We stand for an animal-loving community.
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Individual Volunteering
Our #BlueShirt army of volunteers make it possible for us to do what we do. If you’re interested in joining them, we have a ton of different opportunities available.
Cat Volunteers
Assist in caring for the cats, feeding them cleaning the rooms and litter boxes and introducing them to potential adopters.
PetSmart Volunteer – We have some of our cats that live at the PetSmart cattery on South Shepherd and always need more volunteers who are interested in helping socialize the cats, clean the cages, feed the cats and answer questions from the public.
Dog Volunteers
Assist in taking the dogs on walks, feeding them, cleaning their kennels and introducing them to potential adopters.
Behavior Volunteers
We have an amazing behavior team and we always need more help! Behavior Volunteers are able to assist with evaluations, rehabilitations, playdates, trainings and much more.
Our Behavior program is a five-step program after which you are eligible to take the CPDT test and become certified, if you want.
Adoption Counselors
After volunteers have completed 20 hours of volunteering they are eligible to assist with our adoption interviews. These volunteers get training on what to ask, what to look for and how to relay the information to help support our animals in finding their forever homes.
Event Volunteers
After volunteers have completed 12 hours of volunteering they are eligible to assist with our events. They help set up the events, manage animals brought to the event, answer questions from the public and help breakdown afterward.
Reception & Administrative Volunteers
Volunteers at our front desk help the front desk staff with their day-to-day activities—answering the phones, returning messages, greeting the public as they come in, answering questions from the public, keeping up with the calendar, directing people to the right place for appointments, getting the appropriate people for appointments and interviews.
There are different administrative tasks we could always use volunteers to help with. If you are good with data entry type work, this may be the right fit for you.
Door Greeters
As a door greeter, volunteers are the first one people will talk to coming into the shelter. They help direct the public on where to go according to what they have come in for.
Group Volunteering
If you are part of a group that would like to volunteer together, we’d love to have you!
Group Volunteer applications are currently closed.
As soon as it’s safe for us to open back up to host group volunteering events we’ll update this page. We want you in more than anything, but with the current state of COVID-19, we don’t feel it’s safe.
A special shoutout to Megan Hoppe!
Megan started volunteering with us a week or two before the whole world shut down.
Read the monthly volunteer shoutout! A special shoutout to Megan Hoppe!
Looking for ways to volunteer while the shelter is closed?
The Fine Print
- All volunteers must be at least 16 years old
- You’ll need to attend volunteer orientation and training before you can start
- Community Service hours cannot be completed through the Friends For Life Volunteer Program
FAQ
How do I become a Friends For Life volunteer?
- Fill out our Volunteer Application
- Watch the online ‘Volunteer Orientation’ video
- Complete any online trainings related to the area of the shelter you’re interested in (e.g., dogs, cats, behavior, etc.)
- Sign up for your first shift!
Is there an age limit to volunteering?
Due to the nature of working with live animals in a stressful environment, we do have an age limit and cannot authorize children under the age of 16 to volunteer – though we do appreciate their philanthropic spirit!
Children 16-17 years of age may volunteer once they submit a signed parent waiver.
Are there any ongoing requirements for volunteers?
We ask that all volunteers commit to at least monthly service.
Our volunteer management system (myVolunteerPage.com) has a licensing fee for each user, so we regularly remove volunteers who do not actively volunteer each month. Volunteers who have not volunteered within the last year may need to re-complete some of the on-boarding and program specific training prior to regaining full volunteer access.
Additionally, we require all volunteers to adhere to the Friends For Life Volunteer Policies. You must agree to these policies in order to submit a volunteer application.
I need to fulfill community service hours. What should I do?
At this time we are not offering hours for those seeking community service hours for a pending or completed court case.
If you are seeking community service hours for school, an organization, or personal pleasure, please follow the steps above. You will be in charge of any documentation, including tracking your volunteer hours on your own time sheet. You may request that a Friends For Life supervisor initial your time sheet at the end of our volunteer commitment.