Volunteers Needed to Help Lakewood's Homeless Pets

One stroll through Lakewood is enough to confirm that this city's residents love their pets. From one end of the city to the next, one can see owners out walking their dogs while cats scurry across yards or watch over the street's activities from a window sill. Our love of four-legged creatures and the desire to help those that are homeless or abandoned prompted the Citizens Committee for a Lakewood Animal Shelter (CCLAS) to work with the city to open up the Lakewood Animal Shelter back in 1985.

Since then, the group has been providing many volunteer and financial resources to the city-run shelter. Annually, nearly 200 to 300 dogs and cats are adopted from the shelter, and CCLAS is proud to help not only keep the shelter a clean and safe environment for those housed inside, but also to fund programs that make it more than just a shelter.

As a small 501(c)3 non-profit organization, CCLAS relies on a dedicated volunteer staff to help things run smoothly. If you love animals, volunteering for CCLAS is a wonderful way to be involved in your own community. Currently, CCLAS is in need of foster volunteers, an additional foster care coordinator, a secretary, shelter volunteers, people to help with fundraising events and anyone with backgrounds in development or marketing.

Each spring and summer, kitten litters arrive at the shelter that are either orphaned or found with their mothers. They need a loving home environment for the formative stage of their lives(the total commitment is about 6 to 8 weeks). CCLAS arranges foster care for these litters and reimburses for food and supplies. At this time, CCLAS is looking to increase its list of available foster volunteers and for an additional person to help coordinate the foster program. Serving as a foster volunteer is a great opportunity for children and parents to work together and for those individuals who love animals but can-not commit to a permanent pet.

The secretary of CCLAS is aboard position requiring attendance at bimonthly meetings, communication with the entire board (primarily via e-mail) to discuss ideas and issues affecting the shelter, and correspondence with donors, members and the community as necessary. Shelter volunteers help with cleaning cages, walking dogs and socializing cats. These volunteers are needed on Saturdays.

CCLAS relies solely on donations,membership dues and fundraising for its income. Accordingly, throughout most of the year, CCLAS is busy planning for different fundraisers. Volunteers are needed to help with various aspects of fundraising from calling other volunteers, baking, distributing flyers or helping to coordinate an event. Some of CCLAS's annual fundraisers include a spring happy hour and auction event, bake sales and a dog wash.

There are many ways to be involved Volunteers Needed to Help Lakewood's Homeless Pets with CCLAS and the Lakewood Animal Shelter that range in talent and time commitment. No matter how you are able to volunteer, all of these opportunities make a difference in the lives of Lakewood's homeless pets. If you can spare even a little bit of your time to help out, please call me at(216) 221-7953 or Donna Blakesmith at (216) 521-6710.
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Volume 2, Issue 5, Posted 10.46 AM / 08th March 2006.