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Volunteer to help animals
The Humane Society of the United States, and its family of organizations , embraces volunteers as essential partners in our lifesaving work . We engage volunteers in supporting staff at every level to amplify our efforts to create a more humane society. We welcome and respect our volunteers' unique identities, diverse backgrounds and experiences to build an inclusive animal welfare movement. We believe everyone can help fight for all animals!
Learn some of the reasons people love to volunteer their time with us!
Animal Rescue Team volunteer "I have thoroughly enjoyed serving with the HSUS. The staff are always supportive, the other volunteers are amazing – and the animals? Simply fantastic! This has been on my bucket list. So glad I get to help."
Humane Policy Volunteer Leader "I have loved animals all my life and the HSUS has given me the knowledge, training and support to help make their lives better. I know the ‘who, what, when, where and why’ of advocacy and I am so grateful!"
Phone banking volunteer "Knowing that each person reached makes the passage of vital bills to end puppy mills, factory farming, animal testing and other abuses possible has truly given my life purpose!"
We offer a wide range of ways to get involved, each with varying requirements, responsibilities and commitment levels, and we provide all of our volunteers with guidance and training as needed. To ensure the safety of the organization’s people and property, and the animals in our care, we conduct a background check of our volunteers’ criminal history.* Additional background check components will be included based on the scope of the volunteer work. The organization will consider volunteer applicants with a criminal record on a case by case basis. Typically, crimes against people or animals, or crimes of a more recent nature, may be cause for us to decline a volunteer application.
*Some volunteer roles do not require a background check.
*Volunteers will be called to work at whichever location they are needed.
The Humane Society of the United States is pleased to announce that it has been certified by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, as a Service Enterprise! Achieving Service Enterprise certification is a prestigious accomplishment for an organization. In fact, organizations that certify join the top 11% of nonprofits nationwide in volunteer management and organizational performance. Certification signifies that organizations have the capability and management expertise to strategically use volunteers to improve the performance of their organization.
Do good, feel good: How volunteering for animals can help you too
Humane Policy Volunteer Leader program
Start your own fundraising campaign by honoring a beloved person or pet, running a race, celebrating a special occasion and more.
Apply to become an animal rescue volunteer so you can join our Animal Rescue Team on future deployments.
Helping animals from home or locally
We have many opportunities that allow you to volunteer with Best Friends and Best Friends Network partners from home or in your community!
The Best Friends Network is made up of hundreds of shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations from all across the country that are committed to saving the lives of homeless pets through effective adoption, spay/neuter and intake prevention programs. The network was built upon Best Friends Animal Society’s belief that collaboration is one of the keys to ending killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. Together, we are leading the way by inspiring communities and implementing proven methods that show the country that no-kill is possible.
We strive to make our volunteering opportunities accessible to the largest number of people possible. If you have accessibility requirements in order to fulfill a volunteer role in which you are interested, please contact us at [email protected] so we can work together to accommodate you.
Check out our featured opportunities below.
If you are interested in one of the foster care support positions below, please submit an interest form .
- Foster Mentor
- Record Management
- Adoption Ambassador
- Foster Medical Support
- Survey Results Analysis Volunteer
- Online Pet Sales Project
- Action Alert Outreach Team Volunteers
- Facebook Social Media Managers
- Digital Learning Interactive/Animation Asset Creation Volunteer
- Video Editor
- Best Friends Network Partners (nationwide)
- Creative Content Volunteer
Interested in more ways to save lives remotely? Best Friends’ national operations team is looking to add to their dedicated team of lifesaving support volunteers. The NOVA team has four distinct volunteer roles, each of which is essential for helping dogs and cats find loving homes.
Simply put, volunteering your time saves precious lives.
Each year, PAWS volunteers contribute a staggering number of hours toward helping cats, dogs and wild animals in need.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at PAWS!
The PAWS Companion Animal Shelter in Lynnwood is accepting applications, although we have limited shifts available on weekends and evenings.
The PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood is accepting applications for their busy baby season and will be opening their 6:00pm – 10:00pm evening volunteer shifts starting April 1st to September 30th.
The PAWS Foster Program in Lynnwood is accepting applications.
PAWS Cat City in Seattle is not accepting applications at this time.
Please read through the different roles at PAWS in our Volunteer Opportunities section below, and let us know if you have any questions by emailing us at [email protected] .
Learn about our volunteer program
Each year, PAWS cares for more than 7,600 cats, dogs and wild animals, and we couldn’t do it without our compassionate and dedicated volunteers. Volunteers work side by side with PAWS staff caring for wildlife and companion animals and helping with education and outreach to the community. We provide the training for all volunteer positions – no prior experience required. Whether you’re feeding orphaned wildlife, helping find homes for cats and dogs, or contributing to the success of an event, you can play an important role in the life-saving work of PAWS.
