Brooklyn Volunteer Programs

I'm interested in spending some time on my weekends in a volunteer program in Brooklyn, particularly something involving animals or animal rescue. Can anyone recommend anything?

The Center for Animal Care and Control (http://www.nycacc.org/) has a shelter at 2336 Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. They are always looking for volunteers.

You can register through NYCares and sign up for all kinds of animal stuff, they seem to always need walkers and socializers and whatnot.

BARC also has tons of events on the weekends.

Try the CaCC if you can get to one of their shelters. You may have to still jump through some hoops but I think they need volunteers.

I tried and tried to volunteer at a couple of shelters but it was hard to get in the door. (Note: if you want to work with cats, you may be more in demand) Fill out paperwork, maybe get to talk to someone, wait a few months for them to tell you that you are on a waiting list for orientation in 4-8 more months.

Finally get to go to orientation (Bide-a-wee for me) and then sign up for the additional training it takes to be allowed to be allowed to deal with dogs. Wait, call many times, leave messages and never get signed up for this training. Give up and get own dog (I had tons of experience with dog shelter work, under the instruction of former SPCA and North Shore behaviorists before I moved to NYC and was willing to do anything they needed with the dogs, still no luck.)

Shelters like ASPCA and Bide-A-Wee are the ones people tend to go for (and if you've volunteered much for non-profit vs. city/high-kill, you know why) but b/c of that there are really long waiting lists.

BARC in (I think Williamsburg) was taking walk-in volunteers when I went a couple of years ago, but I have major problems with this and some things I witnessed when I tried it made me leave and not go back.


Good luck!