Our Volunteers

CAAWLS is a registered charity that provides Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) services to Edmonton and surrounding areas. All of CAAWLS’ programs are made possible by our volunteer teams, made up of one animal and one human. Many of our programs have been running for years, and so it’s common for our human volunteers (and our animal ones too!) to develop a strong bond with clients. While our focus is on the benefits of animal interaction, it’s important to note the significant role that our volunteers play in the overall experience for our clients.

We are blessed to have such wonderful and giving people in our organization, and we do everything we can to keep them fulfilled and feeling appreciated. They are truly the lifeblood of our organization, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

Volunteer of the Month

Every month we showcase one of our outstanding volunteer teams and the commitment they have shown to CAAWLS.

Dave, Sam and Sonic

This month we are happy to honour one of our most long term volunteers, Dave, and his two wonderful dogs, Sam and Sonic. Sam is our lovable beagle and, according to Dave, Sonic is a hairy beagle - better known as a Wire Haired Fox Terrier. This wonderful trio has been volunteering since 2011, when we were still known as Chimo AAT. For over 5 of those years they have been working with the children at Wings, a shelter for women and children who have fled domestic violence. 

Sam has retired as of this month, and we will be very sad to not see his furry face at our events. But we are so heartened by how many people he has touched with his work, and we know we can't count the number of smiles he has spread. We wish you all the best with your retirement Sam!