Member Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Welcome to OccuPaws!

Thank you for joining our mission to change lives through the power of guide dogs. As a volunteer, you are vital to our success, and there are many ways you can help.

As a new (or seasoned!) OccuPaws volunteer, you are welcome to join puppy classes, events, and other special activities right away; they are open to all volunteers. There’s no need to wait for or complete an orientation before you start attending any OccuPaws events. Depending on what you would like to volunteer for, after you’ve attended two classes, you are approved to puppy raise!

When a group of new volunteers joins, OccuPaws will schedule an orientation to provide more in-depth training and information at that time. Until then, you are encouraged to dive in, meet people, and start learning hands-on!

Puppy Raisers

Puppy Raisers welcome a future guide dog into their home and provide basic training, socialization, and love until the dog is ready for advanced training, usually around 14–18 months old. Puppy Raisers attend training classes, follow a training plan, and expose their pup to many environments, laying the foundation for guide dog skills. The time commitment for this role is approximately 4 months, and you will need to attend two classes per month.

Puppy Sitters

Puppy Sitters provide short-term care for puppies when their regular raiser is unavailable. This role is perfect if you’d like to help but cannot commit to raising a puppy full-time. Sitters maintain the pup’s training routine and help them continue socializing. This time commitment is anywhere from 24 hours to a few weeks.

To remain on the sitter roster, we ask that you attend as many classes as possible in your schedule. That way, you can keep up with the dogs in the program, help at puppy classes as a distraction, or get some hands-on leash experience!

Fundraising and Events Volunteers
These volunteers assist at various events, from “Brat Fry” events to vendor events, and everything in between! You’ll engage with the community, share our mission, and raise essential funds to support our ongoing programs.
Other Ways to Volunteer
  • Puppy Clean Up – we have our own breeding program, so depending on the age of the puppies, we host them in a volunteer’s home. They need night watch, shifts during the day, and then puppy clean up.

  • Special Skills Volunteers – If you have a unique skill or passion (such as photography, graphic design, IT, grant writing, lawn mowing, or laundry), we welcome your talents to help share our story.