How old do you have to be to volunteer in SPCA shelters?

Should I volunteer at the SPCA or a local dog rescue organization?

• I adopted my dog from the local SPCA and she is one of the best parts of my life. I would like to give back to the animal welfare community and help save some local homeless pets, but for various reasons I am currently unable to be a foster parent. I can choose to volunteer at the SPCA facility (a kill shelter) from which I adopted my dog or I can lend my services to a local dog rescue organization. I believe both to be very worthy causes, but I have a feeling that what the dog rescues need more than anything right now are foster homes (which I cannot provide). However, I have lots of time to volunteer on weekends and am willing to do anything asked of me. I also have a good deal of experience in dog training, mostly as a result of the *very* extensive training I have done with my own "rescue" dog. It was no easy feat helping her to become the amazingly obedient and well behaved dog she is today, and I would like to help train other dogs so they may better fit into their new forever homes and reduce the chance that they will be shipped back to a shelter by stupid owners for stupid reasons. I do not like the idea of the kill shelter, but the goal is to prevent euthanasia, right? In your opinion, which would be a better fit for me and what I am able to do right now? -Thanks!-

• Answer:

  Contact both and ask them. The dog rescue might be able to use your services at the foster homes, training them so they're more adoptable. The shelter might be able to do the same thing, although in both cases if you only have the weekends to work with them, that might make training the dogs harder.