Linda Tosch braves the cold each Tuesday for the four-legged creatures at the Tazewell Animal Protective Society’s no-kill shelter in Pekin.
This volunteer dog walker from East Peoria said she does not do it for money, but for the love of the more than 200 animals at the organization.
“I layer up. It’s really not as gruesome as you might think,” said Tosch, who has volunteered at the shelter for about three years. “I get attached to the animals, and we all love to see them get new homes.”
Tosch also writes grants, helps with off-site fundraising events and follows up on calls with adoptions at the shelter.
“Volunteering is really enjoyable, and you see how much help you can be,” she said.
Along with Tosch, there are about 180 active volunteers at the non-profit organization. And with temperatures now reaching freezing levels, there is an increased need for additional volunteers, according to TAPS officials.
“We are always full (of animals). Our waiting list is just huge,” said Angela Blackman, director of TAPS.
She added the waiting list lengthens even more in the winter as more strays — especially cats — need a shelter to avoid freezing to death.
“It’s really urgent that we start having adoptions and opening up a little bit to bring in more cats,” she said.
From Dec. 10 through 24, the organization ran a special of 50 percent off the price of adoptions, Blackman added.
“It’s been extremely busy the last couple of weeks, which is wonderful because our goal is to send as many animals home for the holidays as possible,” Blackman said. “And by sending animals home, that allows us to pull more from the waiting lists.”
In total, there are 14 people on staff at TAPS, and only five of those positions are full time, she said.
“It’s a very small crew to work with as many critters as we have,” Blackman said. “Volunteers allow us to do many of the things that we would not be able to afford to do otherwise.”
The majority of the volunteers specialize in socializing with the animals and spending one-on-one time with them, Blackman said. From grooming to front desk work, volunteers help with every aspect of the organization.
“It seems like they tend to be more of a dog person or cat person,” said Sheila Borton, volunteer coordinator, a new position at the shelter since May. “We kind of see what their interest is. We definitely need people in the office, so even if you don’t want to work hands on with the animals, there are still ways you can help.”
Borton also said each winter more volunteers are needed at the shelter.
“Nobody wants to walk dogs when it’s 20 degrees out, and it gets dark early,” she said.
Borton said volunteers first attend an orientation before they are given a tour of the shelter. The schedules of volunteers are flexible, and they can come and go as they please, she added.
Other East Peorians volunteer a great deal of time at the shelter, too.
Gale Young, 53, of East Peoria, has volunteered with the shelter for about two years.
Young is the co-chairwoman of the Gimme Shelter program, in which little red donation banks are placed inside area businesses. About 120 businesses in Tazewell County currently participate in the four-year-old program, Young said.
When she started working with the program about one year ago, only three businesses in East Peoria took part, she said. Now, there are about 12 to 15 businesses.
“We’re growing,” she said, adding they have worked hard to expand out of Pekin and into surrounding areas. “All they have to do is provide a little bit of counter space.”
She also volunteers at off-site fundraisers and spends many of her weekends — from spring through the fall — at Wal-Mart collecting donations.
“There are so many things you can do,” she said. “We come from different walks of life, but we all love animals.”
For more information about volunteering, contact the TAPS at 353-8277, or visit the Web site at www.tapsshelter.org.
East Peoria, Ill. —
