
Volunteer Orientation
It is HIGHLY recommended that prior to signing up any orientation or trainings, you first visit the shelter to decide if it is a place you can see yourself volunteering.
Everyone interested in volunteering at MaxFund must first attend a Volunteer Orientation. At the orientation, you will fill out a volunteer application, become familiarized with some of the procedures of being a volunteer, learn the basics of Dog Handling with Dog Handling 101, the basics of Cat Handling with Cat Handling 101, and take a tour of the shelter. Orientations start at the Whole Foods Cherry Creek, and then return to the shelter to take a tour and get set up with the volunteer computer. Please plan on 6-7 hours for the orientation, including a 30-45 minute break for lunch..
About Whole Foods - Whole Foods Cherry Creek not only allows us to use their community room for volunteer orientations, but also provides binders for volunteers orientation packets! This helps save MaxFund a lot of money as well as giving us a place to meet outside the shelter! Whole Foods is located at 2375 E 1st Ave in Denver (major cross-streets are University and 1st). You can find a map of WholeFoods at Mapquest. For those driving to Whole Foods, please park in the parking garage/parking deck for Whole Foods, rather then the parking lot. Whole Foods will validate parking, but ensures we don't limit business by taking highly valuable parking spots!. Once inside Whole Foods, take a right (heading south) and proceed past the coffee bar and take the stairs/elevator upstairs, and we will be in the community room, the first room you will see on the right.
| DATE | TIME | Instructor Order | LOCATION |
| Sat. May 24th |
9:00 | Matt/Kim/Tami | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
| MONDAY JUNE 2ND |
11:00 | Matt/Kim/Tami | MaxFund then Whole Foods Community Room |
| Sun. June 22nd |
9:00 | Matt/Tami/Kim | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
| Sat. July 5th |
9:00 | TBD | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
| Sun. July 20th |
9:00 | TBD | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
| Sat. August 2nd |
9:00 | TBD | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
| Sun. August 17th |
9:00 | TBD | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
| Sun. August 31st |
9:00 | TBD | Whole Foods Community Room then MaxFund |
Dog Behavior I, II, and III
Prerequisite: none (class is open to new adopters as well as volunteers)
MaxFund offers Dog Behavior training classes that are designed for both MaxFund adopters as well as MaxFund Volunteers to learn various aspects of Dog Behavior. We have two awesome trainers, Lorraine May from the Misha May Foundation and Jackie Sainsbury from Affection and Praise Family Dog Training. Both of these ladies volunteer their time to teach these classes.
We have three different classes that we alternate teaching. They are as follows, and are not necessarily numbered by degree of difficulty or order in which they must be taken. For example, Dog Behavior I is not a prerequisite for Dog Behavior II, and you can take Dog Behavior III without taking others, etc.
| CLASS TITLE | COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| Dog Behavior I | What to expect while adjusting from the shelter to a new home, and a demonstration of positive reinforcement techniques. |
| Dog Behavior II | Dog language, potty training and how dogs learn |
| Dog Behavior III | Separation anxiety, fear aggression and leadership |
Dates, Times, and Class Session for Dog Behavior training are as follows:
| DATE | TIME | TRAINER | DOG BEHAVIOR SESSION |
| May 24th |
2:00-3:30 | Jackie Sainsbury | Dog Behavior II |
| June 7th |
2:00-3:30 | Jackie Sainsbury | Dog Behavior II |
| June 21st |
2:00-3:30 | Jackie Sainsbury | Dog Behavior II |
Lobby Greeter Training
Prerequisite: Volunteer Orientation
These are the people that do a little bit of everything. They greet clients and help with sign-in, assist in the adoption process, escort clients to the wellness clinic to see cats, help adopters obtain and fill out paperwork, and facilitate meetings between clients and animals. As a bonus, if you enjoy working with dogs, you can help the kennel staff bring dogs to the lobby for walks, and take them back when they return (it's a great opportunity to sneak a quick walk with a wonderful Maxfund dog!).
For a full job description, please see Adoption Support Specialist Position Description.
This class will provide the tools you need to be a Lobby Greeter. We've scheduled in a little time for "on the job training," but if you can, please plan to stay for a while following the class to gain more experience. Weekends bring in lots of visitors, so you'll be helping the staff maintain order over the chaos as well as getting valuable hands-on experience with the instructor available as a resource.
Lobby Greeter Training dates are as follows:
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION |
| May 17th |
9:30am-11:30am | MaxFund Front Lobby |
| June 14th |
9:30am-11:30am | MaxFund Front Lobby |
Event Leader Training
Prerequisite: Volunteer Orientation
Events are very important to MaxFund because they give MaxFund great exposure and lead to adoptions and donations. We always need volunteers to help in many different ways with events. Event leaders are needed to organize the event and be in charge of the booth. More volunteers are needed to work the booths and bring dogs to the events. This is a great way to spend a beautiful day outside having fun with the dogs while promoting MaxFund. This class will give an overview of events and discuss the different ways volunteers make the events successful. This class is not necessary for booth or dog handler volunteers, however it is mandatory for event leaders.
If you are interested in attending the Event Leader training, please contact southcar2981@aol.com and let Nanci know of your interest!