Home – Connecticut Humane Society



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TRAINING &

POLICY MANUAL

FOR

SMALL ANIMAL VOLUNTEERS

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Objective: Small animal volunteers provide the animals with socialization, exercise, and play-time during their time at the shelter. Volunteers may also assist the staff with cleaning cages and feeding the animals if directed to do so.

Uniform:

Our volunteer uniform shirt helps to identify you to the staff and other volunteers. You must wear your uniform shirt each time you come to volunteer. Shirts can be purchased for $8.00.

All small animal volunteers must wear long pants and closed-toed shoes (sneakers or boots) for safety.

Additionally, you must wear a name tag at all times. Please let us know if you lose

your name tag and need a replacement. If you forget your name tag, please use a stick-on badge located by the volunteer sign-in sheet in the spinning carousel.

Small Animal Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Socialize Animals

Volunteers can socialize the small animals in an empty adoptions room.

Before opening a cage, you must check all signs posted on the cage, and refer to the animal’s paperwork. Ideally, every small animal (except “Staff only”) should receive some socialization during your shift, if they will tolerate it. There is no minimum length of time for socialization- you must pay attention to their body language. If an animal is giving you signs that they don’t want to be handled, please leave them alone. This is to avoid a bite.

Utilize the blue milk crates to securely transport small animals to an adoptions room. Once in the room, the animal can be held in your lap, or you can let them roam around on the floor. For their safety, please do not place small animals on the benches or desks in the adoptions room. They could fall off and break a bone.

You may only allow animals to be socialized together if they came in together and are residing in a cage together. This is to prevent the transmission of disease.

Please note that you may be asked to remove your small animal from the room if the room is needed by a staff member or adoptions counselor.

If you need help returning a small animal to their cage, please ask a staff member for assistance.

Once you are done using the adoptions room, please clean up after yourself.

• Help keep cages tidy

Volunteers may refill water dishes or bottles, clean litter boxes, and provide the small animals with clean bedding and toys. Please do not throw out any food in the cage or change dishes or bottles. For example, if a cage has been set up with a water bottle, please do not switch the animal to a water dish.

• Write down any concerns about the small animals

Please use the clipboard in the cat condo to write down any medical or behavioral concerns about the small animals. The clipboard is checked throughout the day and a staff member will follow up in a timely manner.

• Assist with cage cleaning

Morning volunteers may assist the staff with cleaning cages. Cleaning protocol will be covered at your hands-on training. Volunteers MUST wear protective goggles and gloves if cleaning cages.

Feeding:

Small animals are free fed an appropriate diet that may include fresh fruits and vegetables.

Rabbits

Rabbits are free fed plenty of Timothy Hay.  This must be available to them at all times.  Alfalfa hay may be given to young bunnies or senior rabbits that need extra nutrition from their hay as directed by the Veterinarian.  They also receive ¼ cup of timothy hay pellets scattered around the cage to encourage foraging behavior.

In addition to Timothy Hay and pellets, all rabbits should be fed healthy leafy greens and other vegetables.  They should receive 1 packed cup per 2 pounds of body weight of a combination of the following low-oxalic greens: carrot tops, kale, basil and/or romaine lettuce.  They may also receive 1 tablespoon per 2 pounds of body weight of a combination of bell peppers and carrots.

Rabbits should not receive yogurt treats, seed blocks or other treats without approval of a manager.

Water should be provided in water bottles mounted to the side of the cage unless the previous owner has disclosed that the animal is watered from a bowl.

Guinea Pigs

Guinea Pigs are free fed plenty of Timothy Hay.  This should be available to them at all times.  They also receive ¼ cup of guinea pig pellets scattered amongst the hay.

In addition to Timothy Hay and pellets, all guinea pigs should receive a matchbox size portion of the following vegetables: carrot tops, kale, romaine lettuce, bell peppers and/or carrots.

Guinea pigs should not receive yogurt treats, seed blocks or other treats without approval of a manager.

Water should be provided in water bottles mounted to the side of the cage unless the previous owner has disclosed that the animal is watered from a bowl.

Ferrets

Ferrets receive ¼ cup of ferret food.

Water should be provided in water bottles mounted to the side of the cage unless the previous owner has disclosed that the animal is watered from a bowl.

Hamsters, Gerbils, Mice and Rats

Rodents receive species-specific food in accordance with the feeding guidelines on the bag.

Water should be provided in water bottles mounted to the side of the cage unless the previous owner has disclosed that the animal is watered from a bowl.

Small animals are fed by our staff once a day in the morning. Volunteers may only assist with feeding if they are here for a morning shift and have checked with the staff to make sure the animal has not already been fed. Volunteers that are here later in the day should not feed the small animals.

