VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Are you interested
in the veterinary profession? Brownsville/Lomira Small
Animal Clinic has a volunteer program that is designed to
allow individuals who are 15 years of age or older to gain the
experience they will need to determine whether or not a career in
the veterinary profession is for them. In addition to being at least 15
years of age, the applicant for the volunteer program must also
have their parent’s consent and transportation
arrangements.
You may be wondering what the volunteer
program entails. The
volunteer program is designed to surround the volunteer in a
continuous atmosphere of learning and productive activity. Consequently, this benefits
not only Brownsville/Lomira Small Animal Clinic , but it also
benefits the volunteer as well. Thus, the following rules are
meant to keep the volunteer, staff, and pets in a safe
environment.
Clothing
1.
Clothes should be tidy—nothing you are wearing
should have holes in them.
2.
You are not to wear shorts or sandals—you must wear
pants and shoes due to the risks that are present in this
profession.
3.
You are not to wear hats.
4.
You cannot wear shirts with tobacco, alcohol, or
other questionable sayings on them.
*Think about what you would wear to
school or a job—you are volunteering in a profession where you are
in constant contact with the public, and we want everyone to look
professional.
Attendance
1.
You may call on your scheduled day to make sure
there are tasks for you to do and also to make sure we have
appointments/surgeries scheduled that day for you to
observe.
2.
If you cannot make it on your scheduled day for any
reason, always call/email the volunteer manager letting him/her
know why you cannot make it.
3.
There will be an attendance sheet for you to fill
out every time you come in to volunteer. As long as you have
called/emailed the volunteer manager before an absence, it will not
be counted against you.
4.
If you miss several times, especially without
calling/emailing the volunteer manager, it will be assumed that you
are no longer interested in volunteering, and you will no longer be
able to participate in the volunteer program.
5.
You are required to have transportation that will be
able to get you here and pick you up on time.
What is Expected of You
1.
You are welcome to follow the doctors, technicians,
and assistants into the exam rooms unless you are told
otherwise.
2.
While you are in the exam rooms, you should listen
and observe quietly.
Please do not interrupt the doctor, technician, assistant, or
client, and do not initiate a casual conversation with the clients
(example: discussing topics other than pets and
the Brownsville/Lomira Small Animal Clinic).
3.
If you have any questions while in an exam room with
a doctor, technician, or assistant, please ask him/her after you
have both left the exam room.
4.
Please make one of the staff members aware of any
procedure that makes you feel uncomfortable.
5.
A list of extra things to do will be given to you
when we are slow. Make
sure that you are staying busy while you are here
volunteering. We want
your time spent with us to be both quality time and fun,
too!
6.
Please keep in mind that we unfortunately deal with
emergency situations and dying pets. If you feel uncomfortable around
any of these situations, please make a staff member
aware.
7.
Do not handle any animals unless a doctor,
technician, or assistant informs you that it is safe to do so. We do not want anyone
getting bitten, and we do not want you to accidentally cause
discomfort to painful patients by improperly handling
them.
8.
No volunteers are allowed in the isolation
ward.
9.
Please stay in the “hospital/treatment” area at all
times unless you are instructed otherwise.
10. If you help in the TLC area, you must pick up any feces left by
the dog by using the scooper or paper towels. After 15 minutes of TLC time,
please make sure you put your initials on the TLC board so that we
know it has been done.
Remember
The volunteer program was designed to
provide a fun learning experience for anyone who has an interest in
animals and has a career goal in the veterinary profession.
As an added note, remember to be
actively involved in the volunteer program while you are
here during your scheduled time. You can do this by following the
doctors, technicians, or assistants into the exam rooms, and we
also have a list of tasks that you can help us out with that is
located near the volunteer sign-in/sign-out sheet. Please have the initiative to
become involved in the volunteer program so that you can reap the
benefits! If you ever
have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Listed below you will see the possible
volunteer times that may be available when one signs up to join the
volunteer program. The
applicant will be allowed to choose to volunteer one day a week
during one of the listed times. Please keep in mind that this
program is quite popular, and there may be a waiting list. You will be notified as
soon as an opening becomes available, and you are more than welcome
to call for an update regarding the status of your application
while you are waiting.
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
3:00 pm – 4:30
pm
5:30 pm – 7:00
pm
Friday: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
2:00 pm – 4:00
pm
Saturday: 8:00 am – 10:00 am
10:00 am
– 12:00 pm
If you have an interest in the
veterinary profession and would like to participate in the
volunteer program, please stop by our office and request an
application form. In
addition, if you have any questions concerning the volunteer
program, please call our office, and we will be more than happy to
answer them for you!