What volunteers do:
Volunteers help in almost every aspect of Shelter operations, from providing excellent customer service to visitors, to providing direct hands-on care to a variety of species of animals, to doing seemingly endless piles of dishes and laundry! If you are looking for a unique opportunity to support a great animal sheltering organization, work with animals, help shelter pets meet new families, and at the same time make new friends and learn new skills, consider volunteering with us! We depend a great deal on our volunteers and the gift of their time. We love our volunteers and couldn't do all that we do without them!
General requirements to become an in-house volunteer:
- Must be 18 years old - sorry, no exceptions, even if accompanied by a parent/guardian!
- Be able to commit to a minimum of six hours per month, and volunteer for at least six months - hopefully you'll want to stick around longer!
- Have access to a computer to receive pertinent email updates and communication, and to manage your volunteer schedule.
- Understand that some of the volunteer positions require more physical and animal-handling capabilities and will have additional requirements. Position descriptions with requirements accompany each volunteer position.
- Commit to treat all animals and people with respect and kindness!
In-house volunteer onboarding process:
- Register for and attend a New In-House Volunteer Information Session.
- Complete a volunteer application (attendance at Info Session required to receive application; not available online).
- Indicate area of in-house volunteering interest (dog handling, cat assistant, small animal assistant, clean team, or greeter).
- Be paired with volunteer mentor for one-on-one training, and satisfactorily complete mentor training.
- Begin signing up for volunteer shifts at either/both our West Ox Campus and Lorton Campus!
- Please note: this onboarding process usually takes 3-6 weeks from attendance at a New In-House Volunteer Information Session.