--- title: How to Volunteer at an Animal Shelter · PrepScholar description: Want to become an animal shelter volunteer? This guide explains how to get involved with your local shelter and what the pros and cons are. image: https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/body_dog.jpg --- **[![PrepScholar](https://www.prepscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PrepScholar-Logo-Colored.png)](https://www.prepscholar.com/)** CALL NOW: [+1 (866) 811-5546](tel:18668115546) [![Start Free Trial](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/360031/interactive-171805697634.png)](https://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKJluK2NyG3jpAJh%2F2lClc1fhnVHyMZoQonqRxtJngB8FMX6lc78F84JqOaVAL0d36TA5%2FYuH%2FLCJw8AG3ewREi%2F7a3XDouZgjxWfYCBUge6z76KnSykOxONl3avMK0gUjJGpJdyJE2BDTx8g3bsgHwMtx4Kr9Jfh6Jr7WA2XEIgtLw1OoVvAMo4Kw%3D&webInteractiveContentId=171805697634&portalId=360031) ## Choose Your Test SAT Prep ACT Prep [PrepScholar Advice Blog](https://blog.prepscholar.com/) ☰ - Search Blogs By Category - [SAT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/sat) - [ACT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/act) - [College Admissions](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/college-admissions) - [AP and IB Exams](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/advanced-placement-ap) - [PSAT](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/psat-info-and-strategies) - [TOEFL](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/toefl) - [GPA and Coursework](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/coursework-gpa) # [How to Volunteer at an Animal Shelter](https://blog.prepscholar.com/animal-shelter-volunteer) ![author image](http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/360031/author_lauren.png) Posted by [Dora Seigel](https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/dora-seigel) | Updated on August 21, 2024 [Extracurriculars](https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/extracurriculars)   ![body_dog.jpg](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/hubfs/body_dog.jpg?width=320&name=body_dog.jpg "body_dog.jpg") Love animals? Thinking about a career as a veterinarian? Or maybe you're just hoping to play with animals? Volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience. How can you become an animal shelter volunteer? What will you do as a volunteer? Are there alternative experiences? This guide will answer all those questions and more, so read on!   ## What to Expect as an Animal Shelter Volunteer While volunteering at an animal shelter can be a great experience, it's not going to be fun and games all the time. You will get to play with animals, but that will not be your only responsibility.** You’ll likely also be cleaning up after them,** sweeping, mopping, filling water and food bowls, tidying litter boxes, washing towels, etc. After all of these things are done, you'll have a chance to play with the animals. **It's going to be work first, and then fun.** You’ll likely also have to deal with some customer service work such as answering phone calls and responding to adoption questions. Depending on the shelter where you work, you may be assigned a specific "job." These jobs include:  - **Adoption Liaison:** Assist potential adopters through the process of adoption (meeting animals, filling out paperwork, etc.).  - **Kennel Assistant** (sometimes dog or cat specific): Clean the kennel, feed the animals, and provide walks/exercise for the animals.  - **Training Class Assistant:** Help run the dog training classes offered by the shelter (if applicable). - **Surgery Support Volunteer:** Stay with the animals as they wake up from surgery. Make sure pet owners have all the information they need for post-surgery care.  - **Animal Transport Volunteer: **Drive animals between the shelter and clinic.  **NOTE:** Some shelters require you be 18 years or older to do certain jobs such as animal transport. On top of the menial tasks, you may have to do as an animal shelter volunteer; **you’ll also likely deal with some sadness. **You may get attached to animals who end up adopted, and if you work at a kill shelter, you might also get attached to animals that end up euthanized. It’s not always an easy job, so make sure you take all of this into consideration before committing to volunteering at an animal shelter.   ## What Are the Requirements for Being an Animal Shelter Volunteer? Most shelters only allow volunteers **aged 16 and older. **Check your local shelter to find out their age requirement (I’ll get into how to locate a shelter below). If you’re under 16 and want to volunteer, see if they’ll make an exception. They may also let you volunteer if your legal guardian signs off on it or if your legal guardian volunteers with you. Most shelters make you **commit to at least a few months of volunteering,** if not a full year. These shelters spend time and money training their volunteers, so they want to make sure you’re committed. At your training or orientation, you'll learn the rules of volunteering, sign paperwork (release forms), and get a tour of the facilities along with instructions on how to do your volunteer "job."  