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Volunteers Needed: Drivers Adoption Centres Assistants Canvassers Fund Raisers Handcrafters Foster Homes Colony Managers Backyard Rescuers						Items Needed: FUNDS A SHELTER Barns Pet Supplies Donations for our Bazaar and Garage Sales Printing services/supplies Your HBC Rewards Points Canadian Tire Money **Dominion Tapes - Program Discontinued** Your United Way contributions Storage areas Venues for Fund Raisers
Please Note Volunteers Dealing Directly with Animals Must Be 18 Years of Age or Older. Help from Teenagers Gratefully Appreciated at our Fundraisers and Storage sorts.
WE NEED FOSTER HOMES!					VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM	WE NEED FOOD DONATIONS!
Adoption Centre Volunteers Urgently Needed at the Richmond Hill and Unionville PetsMarts Do you love animals? Do you have at least 2 hours to spend each week volunteering? If you would like to volunteer in the Adoption Centre, please call Denise at 905-438-1392 or e-mail denise@actionvolunteersforanimals.com or complete this volunteer form and she will be in touch with you shortly to arrange for an orientation. . Our pets are always on display at the PetSmart store in Richmond Hill and also every 2nd month at the Markham PetSmart.  We are now in Markham for the month of June 2008.  We are always looking  for good volunteers at these adoption centres who are comfortable with some of our policies as outlined below : - a min. of 18 years of age (we do not participate in the  high school community service hour program) - comfortable communicating with people and fluent in English - willing and able to make a minimum 2 hour per week commitment for at least a period of 4 months - volunteer shifts are approx 6 pm - 8 or 8:30  pm on week days and the shifts are approximately 4 hours on weekends, i.e. 10 am - 2 pm, or 2 pm - 6 pm. - volunteers must be comfortable with all the following duties which include cleaning and scooping litter pans, cleaning cages, washing cat dishes, feeding the animals, brushing, playing with and socializing the cats.   Comfortable with people and able to encourage people to fill in an application if interested in adopting. - comfortable with our adoption policies which will be explained at an orientation.. Training is provided. You must be a minimum of 18 years of age. We are looking for people who can make a min. 3 month commitment. Volunteers are needed each evening and all day on weekends. It would also be an asset to have volunteers during the day.
Funds Your financial contributions are extremely important  -- AVA is a registered charity, and tax receipts will be issued for all donations.  Other than printing of our quarterly newsletter and information material and postage, all donations go toward veterinary fees, food and cat litter. You can donate via : You may also donate by printing and sending it to us along with your donation.
Barns Trap, Neuter and Release is a great concept in a perfect world but so often the dynamics of a colony changes in the GTA. Areas being developed take over the natural habitat. Land where colonies exist is constantly bought and sold. The purchasers of nearby or the immediate property may disapprove of the cat colony or the caretaker of the colony can no longer keep up with the task. Whatever the case and as much as we disapprove of relocation the cats must be retrapped and moved elsewhere. So we need barns that belong to owners that are willing to: ö Provide an enclosed area within the barn for a period time necessary for the cats to consider that location their home and for the resident wild life to consider the newcomers as members of their community. ö To provide natural daylight, food, water, shelter from cold and sanitation. ö To monitor the health of the animals. For anyone considering offering their barn and who has some time to care for ferals please email us at actionvolunteers@yahoo.com or phone 416-439-8770 and leave a message.
Shelter The foster care system is taxing in terms of efficiency and emotional well being of pets and caretakers. If we had a shelter so many of our issues would be resolved. ö Pet supplies, in other words, medication, food and litter could be stored in a central area. Not only would this be more manageable it would also end the need of the constant search for storage facilities which are very limited when it comes to food storage. ö Pets would not have to go through the unnecessary stress of being shuttled to and from adoption venues. ö The incorrigible ferals not suitable for adoption could stay and be monitored at the sanctuary rather than be relocated to barns where they could be run off by the original residents or predated on by animals that they had never been exposed to in their original habitat ö Caretakers would have fellow caretakers on site to help in "situations". Ever try catching a feral cat on your own? It can be done but it takes time and ingenuity. Ever try pilling a fractious cat by yourself? ö Garbage disposal could be done in a "normal" fashion. ö Fund raising could be done on site rather than on a volunteer's driveway or in a hall that must be paid for. The storage of donated goods for garage sales and bazaars currently poses problems in that these goods have to be loaded and transported from multiple storage sites. Private vehicles are used when appropriate but what is more often the case trucks have to be rented. ö Work shops could be made available on site to repair donated goods. If you know of any possible way that we could have a shelter please, by all means, get in touch with us. Or demonstrate your lasting commitment to animal welfare by remembering AVA with a bequest.
Pet Supplies We need dry cat and dog food, kitty litter, stainless steel cages, humane traps and carriers. For the feral cat colonies we need cat houses, dog igloos, building supplies, straw, and insulation.
Donations for our Fundraisers We have many garage sales, plant sales, bake sales and a bazaar where we sell virtually anything imagineable. We also have tables at special community events where fundraising is done as well. There we sell stuffed animals, animal books and figurines, cat & dog treats and toys, restaurant and entertainment gift certificates, toiletries, gift baskets, candles and crafts.
HBC Community Rewards Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters, etc. Visit http://www.hbc.com/hbcrewards , click on "Community Program", click on "Donate to a Community Group", click on "Search for a Community Group to Make a Donation", put "Action Volunteers for Animals" in the Community Name field or put 8393196 in the Community Organization Public Id Number field then click on "Donate Points". On the final page change the donation percentage from zero to whatever then click on "Save". IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN HBC REWARDS CARD you can obtain one immediately on this web site as well and then proceed to transfer your points.
United Way Designate Action Volunteers for Animals as the recipient of your contribution when donating to The United Way.
Foster Homes We do not have a shelter and rely on foster homes. Kittens need a place to live until they are of adoptable age; mothers need to recover after spay surgery; semi-tame cats of all ages need to be adjusted to living with humans; cats that have been injured must have a place to recover. On occasion we also need temporary homes for dogs. Providing a few weeks of care and shelter can make a lifetime of difference for an animal. Currently our foster homes are full to capacity and beyond. We need many more kind hearted individuals who are willing to take on this task. CONTACT US!
Drivers We need drivers to pick up and deliver cats to foster homes, adoptathons, pet stores, and vet appointments. We also need people to pick up and deliver donations for our garage sales and the Bazaar. We need drivers to pick up and distribute food donations.
Canvassers, Fund Raisers, Handicrafters ö Solicit donations from businesses; ask friends with businesses to display an AVA donation box. ö Demonstrate your lasting commitment to animal welfare by remembering AVA with a bequest. ö Organize a fundraiser (bake sale, plant sale, etc.). We can provide donated articles from our storage unit for the sale. ö Make crafts to sell at events.
Colony Managers Backyard Rescuers We need people to take on the task of trapping, getting the animals neutered, releasing them back to the colony. Then these people must continue to feed and monitor these animals' wellbeing on a regular basis. As for colonies they are everywhere! Start by looking in your own backyard! Remark on the cats that are constant visitors and try to locate their homes and if that can't be done assume they are stray. Whatever you do, do not let an unneutered pet roam. Get together with neighbours to organize and pay for spaying and neutering of local strays and feral cats. Contact Us for advice and help with the trapping, neutering and monitoring procedures.
Contact Us email: actionvolunteers@yahoo.com AVA telephone line: 416-439-8770 Action Volunteers for Animals P.O. Box 64578 Unionville, Ont. L3R 0M9