CAPS needs volunteers for Petfinder and Nextdoor
Right now, more than 400 dogs are waiting at Kern County Animal Services in Bakersfield, California, in overcrowded, substandard conditions. Many of them are at risk. The Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) is looking for volunteers to help them find homes, and you can do it from wherever you live.
Since February 2022, CAPS has helped save more than 465 lives through social media, our Petfinder page, shelter-to-shelter transfers and shelter-to-rescue transfers. We’re growing that work, and we have two volunteer roles open: Petfinder Coordinator and Nextdoor Volunteer. Both are done online.
Petfinder Coordinator
For many adopters, Petfinder is where they meet their next dog. As a Petfinder Coordinator, you’ll keep the CAPS Petfinder page up to date so at-risk Kern County dogs get seen by the right people.
What you’ll do
- Enter information about dogs at the shelter
- Upload dog photos, and sometimes videos, to Petfinder
- Update each dog’s status as things change
What we’re looking for
- Fast, accurate word-processing skills
- At least 10 hours a week
- You live in the United States (we prefer someone on the West Coast)
No Petfinder experience? That’s fine. CAPS can train you. More than one person can share this role, so you’ll be part of a team.
Apply to be a Petfinder Coordinator. The form asks for your resume and a few questions about your availability and experience.
Nextdoor Volunteer
Sometimes a dog’s future family lives just down the street from you. Nextdoor Volunteers share at-risk Kern County dogs with their own neighbors, reaching people who might never browse a shelter website.
How it works
- CAPS sends you the information, photos and videos for dogs who need homes
- You post them on Nextdoor in your local community
- Each post includes CAPS contact information, so interested adopters reach CAPS directly
Who can join
We’re looking for Nextdoor Volunteers in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and British Columbia.
This approach already works. Past adopters in Washington have shared at-risk dogs on Nextdoor, and those posts led to adoptions.
Sign up as a Nextdoor Volunteer. It takes just a few minutes.
Help a Dog Get Out of the Shelter
Every listing updated and every post shared gives a dog another chance to be seen. If you can spare a few hours from home, you can help CAPS save more lives at Kern County Animal Services.
Can’t volunteer right now? Please share this post with a friend who might. You can also donate to support CAPS’s work for at-risk shelter dogs.