On top of a commitment to a length of time, you usually also have to **commit to at least one shift every other week.** Shifts range from 2-4 hours depending on the shelter. **Some shelters have physical requirements too** (since you might be dealing with large animals and lifting things). They may require you to be physically fit enough to stand and or walk for up to 3 hours and be able to lift and carry 20 lbs or more. They also may require you to be able to tolerate loud sounds and bad odors. Again, **contact your local shelter or humane society to ask about their specific volunteer requirements. **Learn how to find their contact information in the next section   ## How to Find a Volunteering Opportunity Near You Finding an animal shelter near you should be as simple as conducting a Google Search for **“\[Your Town Name\] Animal Shelter” or “\[Your Town Name\] Animal Rescue” or  **“\[Your Town Name\] Humane Society.” ****That should lead you to the website for an animal shelter or, at least, the contact information for an animal shelter near you. If you’re able to locate a specific animal shelter website, **look for a volunteer page. **On the volunteer page, shelters usually list a contact person for potential volunteers. Reach out to that person to get started as a volunteer. Other shelters have online applications for potential volunteers. Fill one out to get started. **If you’re unable to find a website**, use whatever contact information you can find through Google to get in touch with someone (whether through phone or email) who works at the shelter and ask about volunteering. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a while to get a response about volunteering or if a shelter tells you they don’t need volunteers right now. **Volunteering at animal shelters can be very popular, and some shelters already have a lot of volunteers and don’t need more help.** You may be able to be put on a volunteer waitlist. However, if that's not an option, try to approach the next closest shelter in your area.     ![body_kitten.jpg](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/hubfs/body_kitten.jpg?width=320&name=body_kitten.jpg "body_kitten.jpg")   ## The Good and Bad of Volunteering at an Animal Shelter How is volunteering at an animal shelter different than other volunteer work? **You get to work with animals and meet like-minded animal lovers!** It's a great way to make friends and spend time with cuddly critters.  You also get to help lonely animals. **You get to play with them, make sure they live in a clean environment, and help them find loving homes.** You'll help guide people on their path to finding their dream pet. It's challenging work, but it can also be a rewarding process. Are you interested in potentially becoming a veterinarian or doing other work with animals? **Volunteering at a humane society will allow you to test out whether ****you’d like to pursue a career working with animals.** Working as a shelter volunteer, you'll learn so much about what it takes to take care of animals. You'll learn how hard it is, how rewarding it is, and how sad it can be. By the end of your volunteer experience, you should have a good understanding of whether it's the work you want to do.  **Volunteering at an animal shelter can also be a great experience for your college application.** Here at PrepScholar, we often recommend you [try to be an expert in one field rather than well-rounded.](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum) Colleges want students who're experts in something. If your passion is animals, or something similar, working at an animal shelter will look great on your application. Make sure you complement your animal shelter volunteer work with other animal-related experiences (i.e. hosting a fundraiser to build a dog park or gathering signatures to add an animal to the endangered species list). Additionally, many extracurricular experiences cost money (such as [volunteer abroad programs](https://blog.prepscholar.com/should-you-really-do-a-volunteer-abroad-program)). **Volunteering is a free extracurricular experience** that won't cost you anything other than your time. I highly recommend engaging in [volunteer work](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-many-volunteer-hours-for-college) even if you ultimately decide an animal shelter is not the right place for you.  **Keep in mind that, as I said before, volunteer work is not all fun.** You'll have to do menial work such as cleaning up after the animals *before* you can play with them. Additionally, if you work at a kill shelter, you might get attached to animals who get adopted or euthanized. If you’re interested in working with animals (but don’t want to or can't work at an animal shelter), you could try some similar alternatives. Check out the next section for ideas.   ## Alternatives to Volunteering at an Animal Shelter If you don’t have the time to commit to working at a shelter, **consider [job shadowing a veterinarian](https://blog.prepscholar.com/job-shadowing-for-high-school-students) for a day or two. **Job shadowing is a great, quick way to learn more about veterinary work. Another alternative is **fostering an animal if you have space at your house (and your parents allow it)**.However, fostering is a big commitment, so make sure that you and your family have the time to dedicate to caring for the animal you foster.  If you need to make money and don’t have the time to volunteer for free, **consider trying to get a job as a dog walker or pet sitter. **If you live in a major metropolitan area (NY, LA, Seattle, etc.), there is a [dog walking app called Wag](http://www.wagwalker.com/), where you can set your own hours to walk dogs. Consider checking it out! If you’re interested in medicine in general (and not just working with animals), **consider doing a summer medical program, summer medical internship, volunteering at a hospital, or job shadowing a doctor. **Read our other article on [Medical Experiences for High School Students](https://blog.prepscholar.com/medical-programs-for-high-school-students) for more details.   ## What’s Next? If you’re a high school student looking for an extracurricular activity, learn about [Model UN](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-model-un-high-school) and how to [join your high school newspaper](https://blog.prepscholar.com/high-school-newspaper). Looking for something to do this summer? You should check out the [Emory Pre-College Program](https://blog.prepscholar.com/emory-pre-college-program) and the [Boston University Summer Challenge](https://blog.prepscholar.com/boston-university-summer-challenge).   [![Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?   We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/360031/interactive-151856191907.png)](https://blog.prepscholar.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJOoYlNbO64723KgEmUkhhnKoW6B7VAgc6gJYjHJop7JZLxvwy7N1C8PP3DA6ldpFioQjX9RCqQkbAAZWqPeEa1NLTkK2yWb4pLTqKLTqd0S4K8aQHEOYrA3Y65b1RwAAZQ3m4FtfYBYPwPDP78Vf%2FXXYm%2F5BWUsAN3PDtKyFrCWk3Tpsts%2FGiye9nKDYjlp6fvJA%3D%3D&webInteractiveContentId=151856191907&portalId=360031)   ### Trending Now [How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum) [How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-a-4-0-gpa-and-get-better-grades-by-a-harvard-alum) [How to Write an Amazing College Essay](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-write-a-college-essay) [Should You Take the SAT or ACT?](https://quiz.prepscholar.com/sat-vs-act) [What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-do-colleges-look-for) [ACT vs. SAT: 10 Key Differences](https://blog.prepscholar.com/act-vs-sat) [Calculate Your College Chances](https://mycollegechances.prepscholar.com/) Get Your Free **[![PrepScholar](https://www.prepscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PrepScholar-Logo-Colored.png)](https://www.prepscholar.com/)** eBook [5 Tips to Raise Your SAT Score 160+ Points](https://www.prepscholar.com/rp/sat-5-tips-ebook/) [5 Tips to Raise Your ACT Score 4+ Points](https://www.prepscholar.com/rp/act-5-tips-ebook/) ### SAT Prep [Find Your Target SAT Score](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-sat-score-a-bad-sat-score-an-excellent-sat-score) [Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests](https://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-official-sat-practice-tests-free-links) ### **[How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-a-perfect-sat-score-by-a-2400-sat-scorer)** [Score 800 on SAT Math](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-800-on-sat-math-by-a-perfect-scorer) [Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-800-on-sat-reading-and-writing) [Raise Your SAT Score by 160+ Points GUARANTEED. Start Your 5-Day Risk-Free Trial](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat-test-prep/?utm_source=databasepage&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=sat_guarantee) ### ACT Prep [Find Your Target ACT Score](https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-act-score-a-bad-act-score-an-excellent-act-score) [Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests](https://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-official-act-practice-tests-free-links) ### **[How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-a-perfect-act-score-by-a-36-full-scorer)** [Get a 36 on ACT English](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-36-on-act-english-9-strategies-from-a-perfect-scorer) [Get a 36 on ACT Math](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-36-on-act-math-8-strategies-by-a-perfect-scorer) [Get a 36 on ACT Reading](https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-36-on-act-reading-11-strategies-from-a-perfect-scorer) Stay Informed Get the latest articles and test prep tips! - [![Follow us on Facebook (icon)](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/facebook_logo.png)](https://www.facebook.com/prepscholar) - [![Follow us on X (icon)](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/twitterx-50.