Volunteering/Fostering
There are so many ways to help make a difference in the life of a homeless animal. We desperately need more volunteers! You can help by transporting, fostering, cross-posting, helping at the county shelter and making a tax-deductible donation.
Quincy K-9 Connections relies on volunteers and private donations to save unwanted pets from high-kill shelters. If you are interested in volunteering or fostering locally (in Quincy), please contact Anne Heckle ([email protected]). If you are interested in helping transport and you live between Springfield and Chicago, please see below.
Quincy K-9 Connections relies on volunteers and private donations to save unwanted pets from high-kill shelters. If you are interested in volunteering or fostering locally (in Quincy), please contact Anne Heckle ([email protected]). If you are interested in helping transport and you live between Springfield and Chicago, please see below.
Quincy Area Volunteers
If you live in or near the Quincy, IL area, the volunteer opportunities are endless. Most importantly, we NEED you! Our biggest need is for volunteer assistance of Friday evenings (between 5 and 8 pm) and Saturday mornings (between 5 and 7 am). We desperately need help during these times to get animals ready for transport. Volunteer tasks include (but are not limited to) walking dogs, putting tags on colors, and assembling transport crates.
We are also in need of volunteers in the Quincy area to plan and work at fundraising events and to help raise awareness. Short term fostering is also something we need. If you are seriously interested in helping us make a difference, please complete this form: Quincy Area Volunteer Request for Information
We are also in need of volunteers in the Quincy area to plan and work at fundraising events and to help raise awareness. Short term fostering is also something we need. If you are seriously interested in helping us make a difference, please complete this form: Quincy Area Volunteer Request for Information
Transport Volunteers (Statewide)
Please consider helping us transport! Transporting animals to safety is a great way to help QK9C! We run transports every Saturday from Quincy, IL up to Chicago, Wisconsin and Indiana. We always need help. For answers to our most frequently asked questions regarding transports, see below!
Information to Read (click each below):
Welcome Letter for Transporters Transporter Etiquette Guidelines Transporter Guidelines |
Forms to Complete (click each below):
New Volunteer Transporter Information Request Form Transporter Waiver of Liability Form - Part I Transporter Waiver of Liability Form - Part II |
TRANSPORT - FAQ
What happens on a transport?
Dogs and cats that are pulled from high-kill shelters are the most common type of animal on a transport. Often, they are thin, smelly and scared. But, they are all friendly and temperment tested prior to being placed onto a transport. All dogs are crated and have a specific destination to go to -- this destination is specified on a "run sheet." Run sheets detail every aspect of the transport and come out on Friday afternoons.
Transports occur every Saturday. Transports are divided into legs, and each leg usually has multiple drivers. Dogs are handed off from one transporter to another once a leg is complete. All transports are monitored.
What routes can I drive?
Leg 1 Quincy to Springfield
Leg 2 Springfield to Lexington
Leg 3 Lexington to Joliet
Legs 4-7+ Joliet to various (Hinsdale, Downer's Grove, Huntley, Batavia, etc) These legs vary week-by-week.
How are the animals transported?
The dogs and cats are transported in your own personal vehicles. All dogs and cats must be crated. Volunteers can acquire crates from garage sales, Craigslist, or buy them at a discount store. We are unable to provide crates for all our of transporters; however, we will work with you, lending crates as needed, until you acquire your own.
I don't have crates; can I still transport?
For the safety and security of you and our furry friends, crates are REQUIRED on transport.
How much do I get paid to transport?
Transporters are volunteers and therefore, all positions are unpaid. The gratification you will feel in your heart is priceless.
When do requests for transporters come out? How will I know what route I am driving?
Requests for transporters come out on Sunday or Monday from that week's Transport Coordinator (Lauren, Barb, or Kerrie). Simply reply to the email that you wish to transport that week. You will know what route you are driving by Friday afternoon.
I volunteered to drive my preferred route, but I'm driving a different route. Why?
Coordinating a transport is like putting together a 1000 piece puzzle with no clear picture of what the puzzle is to resemble. We assign routes based on need, car size and volunteer preferences. Routes are assigned based on what is best for the dogs; we try to keep you close to your preferred route. However, flexibility and a willingness to serve a higher purpose will help everyone in the long run. If you are assigned a route you are not willing to drive, you must call the Transport Coordinator immediately.
Sometimes there are more transporters in a concentrated geographical area than others. For example, we have many Chicagoland transporters who desire to drive the same popular routes or only wish to drive within an hour of their home. Sometimes we do not have a route that meets your preferences that week. Other times, we are short of drivers everywhere.
Please note that legs from Joliet will change every week. We do not know the legs of transport from Joliet until Thursday evenings.
Can I bring my children or other dog along on a transport?
Transports can be stressful for the dogs being transported. Please do not bring your own personal pets on transport. We want all our focus to be on the dogs on transport -- save your love and affection for your own Fido at home!
Many transporters bring a friend or spouse along during transports to assist or have someone to talk to while driving. It is recommended you do not bring children under the age of 13 on transports. All transporters - anyone who drives a QK9C dog, whether it be a friend, spouse or significant other - must have a liability waiver on file.
