Humane Society of Broward County - Teens Can Help Homeless Animals!

Teens can make a BIG difference in the lives of homeless animals and the Humane Society of Broward County wants to invite you to join our mission. We offer three fun ways for teens to earn Service Learning Hours for school:

1. Teen Volunteer Program
HSBC offers a structured volunteer program for teens 14 years and older. Teen volunteers help us care for the animals for a period of three months with weekly, three-hour shifts. Teens have the opportunity to earn up to 36 Service Learning Hours. At the end of the three months, teen volunteers exit the program. There is a waiting list to get into this program! For more information, please contact Colette at 954-266-6814.

2. The Teen Club
The Teen Club meets once or more each month at HSBC to do special projects and events that help homeless pets. Teen Club members may also have an opportunity to earn additional volunteer hours by helping with our camps, birthday parties, and other activities. Teens 14 and older are invited to join at any time. For more information, please contact Darlene at 954-266-6848 or dfeldman@hsbroward.com.

3. The "Mitzvah Mutts" Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project Program
The "Mitzvah Mutts" Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project Program is an opportunity for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah student to fulfill their project requirements by volunteering their time, energy, and creativity to learn about and help homeless animals. After completion of the activity booklet, the student will be permitted to volunteer one hour per week for a minimum of three months before their Bar/Bat Mitzvah date. Activities include but are not limited to: Pet toy drives, attending animal behavior seminars, educational activities and interaction with the shelter pets. For more information, please contact Darlene Feldman at 954-266-6848 or dfeldman@hsbroward.com.

4. Teen Adoption Ambassador
Teens can earn their required high school community service hours by partnering with a parent and becoming a Teen Adoption Ambassador. The shelter’s Adoption Ambassador Program, in conjunction with the ASPCA, is similar to foster care… but goes a step further. Adoption Ambassadors will provide temporary homes for select dogs, which will be spayed or neutered and given their preliminary vaccinations before arriving in their temporary homes. (All food and supplies needed to care for the dog are provided to you.) But unlike foster families, Ambassadors will help maximize their dogs’ availability and exposure to potential adopters by wearing bright orange “Adopt Me” vests while walking their companions in parks and other pet-friendly, highly visible public venues.

As a Teen Ambassador, you will earn three hours for every day the dog is at your home. In addition, you can earn hours for walking your Ambassador Dog in public with their “Adopt Me” vest on; making and hanging signs; promoting your dog through social media; and making phone calls and sending emails to let people know you have a loving dog that needs a home!

Once they have found the perfect home for their dog, Ambassadors will process the paperwork and present the adopting family with their new loving companion. As a further reward, they’ll know that as a result of their efforts, the dog will not have to spend another day at the shelter.
For more information contact Linda Sanders at 954-266-6839 or lsanders@hsbroward.com.

5. Teen Adoption Ambassador Advocate
If you can’t have a dog in your home but still want to help the Adoption Ambassador program, you can earn service hours by becoming a Teen Adoption Ambassador Advocate. You will spread the word about the program in your community by hanging posters, setting up an education table at places you are welcome, presenting to church and school groups and by using social media. Your goal will be to recruit people interested in becoming Adoption Ambassadors. The more families we have in the program, the more dogs we can help. For more information contact Linda Sanders at 954-266-6839 or lsanders@hsbroward.com.

Teens Can Help Homeless Animals!