About a 20 minute light rail ride from Hoboken, located right across from the Liberty Science Center, is a bright green building that houses cats, dogs, and a dedicated team tirelessly working to find them loving forever homes. It’s the Liberty Humane Society — an open admission shelter contracted by Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne to take in strays {day or night}, medically access them, give them vaccinations and microchips, spay or neuter them, and get them socially prepared for lifelong adoptions.
As animal enthusiasts, {seriously, nothing can put a smile on our faces faster than coming across a dog during its walk or spotting a cat on a windowsill in Hoboken} we’re excited to introduce you to a local volunteer opportunity where you can donate your time to making animals’ lives better — the Liberty Humane Society. If you have a soft spot in your heart for animals too, giving your time is one of the most needed and best ways to help out at this shelter. Here’s a break down on how to volunteer at LHS:
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1. Visit their site and apply
First step starts with visiting their website and clicking on “Volunteer” to land on their application page. There you fill out a form about your capabilities {ex: how many hours can you commit?}, preferences {ex: are you a dog or cat person?}, and your overall feelings towards animal shelters.
2. Go to an information session
Now that you’ve applied, you’ll wait to hear back from a staff member about dates for their upcoming information sessions and confirm the best time for you. At this session you will get the lay of the land, taking a tour of the overall facility — including the dog kennels and the Cattery — and find out more about all the different ways you can help out. You will also find out more about their trainings on dog walking, that you can attend once you’ve put in six hours of service at their kennels.
3. Volunteer!
Now this is the important {and fun!} part. Once you’ve attended an information session, you have the green light to come in and volunteer — no appointment needed! You’ll find that coming before the shelter is up and running for the day {around 8am when staff members arrive} is when extra hands are most necessary — and you’ll definitely have plenty to do. This includes cleaning out cages, refilling food and water bowls, mopping floors, doing laundry, and other tasks that are required in keeping the shelter running smoothly and efficiently {make sure to wear appropriate clothes}. If you want to mix some play with work, help out at the Cattery where you will always find a few playful feline friends running around. Once you’ve spent about six hours at the shelter, you can sign up for their next dog walking class {which are given every two weeks} and spend quality time with a dog outdoors the next time you stop in. Or you can also take their Cattery class to find out the best ways to interact with the feline residents from a man who has been described as a “Cat Whisperer.”
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You may picture volunteering at an animal shelter as a way of being surrounded by countless cute and fluffy dogs, giving them each hugs and kisses, and taking them out so you can run across big open fields… well, it’s not quite like that, but it is just as rewarding. At Liberty Humane Society you truly feel like you are helping the cause and are making each of the shelter’s inhabitants lives a little brighter. The more time you spend there, the harder it is not to form a connection with the animals — and nothing beats the feeling than the sense of pride that comes with one of your furry friends finds a forever home.
Not able to donate your time but still want to donate? Here’s a link.
There are also a few of the supplies Liberty Humane Society needs that you can drop off at any time:
Gift Cards to Home Depot or Lowes
Cat Litter- Yesterday’s News or other newspaper-based litter preferred
Wet Cat Food
Dry Cat Food
Canned Kitten Food
Dry Kitten Food
Paper Towels
Bleach
Blankets and towels
Latex medical gloves
Laundry detergent
Dish Soap
Newspapers
Pens and printer paper
Have you volunteered at LHS? Comment below with your experience! And stay tuned for more volunteer opps coming soon.
