on our Volunteer Jobs information page.

Q. Are there any jobs that do not involve contact with animals?

A. Yes! For example, we need help with information technology (IT) tasks. As of October 2010, we are looking for a tech-savvy volunteer to help with computer-related jobs. Some projects need to be done on-site, some can be done mostly from home. For more information, please contact our IT Manager, Alex Chernavsky, at alexc@lollypop.org or 585.223.1330 x132.

We also need help with various clerical or administrative-type duties. Check out details of non-animal related jobs on our Volunteer Jobs page.

Q. Can I do more than one job? For example, can I clean cat cages and walk dogs?

A. If you decide that you want to work with animals, we ask that you limit yourself to a single animal-care job, at least until you become a "seasoned" volunteer. We value enthusiastic volunteers, but we don't want you to over-extend yourself. However, if you feel up to the task, you can add an administrative-type job — such as data entry — whenever you feel like you can handle the extra work load

Q. Is there a minimum time commitment?

A. Yes. If you have an animal-care job, we request that you agree to volunteer for at least two hours per week, for at least a year. (You're welcome to commit to a longer shift, if your schedule allows it.)

Once you complete training, the staff will discuss the schedule with you and put your name on the open shift that works for you.

Q. Can I drop in and work whenever I have time?

A. No, we ask that people adhere to a regular schedule (for example, 2:00 – 4:00 PM every Tuesday). Of course, we assume that you will occasionally be forced to miss your shift as a result of vacations, doctors' appointments, etc. However, we do ask that you make a good-faith effort to follow your schedule whenever possible.

Q. Are there exceptions to the rules about time commitment and keeping a regular schedule?

A. Yes. Foster care is performed in your home, so there is no particular schedule. Event help (such as answering phones at our annual Telethon) is done on an as-needed basis. Data entry is also more flexible — you can make appropriate arrangements with our Director of Information Systems.

Pet-assisted therapy requires a commitment to two visits per mont

Some of the other non-animal-care jobs are also more flexible about time commitments. Ask us for details.

Q. Do you offer a summer-only volunteer program?

A. No because training for new volunteers takes a few weeks, we need a commitment of one year.

Q. Does your volunteer program cover court-ordered community service?

A. No, as of Fall 2011, we do not accept court-ordered community service.

Q. What if I only need to do a certain number of hours for school?

A. You may be scheduled to help with a special event. You can do this without attending our training sessions. Advance notice is required, usually at least two weeks.

You can also organize a drive to gather items from our Wish List. Just keep track of how much time you spend on this project, and we'll sign any documents required by your school.

Q. How do I set my schedule?

A. Once you have completed our training sessions, the staff and existing volunteers will work with you to determine a mutually acceptable schedule. We will ask you for a written time commitment.

Q. I've read all the Volunteer FAQs. What if I still have questions?

A. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator Maggie Huff at mhuff@lollypop.org or 585.425.4183.

Q. What are the hours during which volunteers can work?

A. Lollypop Farm (our main facility in Perinton) is open to volunteers Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the available hours are 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Volunteers who work in the cat room or the small-animal room are encouraged to work in the mornings, if possible, when we have the greatest need for cleaning.

A different schedule is followed at our satellite locations. Please ask staff for details.

Q. OK, I'd love to help! What's the next step?

A. Please note that we are in the fortunate position of receiving more applications that we have available slots for volunteers. Please fill out this form, and if your interests & availability are compatible with our needs, we will register you for the courses. Please don't be offended if we can't use your help right away.

If you have any questions, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator Maggie Huff at mhuff@lollypop.org or 585.425.4183.