Volunteer with DFW Wildlife Coalition

The volunteer opportunity of a lifetime! SIGN ME UP!

Are you passionate about the wild world and the animals that live in it? If this is a true statement for you then volunteering for the DFW Wildlife Coalition is the perfect opportunity to give back to the wild world and the community in which you live!

Calls can come from all over the U.S. Some calls are from home-owners with wildlife conflict resolution needs, others from children who find us on the internet and are frantic to find a wildlife rehabilitator to help them save an animal that has been injured or abandoned. To save the life of one animal is well worth the time spent on the hotline. Imagine for a minute that you are the person responsible for saving the life of a Red-tailed hawk, a fawn, a baby owl or an infant opossum! There is no way to measure the personal gratification that you will experience as a DFW Wildlife Coalition volunteer.

I have been volunteering for civic, environmental and non-profit organizations for 35 years. All of the projects I’ve been associated with have been rewarding but none of them as much so as the time I spend answering calls for the DFW Wildlife Coalition Hotline.

Read below for comments from current DFW Wildlife Coalition volunteers . . .

My first month volunteering for the DFW Wildlife Coalition hotline was in April of 2016. Being springtime, it was a very busy month, and it was challenging keeping up with all the calls, but even so, I ended those first few shifts thinking, “this is chicken soup for the soul.” It has now been over two years since I had the privilege of becoming a hotline volunteer, and I still feel the same way—my callers continue to feed my soul as they call in with love, concern and the willingness to sacrifice in order to help our area’s precious wildlife. Volunteering with DFW Wildlife Coalition has been a true blessing in my life, and I’m forever grateful for this rewarding experience!
Sarah Moody, Volunteer since 2016

Volunteering on the hotline has certainly introduced me to many different species and their specific type of care. My favorite call was one of those that really allowed me to think outside of the box and even laugh a little . It was a Friday and I was the shift supervisor when I got a call from Ruth, the volunteer manning the phones that day.
The conversation went like this.
Ruth: Hi Beth, this is Ruth I have a caller on the hotline that has a crab.
Beth: A what?
Ruth: A crab.
Beth: Where is this crab?
Ruth: It’s on her front porch in Plano and it is not happy?
Beth: How big is the crab and is it injured?
Ruth: It’s as big as a dinner plate , it’s not injured but, it is trying to attack the caller.
Beth: Ruth, are you kidding me?
Ruth: I am not , I can’t believe it myself.
After some thought I called Dallas North Aquarium and they took the large and less than happy Plano Crab!
You never know what tales you will end up telling after you have been a hotline volunteer ????
Beth Felker, Volunteer since 2006

I have always loved animals, domestic and wild. It has pained me to see that as Texas has expanded building homes and business that our wildlife has been losing their habitats. It is important to me that we all try to co-exist with our native wildlife. When I found the DFW Wildlife Coalition, I found a place where I felt that I could do something to help animals in need, rather than just see a bad situation and not know how to help.
The hotline has helped me to learn what I can do if I myself find an injured animal. I have picked up a starving owl in the dead of winter and brought him to safety. The baby skunks that I nursed in my home overnight until I could get them to the person who would rehabilitate them is forever in my heart. Helping that baby bird or squirrel in need is something so special.
When I get my calls on the hotline and I am able to help kind people who have come upon a squirrel, a bunny, a possum, a raccoon, a bird or any wildlife in need and want to help but don’t know what to do or where to take it, it is so rewarding to be their first contact and then be able to direct them to the person who can aid the animal. It just feels so good to know that you made a difference in the life of a creature in need. We all need a little help sometimes. Through the hotline, we are able to reach out and help our extraordinary wildlife. What a very special organization this is and I am so happy to be a part of it!
Denise Galletta, DFW Wildlife Volunteer since 2008

 

As a new member of the East Texas Master Naturalists I was looking for a way to volunteer as well as gain knowledge about the local wildlife. The DFW Wildlife Hotline was the perfect fit for me. The training provided was very thorough and the other volunteers were so helpful and encouraging.
Being a recent transplant from Alabama I was surprised to receive a call from Birmingham! A nest of baby squirrels had fallen from a tree and several of the babies were injured. Sam had been trying without success to find help. Luckily he found our website and called. I was able to connect him with the Animal Help Now organization to find an individual nearby to give assistance. In addition I was able to give initial encouragement and instruction for these little baby squirrels. Getting the healthy ones back to their mom as well as getting aid for the little ones that were hurt. Sam was so appreciative. I assured him the DFW Wildlife Hotline was here for everyone everywhere. I felt like I had a little connection to “Sweet Home Alabama”
Vickie Hoppis, DFW Wildlife Volunteer since 2018

Current Volunteer Opportunities:

• Hotline volunteer
• Live Chat Operator
• Experienced Public Relations Assistant
• Experienced Social Media Assistant

Requirements to be a DFW Wildlife Coalition Volunteer

• Eighteen years of age
• Have telephone service and Internet access
• Desire to learn about Texas native wildlife
• Commit two hours a week (three hours for 7pm to 10pm shift) to answer the hotline or chat, hours of operation 7am to 10pm
• Complete 6-hour online training and attend volunteer orientation

Thank you to Dena Graham, Lara Guerra, and Rhonda Thomson for volunteering and contributing to the website’s content.