The Animal Pad

Cause Area

Animals
Community

Location

4620 Avocado BlvdLa Mesa, CA 91941 United States

Website:

http://www.theanimalpad.org

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http://www.theanimalpad.org

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Active Opportunities (8)

TAP Care Team

Flexible Schedule | La Mesa, CA 91941

The Animal Pad all-breed dog rescue is currently looking for more amazing humans to join our most coveted and most popular volunteer role in the rescue - the TAP Care Team!! TAP Care Team members work onsite at our medical clearing facility in La Mesa, CA (91941) and are responsible for feeding, cleaning kennels, administering meds, laundry, and hanging out with the fur babies while they await medical clearance before being matched and welcomed into a foster home. This role is our most active and hands-on volunteer opportunity at TAP, and requires the willingness/ability to handle a variety of different dog personalities as well as dogs of all shapes/sizes/breeds (strong pullers, energetic breeds, shy and decompressing dogs, etc.). Care Team volunteers must be able to lift 30 lbs. and feel comfortable handling dogs that pull on leash. Morning and evening shifts are available daily, 365 days of the year! The TAP Care Team is looking for volunteers who can commit to a minimum of one, 2-hour shift per month. Morning shifts ( 8am-10am) and evening shifts ( 5pm-7pm) are available on both weekdays and weekends. If you are interested in joining the TAP Care Team, please let us know the shifts for which you might potentially be available. The Animal Pad has become infamous for taking on medical cases that other organizations won't/don't, and as a result you may encounter dogs with specific medical needs during Care Team shifts or while onsite at our facility. Some of these medical cases include: Contagious conditions (which we all wear PPE for, provided by TAP) TVT, aka transmissible venereal tumors (only transmissible via direct cellular contact w/another dog, which looks like visible tumors and occasionally atypical presentations including fluid draining from facial areas) Mobility issues (including dogs who have pending surgeries) Dogs with visible conditions in the process of healing (skin conditions, underweight or sometimes emaciated dogs, etc. This disclaimer is not meant to scare you away, however, we want to be transparent about the sometimes heartbreaking situations dogs come to us in so that you feel better prepared to work directly with dogs in all manners of condition. Our facility is the first place that many dogs ever receive medical care, regular meals, medications, and TLC from dedicated volunteers, and it takes a village (and time) to rehabilitate dogs and prepare them for foster and adoptive homes. If you feel this may hinder your ability to work directly with dogs at our facility, THAT IS OKAY! We have many volunteer opportunities at TAP and want to be sure you find the right fit for your comfort level! ***This volunteer role is strictly 18+.*** If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out a Volunteer Application on our website: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/

Date Posted: 2025-06-16
Events Team Managers (Age 21 and older)

Flexible Schedule | La Mesa, CA 91941

The Animal Pad all-breed dog rescue is looking for some all-star volunteers to join our team as Events Team Managers! Fundraising and adoption events are crucial for spreading the word about who we are and what we do, raising much needed funds, finding new fosters, and helping our adoptable dogs meet their forever families! We typically host, or are involved in about 4-6 events each month within San Diego County, each bringing more exposure to our dogs and our mission. Our ideal candidates would: have great people skills and work well with others, have strong communication skills and the ability to delegate, be comfortable speaking to the public (with regards to event attendees), be detail-oriented and well organized, and have the ability to keep calm under pressure. We would first have any new Events Managers attend a handful of our events to shadow our Events Directors and existing Managers, giving them the opportunity to get familiarized with TAP and learn the ropes of leading our events. Role responsibilities include: Getting event supplies together at our La Mesa facility (aka TAP HQ) Transporting supplies to event Managing the event itself Taking supplies back to HQ/putting them away in their designated area *We need Events Managers who can commit to leading 1 event per month, and our team will provide all training necessary! Taking on more responsibility and helping to plan events is an option as well (but not at all mandatory). A 4-door sedan usually works just fine for transporting supplies! If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out a Volunteer Application on our website: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/

Date Posted: 2025-06-16
Puppy Party Leads

Flexible Schedule | San Diego, CA 92105

After an incredibly successful launch in 2022 and countless parties hosted since, The Animal Pad all-breed, all needs dog rescue is thrilled to announce that we are once again opening up our Puppy Party requests - which means we're looking for more amazing volunteers to join the team! By joining our Puppy Party crew, you're not just providing clients with a truly magical and therapeutic experience, you're also helping us to raise some MUCH needed funds for our pups and nourishing your own soul in the process (is there any malady that puppy breath can't cure??) What is a "Puppy Party", you ask? - A small team of volunteers from The Animal Pad will bring a litter of puppies to corporate events, birthday parties, weddings, and more! We provide a unique experience for attendees filled with joy, comfort, and puppy cuddles (a guaranteed hit every time) - in exchange, we ask for a donation to help us rescue more dogs from the streets and to provide life-saving medical care for dogs in need. With that being said, TAP is searching for some Puppy Party Leads to join our team! We're seeking volunteers who want to step up to lead these events and help provide our Puppy Party guests with the best experience possible. You would be part of a small team of Puppy Party Leads, so when we get a booking, our Planners will post to the group for a Lead and if you're available, great! If not, no worries! Puppy Party Leads must: Have a personal vehicle to transport supplies to and from events Work 3 puppy parties as a handler/ambassador first before becoming a Lead The role entails: Coordinating with fosters, volunteers and transporters before the event Overseeing set up and clean up of puppy party events Acting as the main POC for volunteers and puppy party clients day of Ensuring safety standards for puppies are being upheld throughout the entire event Organizing transport for supplies and puppies before and after the event All applicants MUST be 18 years or older and be able to provide their own transportation to and from the events. Most, if not all parties/events will be located in the San Diego area! For more info on TAP Puppy Parties, check out: Info video: https://youtu.be/usNf1LeVx2o Instagram: @tappuppyparties Webpage: https://theanimalpad.org/puppy-parties/ If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out a Volunteer Application on our website: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/

