This document provides an orientation for volunteers at Helping Hounds Dog Rescue. It summarizes the mission of HHDR to rescue dogs from high kill shelters and find them loving homes. It outlines volunteer responsibilities like walking, socializing and cleaning up after dogs. Volunteers must commit to at least 6 hours per month for 6 months. The document describes the intake process, adoption fees, requirements for potential adopters and policies around euthanasia.

1. WELCOME!
Thank you for choosing to volunteer with us!

2. PART ONE
Your Orientation to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue

3. The task of sheltering homeless dogs is not an
easy one and we are honored that you have
decided to donate your time with us!
You are joining a team of enthusiastic and
compassionate individuals, like yourself, who are
dedicated to caring for our rescued dogs,
educating the public about HHDR services and
promoting responsible pet ownership!
Again, on behalf of the entire staff at HHDR,
welcome to the team

4. What is HHDR?
■ HHDR is a 501 (c) (3) non- profit organization funded
by donations, fundraisers and adoption fees, that works
to find forever homes for rescue dogs in the Central
New York area. HHDR is located at 6606 Kinne Road in
Dewitt, NY. While we have a very limited number of
staff members, HHDR is primarily a volunteer run
rescue. HHDR would simply not exist with out the
overwhelming support of our volunteers and this
community.
■ Our Mission:
“Helping Hounds Dog Rescue provides a
compassionate approach to dog rescue by
matching homeless dogs from over crowded
shelter systems with loving homes.”

5. Where do our rescue dogs come from?
■ We currently work with out of state rescue partners in Texas and Alabama. Many shelters have to
euthanize dogs on a daily basis due to overcrowding.
■ Our rescue partners go into the shelters and temperament test the “staff favorites.” Once they hand
select dogs for CNY, they are pulled from the high kill shelter. The lucky dogs begin a minimum of a
two-week foster-based preparation program. The dogs are socialized, vetted, evaluated, treated for any
medical issues, and most importantly loved!
■ Please note: Through this program HHDR can select from a large variety of breeds, ages and sizes,
however, we constantly watch the dogs in need in the Syracuse area and try to avoid transporting any
that are similar in age, breed and size.
Does HHDR take in local dogs?
■ While HHDR is committed to helping dogs from high kill shelters in Alabama and Texas, we also help
within our own community. We work with several local agencies, dog control offices, veterinary offices
and the public to take in local dogs in need. We often find that a dog that may have sat in a different
local facility for several months will find the exposure they need at HHDR to find a forever home.
■ PLEASE NOTE: HHDR is not a drop off location for local stray dogs. As much as we would like to help
these defenseless animals, proper procedures within our area must be followed.

6. How does HHDR find the best homes for
our dogs?
■ HHDR promotes and features our dogs
through Petfinder.com, our website
(www.helpinghoundsdogrescue.org), our
very active Facebook page, local adoption
events, television appearances and
through our large network of volunteers.
■ We informally evaluate each dog for
personality, temperament, activity level
and their training needs. The out of state
dogs also come with a detailed profile
filled out by their foster family. By taking
these measures, we are able to properly
match each dog with the most suitable
home.

7. Does HHDR charge an adoption fee?
■ Yes, our adoption fee helps cover the spay/ neuter, age appropriate
vaccinations, microchip (in most cases), transport fees (when applicable), flea/
tick/ heartworm preventative and the care of the animal while waiting to find a
forever home. Please keep in mind, the cost to rescue, fully vet, and care for a
dog out weighs the adoption fee.
■ Current Adoption Fees:
– $300 – dogs 6months +
– $350 – dogs under the age of
6 months

8. Who can adopt from HHDR?
■ Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
■ Adoption applications must be filled out completely and will be reviewed by our
Adoption Coordinator and all references will be checked.
■ If you own your home, we will verify this information with your town’s assessment.
■ If you rent, we must get verbal permission from whoever owns the property.
■ If you are looking to adopt a dog and already have animals at home, we must
speak with your vet to verify your animals are up to date with current vaccinations
and altered. We will also ask if your animals are seen for routine check ups.
■ If you have another dog(s), they must meet before finalizing an adoption.
■ All members of the family must be present or have previously met the dog before
adoption.
■ All dogs will be spayed / neutered before leaving the shelter.

