Volunteer With CHAAMP

Volunteers are the heart of rescue! We could not do this work without the dedication, compassion, and support of our volunteers. Whether you enjoy working directly with dogs, helping behind the scenes, or sharing professional skills, there is a place for you at CHAAMP.

Please complete our volunteer survey so we can learn about your interests, experience, and availability. We provide guidance, training, and support every step of the way. If you do not hear back from us, please contact MalamuteRescue@gmail.com.

Thank you for your interest in helping Malamutes in need!

Events

Join us at one of our fundraising and adoption events. It is a great opportunity to learn more about our organization.

Your Talents

Crafts, baking, and other talents are always welcomed!

Kennel Support

Do you have carpentry, maintenance, landscaping, or repair skills? We can always use help with ongoing kennel improvement projects.

No experience? No problem. Extra hands are always appreciated.

Photography

Great photos help dogs get adopted.

If you are an experienced photographer, we would be grateful for your assistance capturing the personality and beauty of our Malamutes. Your talents can make a tremendous difference in helping a dog find their forever home.

Reward-Based Trainers

We welcome dog professionals who use reward-based methods and would like to donate their time and expertise. We are in need of virtual consultations if you are available.

If you are working toward training log hours or simply wish to help, we would love to have you work with our Malamutes.

Volunteering with the Malamutes

Getting Started: Required Volunteer Training

Before volunteering, please complete the FREE Shelter & Rescue Training: Canine course through Maddie's University to satisfy CHAAMP's insurance requirements. We want to set you up for success!

To register, create a Maddie's Fund account and enter:

Job Title: Volunteer
Role: Shelter or Rescue Volunteer
HASS Project: No
Organization Type: Rescue Organization - No Government Contract

After completing the course, please email us a screenshot or copy of your certificate.

This training introduces the handling, safety, and communication practices we use with the Malamutes in our care. Our goal is to set both volunteers and dogs up for success.

We also ask that you review the dog body language resources available on our website.

Understanding canine communication is one of the most important skills a volunteer can learn.

Thank you for investing your time and energy in our dogs.

Spend Time with the Malamutes

Our greatest need is often volunteers who can spend quality time with the dogs.

Opportunities include:

Walking Malamutes
Socializing and enriching the dogs
Taking photos and videos
Assisting with kennel cleaning
Helping at adoption events and fundraisers
Supporting training and enrichment activities

We hope to expand our enrichment and trick-training programs to help dogs build confidence, learn manners, and increase their adoption success.

For volunteer opportunities or questions, please contact MalamuteRescue@gmail.com.

Continuing Education Opportunities

At CHAAMP, we believe learning never stops. The Board continually seeks educational opportunities to improve the care we provide, and we encourage volunteers to join us on that journey.

Fear Free Shelter Program

While not required, we highly recommend the Fear Free Shelter Program. This free program teaches volunteers how to recognize signs of stress, fear, and comfort in dogs, helping us better understand what they are communicating through body language and behavior.

Shelter Playgroup Alliance

The Shelter Playgroup Alliance (SPA) offers excellent educational resources and videos on dog behavior and social interactions.

We especially recommend:

One of the most valuable lessons from SPA is that not all dogs enjoy interacting with other dogs, and learning to recognize those preferences helps us advocate for each dog as an individual.

Shelter Behavior Hub

The Shelter Behavior Hub provides educational resources for shelter and rescue volunteers.

CHAAMP has benefited greatly from learning opportunities offered by behavior professionals such as Trish McMillan. These programs help us stay current with best practices in behavior, enrichment, and shelter care.