Volunteers may bring in food donations for our small animals, such as leafy greens or any of the veggies listed above. Volunteers should not dispense the food. The donation may be left in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator in the break room. Fresh veggies will be dispensed during feeding time. This is to prevent over-feeding which can lead to diarrhea.

Sugary treats, processed or refined grains and fruits high in simple sugars are not recommended for the small animals. Volunteers should not give the animals sugary treats. They can have apple sticks to chew on.

How to Approach a Small Animal:

• Check cage signs and paperwork.

• Talk to them softly.

• Do not touch a sleeping animal.

• Look and listen for signs of fear/aggression.

• Watch their body language- do they approach you or back away?

Handling Small Animals

• Never pick up a rabbit by its’ ears or scruff

• Make sure the rabbit is fully supported and feels secure when you are picking them up. Many rabbits don’t like being off the ground.

• Hold the rabbit against your body and hug them for support.

• Do not drop a rabbit. If they are squirming and you think they will fall, lower yourself to the ground and release them.

• Transport small animals in the blue milk crates.

• Many rabbits do not like being pet under the chin.

• When transporting other small animals, make sure you have a good grip on them (you can wrap them up in a towel if needed) so they can’t get loose when being transported.

• Do not put your fingers by their mouth or you might get nibbled on.

Preventing Bites:

• If an animal is acting outwardly aggressive, do not take them out and move on to the next animal.

• Animals may bite if they are nervous or fearful. If an animal is hesitant to come to you, go slow!

• Don’t push it!!!

• Do not stick your fingers in the cages or hold your hand up to the cage bars.

• It is ok to groom the small animals using brushes, if they will tolerate it, but please do not clip their nails or use scissors. If you notice that their nails need trimming or they are matted, note it on the clipboard.

• Animals may bite if they are startled. Always use caution when you are picking up and moving the small animals. Always support their weight evenly.

Understanding Cage Cards:

• Staff Only – Animals marked with a Staff Only card are off-limits

to volunteers. Animals are marked staff only if they:

• Have been showing signs of aggression

• Are stressed out or fearful

• Have a medical condition that is contagious to other animals

If an animal is “Staff Only” you should not open their cage for any reason. Sometimes, a whole room may be labeled “Staff Only.” If you see this sign on a door, the whole room is off-limits for volunteers. This is for your safety, and to prevent the transmission of contagious illness.

Preventing Disease Transmission:

Many animals that come to the shelter are sick and potentially contagious. Some of these diseases can be fatal to other animals if they are exposed. There are steps that you can take to prevent the transmission of contagious illnesses throughout the shelter.

• Do NOT handle any animal marked Staff Only.

• Do not enter unauthorized areas or rooms marked “Isolation,” “Quarantine” or “Do Not Enter”.

• Wash your hands and arms often, ideally between handling each small animal.

• Return animals to the same cage they came out of.

• If you have a medical concern about an animal, mark it on the sheet on the clipboard in the cat condo.

To prevent the transmission of disease from the shelter pets to your pets at home, it is important that you:

• Keep your pets up-to-date on their vaccines or vaccine titers.

• Wash your hands before leaving the shelter.

• Change your outfit when you get home.

• Leave your shoes at the door.

Enrichment for Small Animals:

Enrichment activities provide mental stimulation for the shelter animals and help to reduce their stress during their stay in the shelter. The following is a list of Enrichment activities that can be performed with the small animals.

Rabbits:

Give wooden toys for chewing and tossing

Put food in a paper towel roll

Blankets/towels to burrow in

Scatter food and treats under bedding for scavenging

Guinea Pigs:

Give cat toys

Scatter food and treats under bedding for scavenging

Put pigloo in cage

Stuff hay in a toilet paper roll

Ferrets:

Give cat toys

Fill toilet paper roll with toys/food

Let them play in a ball pit

Let them play in a tunnel toy

Rats/Mice/Hamsters:

Give paper towel rolls

Give cat toys

Hide treats in bedding

Allow time in exercise balls

Birds:

Misting water with a spray bottle

Hang feeder ball from cage with pieces of fruit in it

Promoting Our Adoptable Pets:

Please encourage your friends and family to adopt a pet in need! They can visit our website to view all of our available animals, or come by the shelter to meet with one of our adoptions counselors.

Our adoptions staff is trained to find the best possible match for each pet and owner. Please refer all customer inquiries to our adoption counselors.

Keep in mind that many of our shelter pets have not completed the medical and behavioral evaluation process. Please do not advertise pets to your friends or family until they have been made “Available for Adoption” by the staff. Once pets are made “Available,” they will automatically be uploaded to the adoptions page on our website.

Thank you for making a commitment to improving the lives of shelter pets.

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