Become a volunteer
Are you looking to help animals in need, feel inspired, and meet like-minded animal lovers? Find the requirements for volunteering at PAWS and how to get started.
Volunteer opportunities
From feeding baby birds at the PAWS Wildlife Center to making donor thank you calls from your home, PAWS has volunteer positions for anyone who wants to make a difference. Check out the many opportunities and get involved today!
Internships and externships
PAWS has a variety of opportunities for those wanting to gain hands-on experience in the fields of companion animal sheltering, wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary medicine, and outreach/education.
Become a foster family
Want to be part of the Foster Care Program that saves more than 2,000 animals each year? Foster parents volunteer their time to provide temporary care for cats, kittens, dogs and puppies in their own King County and Greater Snohomish County homes.
Group volunteer opportunities
We have a continual need for groups to help with projects all around the PAWS campus in Lynnwood. Sign up for a group volunteer activity with family, friends or coworkers.
Kids and teen opportunities
Volunteering is a great way to learn, have fun, make friends, and give back to your community. At PAWS, you must be 16 years or older to work with or around animals but there are lots of other ways for kids to help.
Baby season volunteers
Baby season at paws.
Every year, PAWS rehabilitates injured and orphaned baby wild animals and returns them back to the wild where they belong. Find out more about this amazing process.
- How to rehome
- How to rehome a horse
- Horse fostering
- Advice for adopters Advice for adopters
- Exotic pets
- Ornamental Fish
- Giving up a pet
- Pet bereavement
- Find or call a vet
- Brachycephalic animals
- Lost and found
- Phasing out
- Are animal experiments necessary?
- Testing chemicals
- Medicines and vaccines
- Replacing research animals
- Reducing research animal suffering
- Primates and research
- Biotechnology
- Farm animals as pets
- Live transport
- Laying hens
- Farmed fish
- Meat chickens
- Beef cattle
- Farmed rabbits
- Worried about a farm animal?
- Injured wild animals
- Orphaned wild animals
- Wildlife in captivity
- Animals in the wild
- Living with wildlife
- Wildlife laws
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- How we're helping
- Animals you can no longer see
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- Fishing litter
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- Single use plastics
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- Pets at Christmas
- Wildlife in the garden
- Alabama rot
- Report concerns
- Pet cost calculator
- Food bank donation point
- What can I do?
- What's it like to volunteer with us?
- Volunteers' week
- Puppy trade
- Breed Specific Legislation
- Stun before slaughter
- Primates as pets
- Sentient beings
- Sanctuaries
- Farm Animals
- Cheap chicken
- Tougher sentencing
- Make Wales kinder for animals
- I'm a Celebrity
- Stop live exports
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- Gene editing
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- Pets as prizes
- End the cage age
- Lab animal regulations
- Save our breath
- Join our campaign network
- Achievements
- Phase Out Lab Animals
- Greyhound racing
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- End Sky Litter
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- Getting justice for animals
- Investigate cruelty
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- Shop and donate Shop and donate
- Cat insurance
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- Product information
- Make a claim
- Cancel out cruelty
- My account My account
- My pets My pets
- Sign in Sign in
Volunteer for us
Volunteering for us is one enjoyable way of helping animal welfare and can be very rewarding.
How do I volunteer?
Take a look at our latest opportunities on offer, both in your local area and based from home. You can apply straight away through our volunteering portal.
Find a volunteer vacancy
Don't worry if you can't find a suitable vacancy right now. The website is updated regularly, so keep checking for new vacancies and you are sure to find something that interests you. If you have accessibility requirements please email us for support.
Once shortlisted you'll be invited to an informal chat and for some roles, you'll need to provide two references, these could be from an employer, community member or friend but not a family member. Once you start volunteering you'll follow a training and induction programme to learn all the skills you need for the role.
We can't do it without you
Volunteers make a huge contribution to the work we do to prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate the suffering of animals.
With such a wide range of volunteering roles available across our network of branches and animal and wildlife centres, there is bound to be a suitable opportunity near you .
What will I gain?
Volunteering with us is a great way to meet like-minded people who share the same enthusiasm for animal welfare. There are lots of other benefits too, such as:
- gaining new skills or developing existing ones
- the chance to try out something new
- doing something useful and rewarding
- gaining a sense of achievement
- putting something back into the community
- developing your personal skills and confidence
As a volunteer, you can gain important transferable skills in fundraising, campaigning, finance, team building, management, computers, and administration - the list is endless.
Who can volunteer?
Anyone can volunteer. We value diversity and encourage volunteers from all sections of the community.
Unfortunately, there are limited opportunities for anyone who is under 16 years of age and some restrictions apply in relation to opportunities for those under 18. If you can't find a volunteering opportunity why not consider having some fun fundraising for us instead?
