It's the dawning of a new year, and like many people, you may suddenly find yourself with a yen for self-improvement.

Sure, there are all the usual outlets -- you could go to the gym or the library; you could quit smoking or eat healthier; you could color-code all of your file folders or alphabetize your CD collection.

Or maybe you've been there and done that, and are looking for a more unique path to self-fulfillment this year. In that case, how about helping to make the world a better place, and hanging out with cute, furry animals while you're at it?

If you're an animal aficionado, you probably already know that there are non-profit groups out there that do wonderful work for the critters of the world ... maybe you even send them generous checks from time to time.

Donations are always appreciated, of course, but don't forget that these groups also need bodies -- volunteers, that is. It might be something as simple as stuffing envelopes or collecting petition signatures for an animal welfare group; it could be something as involved as running a rescue organization. You don't even need to be working directly with the animals, as it's sometimes the behind-the-scenes work that's the most important.

Getting out there and getting involved is a great route to self-improvement ... and you'd be helping animals (and sometimes even people), as well as yourself.

Tried and true

If you're thinking of volunteering with animals, the logical place to start is probably your local shelter, SPCA, or humane society, or a rescue group in your area. Many of these groups welcome volunteers of all ages and levels of experience.

The Web site for the West Suburban Humane Society in Downers Grove, Ill., lists volunteer positions that represent the typical offerings of many local shelters around the country. Adoption center volunteers are responsible for the care and feeding of the animals, as well as some light cleaning, and also help potential adopters choose suitable pets. In addition, volunteers are used to transport animals between the shelter and local veterinary clinics.

If you're willing to open your home to a shelter animal in need of a temporary place to stay, you're probably worth your weight in gourmet puppy kibble to your local humane society. Foster caretakers keep animals that are not quite ready for adoption -- they might just be too young to be adopted, or they might have a health or behavioral issue that needs to be addressed before they can go home with a new, permanent family.

Many shelters also use foster homes as a way to expand their animal-housing capacity. When the shelter cages fill, animals can be temporarily housed in private homes until there's room for them again. And at some rescues, all animals are in foster homes because the group doesn't actually have a central shelter facility.

Everyone likes to work with and help animals, of course, but maybe you have special skills that you can lend in another capacity. There's a lot more involved in running a shelter than just caring for animals, and every contribution furthers the cause.

For example, maybe you're a gifted speaker -- you could offer to educate school children and community groups about responsible pet care. Perhaps you're handy and have a great collection of power tools -- many shelters would probably appreciate help with building or grounds maintenance. Or maybe you're a marketing or design guru, and can lend your expertise to help a group mount an advertising campaign.

In fact, a quick perusal through the VolunteerMatch Web site, a database that lists more than 31,000 volunteer positions available nationwide, brings up a bevy of opportunities to do good that you may never have thought of.

A walk on the wild side

Maybe you're looking for a slightly more exotic volunteer opportunity ... are lions, tigers, and bears more your speed? Well, then, the zoo is definitely the place for you.

Yes, zoos also need volunteers. Of course, as you might expect, these positions are not as hands-on as they would be at your local rescue or humane society -- amateur elephant walkers are not exactly in high demand.

But zoos still need volunteer help, and your assistance helps improve these facilities that work so hard to study and conserve the world's rarer animal species.

The Los Angeles Zoo has an extensive volunteer program -- at last count, the organization had more than 1,000 volunteers, according to Susan Bolan, volunteer coordinator. In 2001, the zoo volunteers collectively gave more than 102,000 hours of their time to keep the facility running smoothly.

The volunteers are varied, said Ms. Bolan -- about a quarter are students (high school or below), a quarter are in college, another quarter are professionals, and the remainder are retired. There are also a wide variety of volunteer activities, allowing each person to find an appropriate niche.

If a volunteer wants to work directly with the zoo animals, he or she must be at least 16 and needs at least 200 hours of exotic animal experience in a zoo setting. Those qualified to volunteer are able to help in the care and feeding of some animals, as well as food preparation and cleaning of the exhibits.

Those positions aren't suitable for most volunteers, of course, but there are other opportunities that allow volunteers to work tangentially with the animals.

The L.A. Zoo has one of the country's most extensive docent programs -- volunteers complete a 22-week training course to learn about the zoo and its animals, and then pass that knowledge along to zoo visitors during guided tours. The program is 600 volunteers strong, making it the largest in the nation, Ms. Bolan said.

Volunteers can also help prepare food for the animals, or participate in the enrichment program by making puzzles and feeding devices for the animals, Ms. Bolan said. A group of volunteers called the "tamarin team" keeps a watchful eye on a pair of golden lion tamarins that are free roaming and have the run of the zoo. The tamarin watchers keep tabs on the creatures and make sure they're always out of harm's way.

