RASKC Dog Walkers are being introduced to many changes
that will enrich the lives of our dogs and help make them more adoptable. These
changes were also designed to keep volunteers safe while working with dogs, and
to help build a greater sense of teamwork between volunteers and staff:
Dog enrichment: Staff is developing a new enrichment program to help keep dogs entertained during their downtime between walks. New enrichment items include food puzzles, rotating toys, and dog playgroups that allow the dogs to run around with each other off leash. The goal of this enrichment program is to provide mental stimulation for the dogs and increase adoptability.
A better dog walking experience: We have several new changes in store for RASKC dog walkers, including our new Dog Team Skills Assessment and Color Matchup. Dog walkers participate in a training session and assessment that will cover best practices for walking and help match volunteers to appropriate dogs based on their strengths. Volunteers who have been assessed will now be able to walk dogs off RASKC property.
Improved communication between staff and volunteers: A new white board outside of dog adoptions will provide dog walkers with important information about each adoptable dog. If volunteers have any concerns or observations about a dog, they will be able to express their comments to staff in the new Dog Memo Binder.
Additionally, RASKC is now hosting monthly dog team meetings on the last Thursday of each month. These meetings are a great opportunity for dog volunteers and RASKC staff to work collaboratively on future improvements to the dog team. These one-hour meetings are open to all dog team volunteers. If you are interested in participating, our next meeting will take place in the lunchroom on Thursday, August 31st from 5pm-6pm.
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