Volunteering 101

The Real Teen Titans

Volunteering stories and suggestions

In the media, teenagers are often portrayed as walking hormone bombs who care about little more than their Xbox and the mall. In reality, there’s happier news, as humane, animal-loving teens are increasingly giving their age group a good name by taking a variety of actions to improve the health and happiness of animals. For teens who want to aid animals, wheel-inventing is not necessary. Here are some ways young people can help our furry and feathered friends.

Supporting shelters

Animal shelters always need an extra hand, and though minimum-age requirements vary, teens are very welcome volunteers. Christine Comins, Shelter Director and Board vice-president at Pueblo, Colorado’s Animal Welfare Protection Society, said teens are valuable helpers at her shelter, where students come individually and in groups like the school Key Club. Since the AWPS is a no-kill shelter with 50-60 dogs in residence at any given time, dog walkers and groomers are in demand daily. In the past, Comins has trained teens to not only walk dogs but improve pooch behavior too with basic commands. “The teens learn a lot,” says Comins, “and it helps the dogs too, who get a little basic obedience.” Different shelters have different needs, so see who needs help with what in your neighborhood.

Raising cash

Since most animal welfare organizations aren’t exactly rolling around in vats of money like Scrooge McDuck, fundraising is a great way to lend a hand. Kids Making a Difference (KMAD), a Texas-based organization, has been particularly successful in finding money for a variety of animal causes, including a Manatee Mile Fun Run that brought in over $2,000 for this endangered species. KMAD also recently bought GPS walkie-talkies, which were on the wish list of the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute for years. “[The best part of fundraising is] sending the money or needed supplies to an organization,” says founder Stephanie Coven. “It really makes you feel good and you get to see all your hard work put to good use.”

Choosing against dissection

We all remember dissecting a frog, pig, or other animal in science class, but if you’re like us, you suffered obediently through this ritual, learning next to nothing about biology while developing a silent case of tiny heart syndrome—also known as cowardice. Fortunately, many kids are taking a more proactive approach, which is encouraged by Kathleen Conlee, Director of Program Management for Animal Research Issues at the Humane Society of the United States. Nine states, including Illinois, have passed choice laws that allow students to opt out of dissection lessons—without penalty—and choose one of many humane alternatives such as interactive CD-ROM’s and lifelike models. Conlee says that legislation is the key. “A law is more set in stone—as opposed to a Board of Ed policy that’s easily changed,” she says. Since many teachers don’t know what the laws are, it’s crucial that teens opposed to dissection make their preferences known and find out what’s legal. Legislation is currently pending in several states, and Conlee encourages teens to write their representatives to support such laws. “Legislatures tend to be very receptive to students,” she says. Writing about alternatives to dissection in the student newspaper is another great way to spread awareness about a practice that carves up six million animals a year in the name of education.

Spreading awareness

Individually, every teen can do some good, but many choose to multiply their efficacy by educating others on a variety of animal-related issues. Members of Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s SPACE (Students for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty and Endangerment) have spoken at afterschool programs for 6-to-10-year-olds to educate the next generation on the proper treatment of animals, including what to do if an animal is injured and how to avoid dog bites. This group grounds their education campaign in the HSUS’s first strike program which examines thoroughly the connection between violence to animals and violence to people. In the past, other teen groups—such as Promoting Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), which Adriana van der Ende founded during her freshman year at Memorial High School in Houston, Texas—have staged anti-fur protests and mounted in-school campaigns against animal cruelty. And these examples are just the tip of the activism-berg.
If there isn’t an organization nearby for you to join, one option is starting your own, as so many teens have done. “It was not difficult at all to start PAWS,” says van der Ende. “I thought there would be a lot of hostility from my school to start a controversial club like this, but they were actually supportive of the club because we did a lot of fundraising for local animal shelters and other community service projects. I definitely advise other teens to start a club like this one at [their] high school. I had so much fun and we were able to raise awareness on animal welfare issues through our various projects on campus.”
But if organizing isn’t your bag, www.Idealist.org is one of the best places to find volunteer opportunities: recently, this community focused web page carried ads seeking teen dog walkers, bird feeders, cat socializers, tree planters, fundraisers, photographers, web designers, carpenters, and even folks to assist with various aspects of sea turtle conservation. Volunteer Match (www.VolunteerMatch.org) is another great source, where recent ads sought volunteers to bathe dogs, assist migratory birds, and clean the cages of poison dart frogs (presumably without any danger of a stray poison dart). On Craigslist, there’s tons to sort through, but as with Craigslist as a whole, there are always gems to be found. (True story: I found my adorable Rat Terrier puppy Monkey there after his family had to give him up).

For inspiration and practical ideas, many more teen/animal success stories can be found on the Humane Society’s webpage at www.HumaneTeen.org.