Date Posted: 2025-06-16
Vet Assistant

Flexible Schedule | La Mesa, CA 91941

The Animal Pad all-breed dog rescue is searching for volunteers to join our ever-growing team as Vet Assistants! Our organization holds multiple vetting days and vaccine clinics at our La Mesa facility throughout each week, and we are looking for volunteers who want a hands-on experience that directly impacts the dogs in our care. We are looking for volunteers who can commit to volunteering 2-3 times per month! We have vetting days/clinics at our facility (aka TAP HQ) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the occasional Saturday - with some exceptions and subject to change (our team has been holding vetting hours on some Wednesdays, and it's usually every other Saturday at most). The days where we have the greatest need for volunteers are definitely Mondays and Tuesdays! If you have any prior experience of being a Vet Assistant or Vet Tech, we would love to have you! Primary Vet Room responsibilities include: taking patient vitals administering vaccines (under veterinarian supervision) properly restraining dogs for appointments implanting microchips filling medications noting needed supplies sanitizing instruments and clinic room assisting with radiographs assisting as a stand-in Foster Liaison if we are short on hands If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out a Volunteer Application on our website: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/

Date Posted: 2025-06-16
Event Volunteer

Flexible Schedule | La Mesa, CA 91941

Fundraising and adoption events are absolutely crucial to us at The Animal Pad all-breed dog rescue for a number of reasons - namely spreading the word about who we are and what we do, raising much needed funds, and of course helping our adoptable dogs meet their forever families! We couldn't be a part of as many events as we are without our incredible team of Event Volunteers! We typically host, or are involved in about 4-6 events each month within San Diego County, and always need volunteers to attend and help ensure that they run smoothly. There are multiple ways to help, whether it's picking up event supplies at our TAP HQ in La Mesa (we'll show you around HQ beforehand!), transporting those supplies to/from events (always back to HQ), or helping run the event itself - all of these tasks are very helpful and always needed! While certain events will have one-off tasks such as selling raffle and drink tickets or working the bake sale table, generally all events entail TAP volunteers helping to run the merch table, handling our adoptable pups and giving them love, refilling empty water bowls, etc. Volunteers are almost always needed to help with both set-up ~30 minutes before the event starts, as well as teardown ~30 minutes post-event. We also sometimes need help with transport of TAP pups - aka "Dog Dashing" - to/from events and their foster homes! All TAP adoption events are on weekends, with the occasional fundraiser or TAP Fam Meetup taking place on a weekday. I deally, each volunteer could commit to at least one event per month. Event volunteering is one of the best ways to directly make a difference for these deserving dogs and support our rescue efforts, all while kickin' it with some good people and some even better dogs! As a side note - we would absolutely love it if these volunteers took videos and pictures during events they're involved in so we can post on TAP's social media outlets! If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out a Volunteer Application on our website: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/

Date Posted: 2025-06-16

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Organization Information

Mission Statement

The Animal Pad is a nonprofit, all-breed dog rescue based in San Diego, CA that focuses on saving dogs from the streets of Mexico and high kill shelters. We get them the vet care they need, place them in foster homes and then find them loving forever families. Our mission is to form a safe space for dogs experiencing crisis and neglect, and to build a community of compassion through education, rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption. Our community of volunteers and fosters strives to ensure that all dogs get a fighting chance, and believes that no case is too extreme to be helped - meaning our rescue is full of perfectly imperfect dogs who can’t wait to meet you!

Description

Here at TAP, we give voice to the voiceless and our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and find them the best homes possible. Founded in 2010, The Animal Pad is volunteer run and funded entirely by donations. We rescue dogs primarily off the streets of Mexico as well as high kill shelters here in California, and provide them full medical care and a loving foster home to heal in before they head to their adoptive home.

If you're interested in any of our volunteer opportunities and getting involved in a cause bigger than any of us, please head over to our website and fill out a volunteer application online: https://theanimalpad.org/volunteer/

Reviews

by Julie Ann G. from La Jolla, CA (2025-02-17 17:24:59.0)

Animal lovers unite at The Animal Pad events and organization. I enjoy so many fun opportunities: puppy party, transportation, andoption events, puppy yoga, soundbath w/puppies and fostering to help dogs find their forever home. Sometimes I just attend an event and help post for visibility of the amazing things they do. Sometimes I don’t feel like being social but if dogs are involved and TAP I never regret it. We have adopted one dog into our family and helped foster over 10 pups. You can even do temp foster which is a short fixed time when a regular foster is unavailable. Contact them today! What are you waiting for????