How much time will I have to give?
There are many ways you can help us make a difference, no matter how much time you have available or the level of commitment you can afford to give.
Search our volunteer opportunities to find your perfect volunteer role - your time can make a real difference to animal welfare.
Read our full volunteering guidelines .
Our charity events
Come along to our local and national events - open days, microchipping events, fetes and more.
Fundraise for animals
From cake bakes to sky dives - check out our fundraising ideas!
Foster an animal
Could you foster an animal? We need special people who can open up their homes temporarily.
Volunteers' Week
We're getting ready for Volunteers' Week 1-7 June 2022!
Campaign for animal welfare
We aim to prompt political and behavioural change on a range of animal welfare-related issues.
We're kept busy round the clock - find out what we get up to!
Volunteer ATX
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities in Austin, TX
Volunteer for Animals in Austin, TX
Volunteer opportunities to help animals in austin and its surrounding areas, austin pets alive.
About APA! “Our story hasn’t necessarily been for the faint of heart. Austin Pets Alive! began when vulnerable, homeless pets truly needed us the most. When we were first imagined, Austin had a kill-rate of 87% – today, we have a save-rate of 97%. Through hardships, we have found inspiration; and through this inspiration, we…
Austin Animal Center
About AAC “We’re America’s largest No Kill community, saving more than 98% of the 16k animals that come through our doors each year!” https://www.instagram.com/austinanimalcenter/ Volunteer Opportunities Dog Adoption Ambassadors: Help adopters find the right dog for their family.Cat Enrichment & Adoption volunteer: Spend time giving extra love and attention to AAC’s cats, and help them find…
About Emancipet “Emancipet is a nonprofit on a mission to make spay/neuter services and veterinary care affordable and accessible to all pet owners. We manage an expanding national network of high-quality, low-cost clinics; offer customized training and consulting programs to animal welfare organizations nationwide; and advocate for strategies and public policy that improve the lives…
Austin Humane Society
About AHS “Serving our community since 1952, the Austin Humane Society (AHS) is the longest standing no-kill shelter in Austin. AHS transforms the lives of animals and the people who love them through life-saving programs that find animals homes, serve animals and people in times of crisis, prevent future homelessness through spay and neuter, and…
Austin Dog Rescue
About ADR “Austin Dog Rescue (ADR) has been rescuing and finding homes for homeless dogs since 2006…We are an all-volunteer organization and have no paid employees. All our dogs are housed and cared for by foster caregivers in a home setting. We focus on rescuing dogs that will fit in to most homes, but we…
Austin Wildlife Rescue
About AWR “Austin Wildlife Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife in the Austin area. We have been a proud Central Texas tradition since 1977. AWR started as a small group of concerned individuals from diverse backgrounds with a common interest in providing experienced care for wildlife. From the small…
Austin Farm Sanctuary
About AFS “Austin Farm Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) animal rescue farm and organization. Our mission is to rescue and provide sanctuary to farm animals and to inspire change in how society views and treats these beautiful creatures. We believe that progress requires more than the actions of a few, it requires a community.We strive to build…
Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary
About Thundering Paws “Thundering Paws offers a safe haven for cats who are homeless, neglected, injured, or abused. We help other animals when we can find a foster home for them.” https://www.thunderingpaws.org/ Volunteer Opportunities Thundering Paws schedules morning and afternoon volunteer shifts every day and hosts volunteers on Sunday afternoons for more extensive projects. Volunteer duties…
Lifelong Friends Pet Adoptions
About Lifelong Friends “Lifelong Friends Pet Adoptions is a non-profit 501c(3), no-kill pet rescue center dedicated to preventing animal suffering, rescuing and caring for stray and abandoned dogs and cats and finding homes for these animals, educating the public about responsible pet ownership, and encouraging pet owners to spay and neuter their animals.” http://www.lifelongfriends.org/about.html Volunteer Opportunities Caregiving:…
Georgetown Animal Shelter
About Georgetown Animal Shelter “The problem of pet overpopulation belongs to the community as a whole, not just to the people paid to work at the animal shelter. Without volunteers, the quality of life of pets in the animal shelter would be much lower. Without volunteers, they would seldom be taken out for walks, bathed,…
Central Texas SPCA
About CTSPCA “At the Central Texas SPCA, we rescue abandoned and homeless dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia and provide them with a unique home-like shelter with spacious indoor condos for the cats, size-appropriate crates for the dogs, as well as outdoor kennels and off-leash play areas for the dogs. For over 30 years,…
LOVE-A-BULL
About LOVE-A-BULL “The LOVE-A-BULL mission is to promote responsible guardianship and improve the image and lives of pit bull type dogs through community support, education, advocacy, and rescue.” http://love-a-bull.org/ Volunteer Opportunities Foster: Give a loving, comfortable home to a dog while it waits to find its forever home.Help with adoption and fundraising eventsJoin a committee Volunteer…
Hoofbeats Academy
About Hoofbeats Academy “Hoofbeats Academy is the ‘able stable’ and a ‘MOUNTessori’ classroom. The stable is an enriched environment with horsemanship materials for differently abled students to freely explore. The goal is for all to ‘get stable’ by providing for diverse needs.” https://www.hoofbeatsacademy.org/ Volunteer Opportunities Assist with the lesson programFacility maintenanceFundraisingEvent support Volunteer Requirements Minimum 1.5-hour…
Pflugerville Pets Alive!
