The Nebraska Humane Society (NHS) found that volunteers play an essential role in their organization’s adoption success.
Volunteers of the NHS have taken the initiative to develop a program where they work solely with a specific PetSmart store, which enables them to build strong relationships with the Store Leader and potential pet parents. “What makes the in-store adoption program so successful is the ownership volunteers have in the program,” says Pam Wiese, a PR & Marketing representative for NHS. “Our volunteers are very passionate about finding forever homes for our furry clients. By working closely with a Store Leader, they’re able to establish a full-service adoption program in a specific PetSmart store.”
Wiese says the volunteers essentially run the PetSmart Charities 7-Day Cat Adoption Centers and are involved in every step of the process — from intake to adoption. Wiese says it’s not uncommon for a dedicated volunteer to leave for a store with five cats from the NHS who are ready for adoption. After transporting them, setting up their kennels, playing with and feeding the kittens and cats, the volunteers report that often by noon, three of the cats they brought in that morning will have found forever homes.
With partnerships at five PetSmart stores and a dedicated NHS volunteer in three of those stores, NHS’s reach spans throughout the Omaha metro area and could translate into dozens of lives saved that will support the ongoing animal welfare work of the Nebraska Humane Society.
When asked what advice she would give to adoption partners, Wiese says, “Look for volunteers you can depend on. They’re absolutely essential to every non-profit’s success and certainly to ours. The dedication of our volunteers has put us on track to not only save the lives of pets that depend on the Nebraska Humane Society, but also for great success in securing much needed funds for our shelter through the generosity of PetSmart Charities’ grants.
