Salinas Shelter Seeks Volunteers to Help Animals Find Homes

Hitchcock Road Animal Services in Salinas needs people who love animals and have two hours to spare each week.

The shelter is recruiting volunteers to walk dogs, socialize cats, snap photos for social media, and help with daily care. Education and volunteer coordinator Kendra Brady says the human connection volunteers provide makes all the difference between animals who get adopted and those who don't.

"The impact that the volunteers make I can't stress enough," Brady said. Animals stuck in kennels without regular human contact develop stress that makes them less likely to find homes.

Volunteers help ease that "kennel stress" by providing affection and attention. The calmer, more social animals become, the better their chances of catching an adopter's eye.

Brady emphasizes that anyone 18 or older who can commit to one two-hour shift weekly for at least six months can join. The shelter welcomes all skill levels, from dog walkers to aspiring photographers.

Photography volunteers play a surprisingly crucial role. Brady explains that quality photos showing an animal's personality can be the difference between scrolling past and scheduling a visit.

The shelter maintains an active social media presence, constantly promoting available animals and adoption information. Good photos fuel those posts, turning lonely shelter stays into adoption success stories.

The Ripple Effect

Beyond helping individual animals, volunteers boost the shelter's community visibility. Many local residents still don't know Hitchcock Road Animal Services exists, Brady notes.

Every volunteer becomes an ambassador, spreading the word about adoptable animals and the shelter's mission. That growing awareness means more adoptions and fewer animals spending months in kennels.

The shelter is making it easier to adopt right now. Through Saturday, all large breed dogs eight months and older are available at 50% reduced adoption fees, including medical care like spaying, neutering, and vaccinations.

For those curious about volunteering, Hitchcock Road will host a new volunteer orientation this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Attendees will learn exactly what volunteering involves and how to get started.

Two hours a week might not sound like much, but for a shelter animal waiting for a second chance, it could mean everything.