Time commitments vary for the different positions, Ms. Bolan explained. A docent needs to commit to 100 hour per year, while those who volunteer to help run zoo special events may only participate four times per year. "There's something for everyone, based on their schedule," she said.

The volunteer programs aren't just a way to help the zoo, Ms. Bolan added -- zoo officials consider it a chance for the zoo to give back to the community. Volunteer positions may help someone make a career change or give a student valuable work experience to help land a first "real" job.

The zoo encourages volunteers to be independent and creative. Some volunteers are developmentally disabled adults, and their work helps them gain confidence and motor skills.

"For us, volunteering is a community partnership," Ms. Bolan said. It's a two-way street: the zoo benefits from the volunteers' help, but the volunteers reap personal rewards as well.

Helping people too

Some special volunteer opportunities not only afford you a chance to work with animals, but also a chance to help people -- a double good-deed whammy.

Your nearby therapeutic riding center is a little-known but readily available source of such opportunities. Such programs promote the rehabilitation of individuals with physical, emotional and learning disabilities through equine-facilitated activities, according to the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, which certifies local programs. The action of riding, and also of just interacting with the horses, has been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development, and emotional well being.

At therapeutic riding centers, you'll see children and adults with various disabilities taking part in riding lessons. Some merely get a "pony ride," sitting on the horse while it's led around at a walk, with a walker on either side to help steady the rider in the saddle. Other students ride completely independently.

There are local therapeutic riding centers all over the country, easily located through the NARHA Web site. Such groups are always in need of volunteers, both with and without horse experience.

"We're heavily dependent on volunteers. We couldn't run without them," said Beth Cole, volunteer coordinator for Maryland Therapeutic Riding. The group has about 200 active volunteers.

Volunteers are needed to lead the horses during lessons and to be sidewalkers. They also help in the care and feeding of the horses, tacking and untacking, and various barn chores, said Ms. Cole. Horse experience is not a requirement, and in fact, volunteers are about evenly divided between horsey and non-horse people, she added. (Many non-horse people do end up becoming quite interested in the animals, though, she said.) There is a minimum age of 14 to volunteer, for insurance purposes.

Ms. Cole said she lets the volunteers dictate how much time they want to devote to the organization; the only requirement is that a volunteer follow through with whatever they commit to doing. The group works in 10-week sessions, and Ms. Cole tries to schedule the volunteers for the same time slots throughout the 10 weeks to give the students some continuity.

While the volunteers are integral to the organization's survival, the experience also provides rewards to the volunteers. "There are so many wonderful things ... the ability to see how much joy [the horses bring] and accomplishment the students make week to week, and the wonderful sense of fulfillment you've helped achieve. The look on the rider's faces says it all," said Ms. Cole. "It's very addicting! Once you get involved, they have a way of sucking you in once you see what the horse can do as a therapist."

Few people are aware of the volunteer opportunities at therapeutic riding centers, though, Ms. Cole said. Her organization does some advertising through local magazines and flyers. New volunteers are always needed because the current ones are always cycling through -- going off to college, moving away, or simply running out of time.

There's another little-known volunteer opportunity within the world of animal assisted therapy -- becoming certified, along with your pet, to make visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities to help cheer up the residents. The Delta Society is one of the leading organizations that trains and registers volunteers, and their pets, for this activity.

There are more than 5,000 "Pet Partners" teams registered through the Delta Society, said Lynnette Spanola, vice president of development and public relations for the group. Most are women aged 35 to 60, she said.

Volunteers and their pets take a training course, which usually lasts about 8 hours. (It can also be completed through home study.) After being trained, the teams are evaluated -- the temperament and demeanor of the animal is evaluated, as well as the abilities of the handler. Pets are also screened for various health problems, Ms. Spanola said.

Although the animals are a very important part of the equation -- they must be comfortable with strangers and in strange environments, amenable to being petted and held, and so on -- the handler is also important.

"You have to understand your comfort level and the animal's comfort level, considering the activities you want to get involved in," said Ms. Spanola. The organization has recently revised their evaluation to be sure they're properly assessing the handler's abilities, not just the pet's, she added.

There's no minimum time requirement, but the organization asks its volunteers to consider doing one facility visit a month, although once a week is preferable. (The patients at the visited facilities so look forward to the animals' visits that they're disappointed when they don't come, Ms. Spanola explained, so the Delta Society tries to ensure regular visits.)

"The time is not a huge factor," Ms. Spanola said. "It's understanding if this is the right volunteer activity for them and their animals."

For more information:

VolunteerMatch

To find a local therapeutic riding center, visit NARHA: http://www.narha.org

To find out about registering for animal assisted therapy, contact the Delta Society.

*Article courtesy of VetCentric.com
Originally published December 26, 2005
Written by: Erin Harty, Associate Editor
For more information on this article, please visit http://www.vetcentric.com