9. Is HHDR a “No Kill” Rescue?
■ HHDR does not euthanize for space or for time. We do not euthanize what our
team determines are adoptable animals.
■ We will euthanize when an animal requires medical treatment that goes beyond our
ability to humanely provide, or has a condition that puts other shelter animals or
workers at risk.
■ We will also choose euthanasia when an animal has negative behaviors, such as
unmanageable aggression towards people that goes beyond our ability to correct,
especially if that behavior presents a safety concern to a potential adopter or to the
community. We have a multi-step process involved in this decision. A trainer or
multiple trainers are always to be consulted, a foster placement is considered or
searched for, a behavior modification program is implemented and off site “breaks”
from the shelter like environment are provided.
■ We feel strongly that it is NOT responsible to place a potentially dangerous animal in
the community. While we understand people believe there is a “perfect home” out
there for every dog, we ask you to consider that that perfect home may be next door
to a family with young kids or a family dog that is unaware that some dogs are
extremely aggressive toward other animals.
■ The staff and volunteers of HHDR are always notified when a dog is euthanized. We
will never make any attempts to hide the facts. For example, in 2013, only six dogs
were humanly euthanized due to unpredictable behavior. This is less than 1 percent
of the 1042 dogs adopted that year.

10. A day in the life of an HHDR Dog:
■ At 7am our staff and opening shift volunteers show up. The dogs have been waiting all
night and are eager to get out. Once all the dogs have gone out, we feed them and then
we begin with first longer walks of the day.
■ Throughout the day volunteers come in and walk/socialize with the dogs and assist with
cleaning tasks. At 3:30pm we feed the dogs again.
■ At 7pm we start last walks for the dogs and get them tucked in for the night. We do our
best to ensure that the dogs are well cared for, with clean kennels/bedding, fresh water
and of course lots of quality time with our volunteers outside their kennels.
■ We encourage volunteers to play with the dogs, sit and pet them and provide a loving
environment. No matter how much we try to make the rescue like a home, it is only
meant to be temporary. Our goal is to find loving homes for each of the dogs that come
through our door and our volunteers are key to making their stay with us as positive as
possible.

11. Volunteer Philosophy
■ Helping Hounds Dog Rescue believes that the well being of the organization and the
well being of its staff, both paid and volunteer, are interconnected. HHDR is
dedicated to the belief that one of its most valued assets is its volunteer staff.
■ Our commitment is to recruit people without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age,
national origin, disability, veteran status or sexual preference; to reward them
properly; to ensure that every volunteer is treated with dignity and respect and in a
fair, consistent and equitable manner, to create a stimulating and supportive
atmosphere in which they may work; and to aid and encourage them in the
realization of their full potential.
■ We recognize that the success of this philosophy depends in large measure on the
manner in which all volunteers carry out their obligations to each other and to
HHDR. Unless our volunteers and staff have a feeling of mutual confidence and
loyalty, as well as respect for each other as human beings, our philosophy will not
work.

12. General Volunteer Responsibilities
All volunteers are expected to maintain certain standards in relation to their work, and in
representing themselves as volunteers of HHDR. More specifically, all volunteers
should:
■ Communicate constructive ideas and opinions to the Volunteer Coordinator, either
voluntarily or when requested.
■ Employ the highest standards of ethics and integrity in their work and in representing
Helping Hounds.
■ Comply with policies and procedures.
■ Track volunteer hours.
■ Most volunteers support HHDR by providing the daily care for the dogs, such as
walking and socializing, helping with cleaning tasks and working with the public.
■ We do have other volunteer opportunities, including helping with events, clerical
projects and I Speak Doggie. Details on these opportunities can be obtained from
the Volunteer Coordinator.

