Time, Talent, and Heart

Welcome to summer 2024! The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter (WCRAS) is excited to help you give back to the community by getting involved at the shelter. Warmer temperatures mean more animals at the shelter on a regular basis, and that means it’s a great time to sign up to be a volunteer.

In 2023, the shelter took in 6,484 dogs and cats, and caring for them all takes a village – one made up of staff, volunteers, and fosters. The facility had 518 active volunteers who gave more than 24,000 hours of their time to help staff continue the lifesaving mission of caring for each animal that comes through the doors and is awaiting a loving new home. “We are simply humbled by the amount of effort our volunteers put into helping the shelter, and still, there are never too many of them,” WCRAS Community Programs Coordinator April Peiffer says. “Every extra hand lightens the workload for everyone else. Plus, the volunteers get the best rewards for their efforts – puppy breath, tiny kitten purrs, wagging tails, and biscuits from the cats – all ways the animals show their love and thanks to the volunteers.”

There’s a way to help for any skillset!

Got a hidden talent for:

  • Walking dogs,
  • Socializing dogs and cats,
  • Fostering a dog or a family of kittens,
  • Cleaning kennels, helping with laundry, or other 
  • special administrative tasks,
  • Working at off-site events,
  • Helping with photography and videos of shelter animals, 
  • Assisting with special projects; e.g., assembling shelves, doing research, or data entry

WCRAS has a way you can put that talent to use for the shelter pets. April says, “An animal shelter consists of many moving parts, each of them working together to ensure the best outcome for each animal, and there’s an opportunity for volunteerism every step of the way.”

Click to learn more about the program and to come on board as a volunteer.