Not able to adopt or foster but still want to get involved? We can always use a helping hand!
The list of ideas below is by no means exhaustive, so if you have any ideas that aren’t listed here, don’t be afraid of proposing an idea – we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to raise funds to keep helping our furry friends. To volunteer, fill out our volunteer application form – we’ll get in touch with you soon after!
Sew-ers
If you have a knack for sewing and would like to help us create enough hammocks to keep an army of rats snuggly and entertained, we could definitely use your help! We use these hammocks both in our rescue to keep our little friends warm and comfy as well as for fundraisers, where they are sold to raise funds towards the rescue’s costs.
Crafters/Knitters
Do you have an artistic touch? We are always looking for awesome items to sell as fundraisers to raise money for the rescue. Crafts can range anywhere from scarves to greeting cards, baby slippers to rat toys, paintings to sculptures. It’s an asset for us to be able to extend our fundraising to the largest possible range of people!
Drivers
We are always in need of people who are willing to be “Rat Transporters”. Our rats are often in need of transportation to and from their foster homes, to the vet, or to their new forever homes. We also need to pick up supplies (such as food and litter) on a regular basis. We are in the process of assembling a list of drivers so that the time commitment of each individual driver will be relatively small.
General Volunteers
At the main location of the rescue we have a fair number of rats – and therefore a lot of cages. We are in need of volunteers who are available on weekends to come out and help clean the cages (and help socialize/play with the rats). This is an excellent way to get to know the rats at our rescue and to get an idea of the level of work and commitment required to become a rat-parent. The rescue is located near Algonquin College.
Promo Team
OPRats is aiming to hold at least one public event per month in order to fund raise for the rescue as well as to spread the word about rats, their proper care, and the ability to adopt (not shop!) for these fantastic animals. If you’d like to be part of these events and help share your passion for rats with others, this is definitely an excellent opportunity for you. Being part of the Promo Team doesn’t mean you have to attend every event – it means you’ll be put on a mailing list that will get you advanced notice of these events so that you have ample time to plan it into your schedule.
Translators
With the launch of our new website, the next challenge we’re looking to tackle is making our website available in both languages. Part of the unique nature of Ottawa is the thriving bilingualism – and our proximity to Quebec means that we often get contacted for help on that side of the border. We want to ensure that our resources as available in both languages. This means we need lots of help translating from English into French. If that’s your forte, we could totally use your help!
-> Volunteer Form <-
We are working on getting some snazzy volunteer t-shirts that can be worn at events and when volunteering at the rescue or driving, or realistically, any time the awesomeness of rats compels you!