13. Volunteer Requirements/Policies
■ All volunteers must be at least 14 years
old. Volunteers 14-17 y/o need parental permission
in order to volunteer. No one under 14 years old will
be allowed to accompany another volunteer (even if
they are not directly handling a dog).
■ All volunteers must commit to at least 6 hours per
month for a minimum of 6 months.
■ If a volunteer is to be assisted by a coach/mentor,
then both the volunteer and the coach/mentor must
go through the orientation process.
■ No one is allowed to accompany a volunteer unless
they have gone through the training process

14. Volunteer Policies
Shelter Hours and Holidays
■ While HHDR may not be open to the public on holidays, our dogs do need care. If a
volunteer is available on a holiday, we encourage them to sign up for their desired
shift(s).
■ Regular Hours are 7am to 8pm everyday. We are open to the public Tuesday to
Sunday, Noon to 6pm.
Dress Code
■ Dress appropriately. Closed toe, flat shoes are required. No flip-flops or
sandals. Clothing should be comfortable and something you do not mind getting
dirty.
■ For safety, clothing should appropriately cover the body. No mid-drift shirts, low cut
tops, short-shorts, muscle shirts, short skirts, etc. Jewelry should be simple and not
dangling, pierced jewelry should be worn close to the body so as not to pose a
safety hazard.
■ Body piercings (if any) must be discreet in nature. Please avoid strong perfumes or
colognes. If tattoos are deemed offensive, they must be covered.

15. Mobile Phone/Device Policy
■ While volunteering your attention should be on the task at
hand. In some cases the safety of others and our dogs could be at
risk if you are distracted.
■ Please do not make phone calls or text
while walking the dogs.

16. Dog Signage/Color-code
DefinitionsRefers to sign on/near dog crate.
■ Yellow
– Dogs with a sound temperament
– Low-medium energy level
– Confident, social, handles their environment
without fear
■ Blue
– Dogs with high energy levels
– Reactive to the environment or fearful
– Lacking in social skills and/or poor manners
■ STAFF ONLY
– Dogs that are not yet vaccinated
– Extremely fearful/stressed/chance of biting
– Dogs that have just transferred to our program from a local facility and are being
accessed

17. Lanyard Policy
■ Volunteers must wear their lanyard at all times while volunteering. If your lanyard is lost or
ruined, please ask staff to assist with replacing it.
Lanyard colors are defined as:
■ Green- New volunteers who have gone through the cleaning training, or community service
volunteers, will get a green lanyard.
– No dog contact
– Cleaning and maintenance tasks only.
■ White – All new volunteers who have gone through the
Dog Handling Training will be given a white lanyard and
are able to work with yellow coded dogs

18. Lanyard Policy
■ Yellow – volunteers who have at least 30 hours walking dogs, can walk dogs
with yellow signs
■ Blue – volunteers who have gone through additional training and can work with
dogs with blue signs.
– Blue Lanyard trainings are offered
during the warmer months and are
open to any volunteer that has 60 or
more hours walking dogs and comes in
regularly
■ Red – Our Trainers/KAT Team – they teach the
beginning trainings as well as workshops
throughout the year

19. Facebook /Social Media Policy
We understand everyone's enthusiasm and excitement about all the good things we
do as a team at Helping Hounds. Facebook certainly plays a vital role in getting out
our messages, telling our happy stories, promoting our events and even
strengthening bonds of friendship amongst the HHDR family.
With that said, however, we would like to share a few ground rules as occasionally
social media tools are used in a way that has unintended consequences that are not
helpful in our mission.
The following are some basic "rules" that we
ask you follow when posting on behalf of or
about Helping Hounds. It is not all-inclusive,
but rather a starting point to remind you that
even on Facebook you are representing the
organization and your comments, thoughts
and opinions that are shared do influence
our image and reputation.