Who are you? Can I come visit your home/shelter/humane society?
We are a concerned group of volunteers who saw a need in our communities to help unwanted shelter animals find new homes. Transporters assist QK9C efforts by moving the dogs to higher concentrated areas where the animals are more likely to be adopted. Local adoptions are rare from the shelters from which we pull.
If you are interested in visiting the shelters down south, please contact Anne Heckle.
I fell in love with a dog/cat/etc on transport. Can I adopt it?
It depends on the animal's situation and where it is going. Call the Transport Monitor on duty for information.
I have a dog/cat/hamster/etc that I don't want anymore. Will you take it?
QK9C does not take owner surrenders from transporters. We concentrate on saving the dogs on death row at the high-kill shelters we pull from. Contact your local humane society or rescue for information on how to keep your beloved pet in your home.
Dogs and cats that are pulled from high-kill shelters are the most common type of animal on a transport. Often, they are thin, smelly and scared. But, they are all friendly and temperment tested prior to being placed onto a transport. All dogs are crated and have a specific destination to go to -- this destination is specified on a "run sheet." Run sheets detail every aspect of the transport and come out on Friday afternoons.
Transports occur every Saturday. Transports are divided into legs, and each leg usually has multiple drivers. Dogs are handed off from one transporter to another once a leg is complete. All transports are monitored.
What routes can I drive?
Leg 1 Quincy to Springfield
Leg 2 Springfield to Lexington
Leg 3 Lexington to Joliet
Legs 4-7+ Joliet to various (Hinsdale, Downer's Grove, Huntley, Batavia, etc) These legs vary week-by-week.
How are the animals transported?
The dogs and cats are transported in your own personal vehicles. All dogs and cats must be crated. Volunteers can acquire crates from garage sales, Craigslist, or buy them at a discount store. We are unable to provide crates for all our of transporters; however, we will work with you, lending crates as needed, until you acquire your own.
I don't have crates; can I still transport?
For the safety and security of you and our furry friends, crates are REQUIRED on transport.
How much do I get paid to transport?
Transporters are volunteers and therefore, all positions are unpaid. The gratification you will feel in your heart is priceless.
When do requests for transporters come out? How will I know what route I am driving?
Requests for transporters come out on Sunday or Monday from that week's Transport Coordinator (Lauren, Barb, or Kerrie). Simply reply to the email that you wish to transport that week. You will know what route you are driving by Friday afternoon.
I volunteered to drive my preferred route, but I'm driving a different route. Why?
Coordinating a transport is like putting together a 1000 piece puzzle with no clear picture of what the puzzle is to resemble. We assign routes based on need, car size and volunteer preferences. Routes are assigned based on what is best for the dogs; we try to keep you close to your preferred route. However, flexibility and a willingness to serve a higher purpose will help everyone in the long run. If you are assigned a route you are not willing to drive, you must call the Transport Coordinator immediately.
Sometimes there are more transporters in a concentrated geographical area than others. For example, we have many Chicagoland transporters who desire to drive the same popular routes or only wish to drive within an hour of their home. Sometimes we do not have a route that meets your preferences that week. Other times, we are short of drivers everywhere.
Please note that legs from Joliet will change every week. We do not know the legs of transport from Joliet until Thursday evenings.
Can I bring my children or other dog along on a transport?
Transports can be stressful for the dogs being transported. Please do not bring your own personal pets on transport. We want all our focus to be on the dogs on transport -- save your love and affection for your own Fido at home!
Many transporters bring a friend or spouse along during transports to assist or have someone to talk to while driving. It is recommended you do not bring children under the age of 13 on transports. All transporters - anyone who drives a QK9C dog, whether it be a friend, spouse or significant other - must have a liability waiver on file.
Who are you? Can I come visit your home/shelter/humane society?
We are a concerned group of volunteers who saw a need in our communities to help unwanted shelter animals find new homes. Transporters assist QK9C efforts by moving the dogs to higher concentrated areas where the animals are more likely to be adopted. Local adoptions are rare from the shelters from which we pull.
If you are interested in visiting the shelters down south, please contact Anne Heckle.
I fell in love with a dog/cat/etc on transport. Can I adopt it?
It depends on the animal's situation and where it is going. Call the Transport Monitor on duty for information.
I have a dog/cat/hamster/etc that I don't want anymore. Will you take it?
QK9C does not take owner surrenders from transporters. We concentrate on saving the dogs on death row at the high-kill shelters we pull from. Contact your local humane society or rescue for information on how to keep your beloved pet in your home.
Pictures from Transports
In Loving Memory of Kate Hein
In 2015, we lost one of our QK9C family members. There are no words to describe our loss as a friend of Kate's or the loss to our organization. Kate was dedicated to saving the animals. That was her mission. God is now allowing Kate to take care of all the dogs that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Kate left behind her wonderful husband, Ed, and the two were always a team in rescue and in life. Please keep Ed in your prayers. Kate - we love you and miss you every day. Thank you for being a friend and for your dedication to all of God's creatures. God needed Kate more than we do. Heaven is our ultimate reward for that we do here on Earth, and Kate has a fast track through the gates.