What’s your secret weapon in saving as many cats as possible from a shelter’s euthanasia list? Volunteers — trained volunteers.

“When it comes to recruiting volunteers, we’ve learned a lot since we began our cat program in 2009,” said Dr. Frances Flower at the 2015 American Pets Alive! No-Kill Conference. “It’s definitely not an easy job. We’ve figured out what skills are needed as well as the type of training that results in lower volunteer turn-over.”

So what should you look for when recruiting? Along with having cat-experience or a passion for cats, someone who is detail-oriented is a must. “They have to be able to quickly assess and read shelter reports, and also be good at reporting what they’re seeing,” she said.

Being responsive is also key. “You don’t want someone who is going to take three days to respond to an email.”

When it comes to training these volunteers for success, they found that the step-by-step training is worth it. “The learn-as-you go approach resulted in a much higher turnover rate. It becomes far too overwhelming and stressful for the volunteer,” said Dr. Flower. “We’ve found that breaking the training into bite-size steps is much more effective.”

Here’s a look at their step-by-step training process:

• Day 1: Introductions and tour of shelter
• Day 2: How to do evaluations
• Day 3: How to understand reports
• Day 4: Shadowing
• Day 5: Leading

Since it can be a lonely job when you go alone to assess the cats, having a social aspect is good. “Email is the main way we all communicate, so having team meetings every so often where you’re with everyone in the same room can be very helpful,” she said.

To learn more about the ins and outs of creating a sustainable program that saves the most lives possible, including the tools needed and how to evaluate cats’ behavior, watch “Rescuing Cats From the Euthanasia List” — then start saving more lives in your community!