20. Facebook /Social Media Policy
■ Please do not announce adoptions before they are made official through the HHDR page.
Once we have made the announcement and the adoption is official, feel free to celebrate
and share.
■ Please do not post photos of newly surrendered dogs before they are added to our
Petfinder Page or without permission from the Director. Newly surrendered dogs may have
sensitive stories that cannot immediately be made public. Be patient. When the time is
right, we will profile the dog for adoption.
■ When the dog is officially available, please feel free to share him/her often!
■ Do not cross post information or pictures on to Craigslist or any other website on behalf of
HHDR
■ We may not choose to publicize some of our policies (such as adoption fees) seeing as
they may change or vary from dog to dog. Please do not answer other peoples posts on
our page regarding 'how much" or "what is your policy on?" Please refer them to our
website or refer to staff to address specific questions.

21. Facebook /Social Media Policy
■ Please do not discuss any dog traits or characteristics that may diminish the dog's
chances of adoption. ie..."he is really hard to walk on a leash", "she is crazy", or "he is
going to need a ton of training”
– If you have concerns about the behavior of any of our dogs, please talk to a staff
member.
■ You may be privy to information learned while volunteering
at the rescue. Please do not share sensitive information via
Facebook. If you are in doubt, don't post. Ask.
We appreciate your understanding and following these rules of
the road. As our number of "friends" increases, we must be
aware of the tone and content of comments and postings.

22. PART TWO
How we keep it all clean!

23. Cleaning Protocols
At the Rescue Tour Orientation you will receive a green lanyard and you will be helping
with cleaning. The trainer will give you a brief walk through of the rescue, pointing out
safety equipment, names of rooms, etc. But before we get you into the hands-on portion
of your training we would like to review some of the protocols.
What we use to clean:
Bleach – used in laundry, mop buckets and for disinfecting
dog dishes
Laundry Detergent – used in laundry and for initial washing of
dog dishes
Rescue Spray – used for cleaning dog crates and raised beds
We have Safety Data sheets in a binder clearly labeled near the
break room, available for you review should you wish to know
more about the cleaning chemicals used.
Misc. other cleaners – windex/window cleaner, comet scrub for
tubs and bathroom, general surface cleaner. NONE of these should
ever be used to clean a dog’s crate or kennel.

24. OSHA Regulations
■ Bleach is a harsh chemical and OSHA requires us to follow certain guidelines.
How it is used in the rescue is different from how you might use it at home.
■ Safety gear MUST be worn EACH TIME bleach is added to any cleaning
solution, whether it is the laundry, mop buckets or dish water. This gear consists
of safety glasses and rubber gloves.
■ Bleach MUST be MEASURED. There are signs posted in the cleaning areas
with the appropriate bleach measurements. Please be sure to follow these!

25. Cleaning the Dog’s Rooms
■ For Opening and Closing shifts we go from room to room in
an orderly fashion. Always check with your shift lead or staff
to determine where to start and where to move to next.
Below is a brief synopsis of how the morning and closing
shifts go.
■ Morning Shift– this is when we sanitize the crates and
kennel surfaces. All bedding is taken out of the crate. If it is
soiled it is added to the laundry cart, if it is fine set it aside.
Each crate is sprayed with the rescue spray and left to sit
for 5 minutes. While the rescue spray sits, crates are
moved and we sweep and mop behind the crates, then
move crates back, remake the beds, give fresh water
buckets and then finish sweeping and mopping the room.
Once this is done, the dogs are returned to their
crates/kennels.
■ Closing Shift – We check the bedding for each dog and
make sure that none is soiled. If it is, then we will remove
and replace with fresh linens after wiping down the crate
with rescue spray. You do NOT need to leave the spray on
for 5 minutes, just use it as a cleaner. Pull crates out and
sweep and mop. Check water and refresh as needed. You
do not need to replace water buckets. Once this is done,

