On Friday morning, Nov. 18, Patch editors and contributors from several Bay Area sites showed up bright and early at in Milpitas to volunteer their time, helping to care for animals, clean their habitats, feed them and - of course - show them a little love.
Editors and contributing writers from Milpitas Patch, Mountain View Patch, Campbell Patch, Los Altos Patch, Gilroy Patch and Cupertino Patch, along with Patch Associate Local Editor Rachel Stern, volunteered their time Friday.
The group got an in-depth tour and learned a lot about the facility, its services and its history. Then, they split up.
Half headed over to the cat section to help clean cat condos, give them fresh linens and blankets, clean their litter boxes, give them fresh wet and dry food, and spend some time "socializing" the cats - playing with them, and holding and cuddling them.
Humane Society animal care technicians explained that holding the animals, cuddling them and socializing them - in other words, helping the cats get used to being around each other and humans - all helps prepare them for adoption.
The other half of the group spent time in the dog and rabbit section, cleaning the other animal condos and visiting with them.
At the end of the morning, everyone got to take one special dog, Archie, out to the spacious dog park to help him get some exercise and play time.
The Humane Society is always in need of volunteers. Staff members say, all you have to pledge is eight hours a month, and you can even specify the capacity in which you'd like to help - such as, working only with cats or only with dogs, helping with administrative duties at the front desk, or other such tasks.
The Humane Society is happy to set up "volunteer parties" such as Patch participated in. If you have a group of eight or more people who want to volunteer together, just contact the center and they can set it up for you.
They also welcome donations - not just the monetary kind, but they can make good use of donations of newspapers for cat cages, dog and cat food, blankets and more. The center has a donation drop-box outside the center that you can place donations in, 24 hours a day.
The Humane Society can also be rented out for parties or other special occasions! They regularly host holiday parties, fundraising parties, kids' birthday parties, conferences and more, with its ample space and Community Room. You can bring in catered food and beverages, and people can take a tour and visit with animals as part of the party.
For more information, call at 408-262-2133, or visit www.hssv.org. The center is located at 901 Ames Ave. in Milpitas.
