How You Can Help
Due to a shortage of administrative volunteers and Italian Greyhound Rescue Representatives to coordinate intake, fostering, vetting, transportation and adoptions, we need help!
Many hands make light work! If you would be interested in helping homeless Italian Greyhounds by volunteering your time, please write Georgianna at IggyRescuer@gmail.com and let me know how you would like to help [see the list of opportunities, below]. Many of the responsibilities are a commitment of just a few hours a month [or year!]. If you feel you can contribute by fulfilling several roles, please let us know !!!! If we have enough volunteers we can continue our program.
Foster Home – Long Term: This is the most important job in rescue! As a foster parent, you will provide a safe, caring environment for a homeless IG while s/he waits for a forever home. You will also observe and report personality and behavioral traits to a rescue representative to assist the rep in locating a suitable match. Care also may include taking the IG to and from a location, such as vet appointments as needed.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!!!!!
Foster Home – Short Term: Provide short-term care for rescue IGs in need. This may include caring for an IG while his or her long-term foster home is being located, or sitting for rescue IGs when their long-term foster parents are out of town, etc.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!!!!!
Supplies Coordinator: Obtain and distribute rescue supplies as needed. Solicit donations for local supplies and coordinate donation acknowledgement letters to be sent from IGRF [Italian Greyhound Rescue Fund].
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: 1
Lost and Found Coordinator: This volunteer thankfully will likely only be called on once or twice a year! When a dog in the IGCA Rescue Program is lost, or when we have a stray turned over to us, we post on various websites to try to locate the dog or owner. This volunteer would react quickly to get the postings up on line, take the calls and emails that result, and coordinate the resources necessary to retrieve a lost foster or to get a found dog safely back to its owner.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: 1
Transport Volunteers: We need A LOT of transport volunteers from as many areas around the Valley and state as possible. The more people we have, the more likely it is that people will not have to drive very far or very often! Transportation needs may include help with getting dogs to and from vet appointments when the foster home is unable to get the dog vetted; assistance with transportation legs for remote adoptions; transportation between short and long term foster care homes, etc. Please let us know how far you are willing to drive, and if you are willing to care for a dog overnight as a potential part of transport.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!!!!!
Shelter Dog Volunteers: We occasionally get reports of IGs in animal control or other kennel environments. When possible, we try to bring these dogs into our program since many do not fare well in kennels. This volunteer would visit the shelter to learn if the dog is a purebred [we cannot accept mixes] and may ‘spring’ the dog if approved by a rescue representative.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: 1 OR MORE
Web Surveillance Volunteer: Often Italian Greyhounds are listed for sale or for free on internet forums such as Craig’s list, and people concerned about the welfare of these dogs will frequently contact Arizona Italian Greyhound Rescue to alert us to the ad. We encourage people needing to re-home their IGs to undertake this task themselves, but many people benefit from our experience and guidance. This volunteer will respond to ads by providing brief guidance if needed [i.e., explain why it is not recommended to offer the dog for free, encourage them to physically visit the home interested in the dog to ensure the dog is going to a desirable place, etc.] and refer them to the Arizona Italian Greyhound Rescue program and contact info if they decide they want or need our help re-homing the dog. The email responses are in a standard format with neutral and informative language. Each encounter should take only a few moments to address.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED: 1 OR MORE