Volunteer Training Workshops: 2008


EARS volunteers are trained to work in emergency animal shelters and to educate the public about disaster preparedness



Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers are the backbone of our efforts to provide lifesaving care and sheltering for animal victims of natural and human-caused disasters. Volunteers come from across the United States and Canada and from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common: a commitment to helping animals in need.
To become an EARS volunteer, you must complete one of our training workshops. During the workshops, participants...

• Assess the immediate impact of evacuation
• Clarify the scope, focus and role of the EARS program
• Assess personal preparedness and experience ways to educate others
• Describe how different types of emergency animal shelters may impact a volunteer's decision to deploy
• Discuss elements of criminal seizure, puppy mills and hoarding cases
• Examine volunteer roles and responsibilities
• Imagine what it's like at an emergency response
• Review the purpose of the VoluntE.A.R.S. Network Profile and feel situated within the EARS network
• Share tips about packing for an emergency response
• Inventory emotions to expect and identify available resources to cope
• Apply the VoluntE.A.R.S. profile, personal preparedness, deployment steps, and personal decision-making to a mock deployment situation
• Place UAN into the larger emergency management system
• Recognize common acronyms and collaborative organizations
• Hear about the EARS leadership structure
• Describe essential procedures, protocols, and policies at a temporary emergency animal shelter
• Determine ways to stay active all the time with EARS
• Reflect on own readiness and further skills needed and identify next steps.

The workshops are also a unique opportunity to network with other animal advocates .
The workshop registration fee of $60 includes an EARS volunteer handbook, an EARS t-shirt to wear while volunteering, lunch (vegetarian), a photo ID badge and a certificate of completion.
This seven-hour workshop is designed to be an introduction to emergency animal sheltering and EARS. Participants will be considered trained EARS volunteers. Please be aware that the workshop DOES NOT include animal handling or rescue training. Opportunities for ongoing training and other type of involvement will be discussed. Participants must be age 18 or older.
Sponsored by the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Pre-workshop volunteer orientation - July 10
Attend an optional free webinar to learn more about how the EARS program works
Maine: Portland - July 26 [informational flier]
New York: Albany - August 2 [informational flier]
New York: Albany - August 3 [informational flier]
Pre-workshop volunteer orientation - August 4
Attend an optional free webinar to learn more about how the EARS program works
Ohio: Dayton - August 23 [informational flier]
Ohio: Dayton - August 24 [informational flier]
Pre-workshop volunteer orientation - September 3
Attend an optional free webinar to learn more about how the EARS program works
Oregon: Portland - September 6 [informational flier]
British Columbia: Vancouver - September 13 [informational flier]
Colorado: Denver - September 27 [informational flier]
Pre-workshop volunteer orientation - October 2
Attend an optional free webinar to learn more about how the EARS program works
South Carolina: Charleston - October 4 [informational flier]
Pre-workshop volunteer orientation - November 8
Attend an optional free webinar to learn more about how the EARS program works
Missouri: St. Louis - November 15 [informational flier]
Arizona: Phoenix - December 6 [informational flier]