About PPA! “Pflugerville Pets Alive! is a volunteer run organization with two main goals: finding loving and safe homes for the homeless pets of Pflugerville, and support the Pflugerville Animal Shelter. We are committed to raising awareness that shelter animals are loving and fantastic companions, and the importance of pet population control through spaying and neutering. We…
Greyhound Rescue Austin
About GRA “Greyhound Rescue Austin’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome Greyhound dogs.Most of our dogs have come from Central Texas animal shelters and off the streets. No matter the immediate source, they come out of the racing industry. We choose to not work directly with breeders or the tracks, because so many Greyhounds…
Divine Canines
About Divine Canines “Divine Canines was formed in 2004 by a group of dog lovers who wanted to share the unconditional love of dogs with people in special needs facilities in Central Texas. We began with five dog-and-handler teams, one large client – the Austin State Hospital – and a professional dog trainer who generously…
House Rabbit Resource Network
About HRRN “The House Rabbit Resource Network is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the lives of domestic rabbits by: Educating people about caring for companion rabbits as house pets, facilitating rabbit rescues and adoptions, [and] promoting rabbit advocacy and welfare.” http://rabbitresource.org/about/ Volunteer Opportunities Care for bunnies at the shelter, including learning about their diet,…
Service Dogs, Inc.
About Service Dogs, Inc. “Founded in 1988 by attorney Sheri Soltes, Service Dogs, Inc. builds better lives for Texans overcoming challenges through partnerships with custom trained Assistance Dogs provided free of charge.” https://www.servicedogs.org/ Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer at Events: Help with setup, teardown, interaction with the public, and event preparation like making signs and stuffing gift bags. Out-of-town volunteers…
Texas Humane Heroes
About Texas Humane Heroes “Texas Humane Heroes is a No Kill, private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization with dog and cat adoption centers in Leander (Greater Austin Metropolitan area) and Killeen, Texas. Established in 1979, Texas Humane Heroes enhances the lives of pets and people through adoption, availability of our low-cost spay/neuter and vaccinations as well as family-friendly community events.We are…
The Dog Alliance
About The Dog Alliance “We provide service dogs for veterans who are challenged by the visible and invisible wounds of war. We provide therapy dogs to reduce stress in the workplace, the airport, the courts and schools. We bring joy to patients in nursing homes and hospitals. We provide self-esteem building summer camps for kids…
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Animals are important for many reasons, including the assistance they give to plant ecosystems, the psychological and emotional support they can offer to humans, and the knowledge gained from the human study of them. Some of the most import...
The main characteristics of animals are sexual reproduction, eukaryotic cells, movement, multicellularity and heterotrophy. Animal cells are differentiated and organized into tissues, except in sponges.
Names for groups of animals include pods of whales, exaltations of larks, knots of toads, packs of dogs, parliaments of owls and sloths of bears. In addition, cattle, horses and deer are all grouped into herds.
Select a state to see volunteer opportunities near you.
Volunteer to help animals through Best Friends Animal Society. See featured opportunities to help homeless pets around the country.
Find nonprofit and charity organizations near you, who need volunteers in cause areas like advocacy, animals, health and medicine, children and youth
Find nonprofit and charity organizations near you, who need volunteers in cause areas like advocacy, animals, health and medicine, children and youth
Find nonprofit and charity organizations near you, who need volunteers in cause areas like advocacy, animals, health and medicine, children and youth
Find nonprofit and charity organizations near you, who need volunteers in cause areas like advocacy, animals, health and medicine, children and youth
Find nonprofit and charity organizations near you, who need volunteers in cause areas like advocacy, animals, health and medicine, children and youth
Find nonprofit and charity organizations near you, who need volunteers in cause areas like advocacy, animals, health and medicine, children and youth
through the different roles at PAWS in our Volunteer Opportunities section below
Anyone can volunteer to help support our animal rescue and welfare operation. If you're interested in volunteering for the RSPCA, find out more here.
Volunteer for Animals in Austin, TX · Austin Pets Alive! · Austin Animal Center · Emancipet · Austin Humane Society · Austin Dog Rescue · Austin Wildlife Rescue.