08/24/2026
Stole from another rescue but man is it spot on! Want to volunteer at ATR? Then read this and take it to heart! These dogs (and cats) are our life!
I want to talk honestly about volunteering here, because I think there is a big misunderstanding about what actually helps.
First, morning volunteer hours do not work at this rescue.
And it is not simply because mornings are inconvenient for me.
Mornings are feeding time, but they are also the dogs’ time.
This is their home.
That is when many of them are out running, exercising, playing, and enjoying the property while I work through feeding and the rest of the morning routine.
Not every dog here likes strangers.
Some are fearful. Some are protective. Some are here because they cannot safely live in a typical home.
And even the dogs who absolutely love people can get completely out of sorts when someone is here at a time they normally aren’t.
They get excited.
They get distracted.
They act differently.
Sometimes the whole group does.
Heck, even when Keith is here, some of them act like Daddy just came home from a six-month deployment. 😂
The difference is, Keith has been doing this with me for years.
He knows the dogs.
He knows the gates.
He knows the routine.
He knows that sometimes things change depending on which dogs are out, who is having a bad day, or what needs to be handled differently that day.
And even then, he checks with me.
I still double-check things too, because with this many animals, you do not get careless just because someone is familiar.
The upside is that when Keith is here, things usually get done faster because he already knows what needs to happen.
That is completely different from someone showing up for the first time.
A new volunteer does not know which dogs can be together.
They do not know which gates absolutely cannot be opened.
They do not know which dogs get overstimulated by strangers.
They do not know which routines have changed.
They do not know all the little things that have become second nature after years of doing this.
And that is okay.
Nobody is expected to know all of that on day one.
But that is exactly why volunteer hours, training, consistency, and communication matter so much here.
I also need to be very clear about something else.
If you only want to come one time, take a tour, meet all the animals, look around the property, and then disappear, please do not volunteer.
I know that sounds harsh.
But when someone comes here for the first time, I have to stop what I am doing.
Everybody understandably wants to see the property, meet the dogs, see the other animals, ask questions, hear stories, and understand how everything works.
The problem is, we usually have about a three-hour window together.
And if most of that time gets eaten up by touring the property and talking, then it is time for you to leave and almost nothing actually got done.
Meanwhile, I am now anywhere from one to three hours behind on a day that is already roughly 16 hours long.
And too often, before someone leaves, I hear:
“See you next time!”
And then I never hear from them again.
Maybe you decided this was not for you.
That is completely okay.
Maybe the heat was too much.
Maybe the work was more physical than you expected.
Maybe rescue was not what you pictured.
That is okay too.
But please be honest with me.
I would much rather hear, “I want to see if this is a fit for me,” than lose half of my workday believing I am training someone who plans to return.
Because what I actually need is not visitors.
I need dependable people who want to become part of the routine.
And the work is not glamorous.
It is picking up p**p.
Washing bowls.
Doing laundry.
Cleaning kennels.
Changing bedding.
Hauling things.
Sweeping.
Mopping.
Doing the jobs that need to be done, even if they are not the jobs you had in mind when you decided you wanted to volunteer.
I completely understand that midday is hot right now.
Believe me, I know. 😂
But morning and late afternoon belong to the dogs.
Those are the times they are out, active, exercising, and following the routine that keeps this place functioning safely.
So the volunteer window has to be built around what works for the animals and the rescue, not simply around what time is most convenient for someone who wants to help.
If those hours do not work for you, I completely understand.
There are other ways to support us.
But I cannot lock down half the rescue, interrupt feeding, disrupt the dogs’ routine, and rearrange an already overwhelming schedule so someone can volunteer at the time or in the way that works best for them.
This is not the kind of place where someone can just show up, jump in wherever they feel like it, and assume an extra set of hands automatically makes the day easier.
Sometimes it does.
Sometimes it creates more work.
The goal is to get volunteers to the point where they actually become part of the routine — where their presence helps things flow instead of disrupting everything.
You do not have to come every day.
You do not have to give me your whole life.
But I need consistency.
I need people willing to come back.
People willing to learn how this rescue works.
People willing to ask:
“What do you need done, and when do you need me?”
Because helping is not doing whatever makes us feel helpful.
Helping is filling the need that actually exists.
