Volunteer shortage prompts Meadow Lake Humane Society to pause dog intakes

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“Our main concern right now is the dogs aren’t getting the attention they need, like to get walked, to get brushed, to get, just training or human socialization,” she said. 

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Volunteer shortage prompts Meadow Lake Humane Society to pause dog intakes

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Much of that work has fallen to Styacko and vice-president Ginny Nieviadomy, who both volunteer while working full-time jobs.

“So we’re getting tired, and we can’t really bring any more dogs in and successfully care for them,” Styacko said. 

She added the organization is already aware of a stray dog believed to be expecting puppies, raising concerns more animals could soon need help.

“We’ll have the space but we’re just not going to have the capacity and volunteers to care for them properly or to get them transported out,” she said. 

Nieviadomy said the shortage reflects volunteer burnout rather than a decline in community support.

“We know volunteer burnout is a real thing and a lot of our volunteers have been long-time volunteers who are taking a step back to enjoy retirement or to start family life,” she said. 

The shelter has about 40 volunteers, but Styacko said many are unable to commit to regular weekly shifts, making it difficult to consistently cover morning and evening care.

Volunteers typically sign up for one regular morning or evening shift each week. Morning shifts generally run between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., while evening shifts are usually scheduled between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., depending on volunteers’ availability. Duties include feeding and watering the animals, administering medication when needed, cleaning kennels and spending time walking and socializing the dogs. 

“It would be nice to have committed people to like commit to a solid one shift weekly sort of thing. That would help out a lot, I think.” 

The shelter has received about six or seven volunteer applications since announcing the intake pause and plans to review them as it works toward resuming dog intakes.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com