Shelter
Volunteering
Canine Companion— Volunteers socialize, train, and provide enrichment to the dogs in our care.
Feline Friend— Volunteers socialize, train, groom, and provide enrichment to the cats in our care.
Shelter Ambassador— Assist the front desk with daily operations, greet and provide customer service to the public, including adoption support.
Shelter Operations— Go behind the scenes to assist kennel staff in the cleaning and preparation of canine and feline kennels and assist in various support work to keep the shelter running smoothly and safely.
Events and Community Outreach— Volunteers assist at off-site events by educating the public about responsible pet ownership, providing information about HSCO, and promoting adoptions.
Vet Clinic Assistant— Clinic volunteers aid the clinic team in stocking, cleaning, and recovering animals post-surgery.
Tales for Tails Reading Program— Youth ages 9-18 volunteer at the shelter, providing reading enrichment to our animal residents. Time requirements differ from the rest of the shelter volunteer requirements you see below. For this program, we ask volunteers to give 1 hour every other week to read to the animals.
— Make a minimum time commitment of 6 months
— Commit to volunteering at least 2 hours a week
— Must pass a basic background check if over 18 years
— Pay a nonrefundable onboarding fee for each applicant: $25 for adults & $15 for youth
— The minimum age to volunteer at the shelter is nine years old.
— Youth ages 9-15 must be actively accompanied by an adult 21+
— Have regular access to internet and email
All approved shelter volunteers must attend two trainings before working with shelter animals: volunteer orientation and position-specific training.
Once your application is received, the Volunteer Department will contact you regarding the application, background check, onboard fee process, and training dates. Thank you!
Please read the requirements here if you need community service hours for court-mandated hours.
If you are looking for community service hours for school projects or would like to learn about more opportunities for youth, please click here: https://www.hsco.org/volunteering/students