26. How to make up a crate.
■ Blankets are used in cold months; sheets are used in the
warm weather.
■ If we have hospital pads, the pad goes on TOP of the
blanket or sheet. The quilted side of the pad faces up.
■ When you are checking bedding, FEEL the linens with
your hand to make sure they are dry. If they have bits of
food, simply shake out and then remake the bed. If the
bedding is wet, then it needs to be changed, even if it is
just water.
■ A blanket, sheet or hospital pad goes over a bed. Note: If
a dog shreds their bed, they do NOT get a new bed.
■ Water bucket should be clipped to the side of the kennel
or crate, but not too high for the dog to drink.
■ Never fill bucket to the top. Half-way or slightly more is
fine, otherwise they spill over and make bedding wet,
which results in more laundry. Use watering cans to
replenish buckets as needed.
■ The dogs do NOT need tons of toys in their crate one or
two is fine.
■ Once breakfast or dinner in done, empty bowls should be
removed. Kongs should be removed in the morning as
well.

27. Laundry
■ We have two rooms that house machines for doing the laundry. In the
main laundry room there is one washer and two dryers, plus a standing
shower for emptying mop buckets. In our Med Room there is one
washer.
■ Always shake out linens before adding them to the machine. Dog food
and feces does not dissolve in the wash! If the bedding is covered in
diarrhea it can just be thrown away. If the linens have been shredded or
have large holes, they should be tossed as well.
■ Do NOT over fill the washers or dryers. If there is not rooms for them to
agitate or move freely they will not get clean and will take longer to dry.
Plus it is harder on the appliances.
■ Do NOT change the settings on the washers. Follow all signage as to
amount of detergent, bleach, etc. and be sure to wear the safety gear.
■ If a dog has shredded their stuffed bed, please do not give them
another bed.
■ Be kind to our equipment! Treat it like your own and do not slam doors,
yank out linens, etc. It is costly to replace these appliances and they get
a workout just using them as they were intended!
■ There are rolling laundry carts located outside the playroom and down
by the blue room. You can use these to transport the dirty linens to the
laundry room.
■ Clean, dry laundry is folded and stored in the designated shelving
areas. Please try to keep similar linens together, such as towels
together, sheets together and blankets together. We do periodically
have hospital pads, these should be folded and stored together.

28. Doing the Dishes
■ Fill one plastic bin with laundry soap and
water
■ Fill the other plastic bin with water up to
the black line marked on the bin. Then
add 2 (two) cups of bleach to that water
(Be sure to wear safety gear).
■ Remove any solid food from the dishes
and add to the soap and water bin. Scrub
with sponge.
■ Put the soapy dishes in the space
between the 2 bins and rinse with the
sprayer.
■ Place the rinsed dishes into the bleach
and water bin.
■ Let the dishes soak in the bleach water
for 5 (five) minutes. (Use timer)
■ After soaking the required time in the
bleach, the dishes do NOT have to be

29. For Your Information
Other cleaning/non-dog handling tasks that need to be
completed daily:
 Emptying trash
 Cleaning windows, especially front door
 Cleaning outdoor pens
 Vacuuming throw rugs
 Watering plants/shoveling snow (seasonal)
Other Safety Equipment:
 Ear plugs are available in the front
sign-in area for anyone who finds the
noise overwhelming
 Fire extinguishers are located in
hallways near the blue room, the
laundry room and the break room.
 First aid cabinet is located in the break
room (an injury, even if minor, must be
reported to staff)
 Eye wash station is located at the sink
in the main room.

30. Thank you for your attention!
We cannot thank you enough for your interest in sharing your time with HHDR. We
could not provide the quality service we do to our dogs and the community without
our enthusiastic and compassionate volunteers. We look forward to working with
you.
“Saving just one dog won’t change the world, but surely the world will
change for that one dog.”
– Unknown