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/follow?region=follow_link&screen_name=PrepScholar&tw_p=followbutton) - [![Follow us on Instagram (icon)](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/instagram-sidebar.webp)](https://www.instagram.com/prepscholar/) Get Exclusive Tips for College Admissions Sign up to receive free guidance on everything from acing the SAT to writing a standout college admissions essay. × ## Thanks for Subscribing! ![Check icon](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/file-2386656898.png/subscribe_check.png.png?width=175&name=subscribe_check.png) To receive immediate updates on all our helpful guides and strategies, **follow us** on social media: [![Facebook](https://blogprepschola.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/26de6c2beb2b71ee5b8d660200359259.png)](https://www.facebook.com/prepscholar) [![X](https://blogprepschola.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/f233666501ea25d3fcf3c390d2f08c7b.png)](https://x.com/intent/follow?region=follow_link&screen_name=PrepScholar&tw_p=followbutton) [![LinkedIn](https://blogprepschola.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/linkedin.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/prepscholar/) [![Instagram](https://blogprepschola.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/download-1.png)](https://www.instagram.com/prepscholar/) **Have friends who also need help with test prep?** Share this article! [![Share on email](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/hubfs/email-color.png?width=24&name=email-color.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.prepscholar.com%2Fanimal-shelter-volunteer%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.prepscholar.com%2Fanimal-shelter-volunteer%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) [![Share on facebook](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/hubfs/facebook-color.png?width=24&name=facebook-color.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.prepscholar.com%2Fanimal-shelter-volunteer%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on twitter](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/hubfs/x-twitter-color.png?width=24&name=x-twitter-color.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.prepscholar.com%2Fanimal-shelter-volunteer%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.prepscholar.com%2Fanimal-shelter-volunteer%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=) [![Share on linkedin](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/360031/hubfs/linkedin-color.png?width=24&name=linkedin-color.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.prepscholar.com%2Fanimal-shelter-volunteer%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) About the Author ![author image](http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/360031/author_lauren.png) Dora Seigel As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography. ## Ask a Question Below Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! **[![PrepScholar](https://www.prepscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PrepScholar-Logo-White.png)](https://www.prepscholar.com)** - [WHO WE ARE](https://www.prepscholar.com/who-we-are/) - [SUCCESS STORIES](https://www.prepscholar.com/case-studies/) - [ADVICE BLOG](https://blog.prepscholar.com/) - [FOR SCHOOLS](https://www.prepscholar.com/for-schools/) - [SAT](https://www.prepscholar.com/sat-test-prep/) - [ACT](https://www.prepscholar.com/act-test-prep/) - [PSAT](https://www.prepscholar.com/psat-test-prep/) - [AP](https://www.prepscholar.com/ap-tutoring/) - [GRE](https://www.prepscholar.com/gre-test-prep/) - [GMAT](https://www.prepscholar.com/gmat-test-prep/) - [TOEFL](https://www.prepscholar.com/toefl-test-prep/) - [ADMISSIONS](https://www.prepscholar.com/college-admissions-consulting/) - [TERMS OF SERVICE](https://www.prepscholar.com/terms-of-service/) - [PRIVACY POLICY](https://www.prepscholar.com/privacy-policy/) - [![follow us on X (icon)](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/360031/twitter-64.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/follow?region=follow_link&screen_name=PrepScholar&tw_p=followbutton) - [![Follow us on Facebook (icon)](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/360031/facebook-64.png)](https://www.facebook.com/prepscholar) - [![follow us on Instagram (icon)](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/instagram-64.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/prepscholar/) - [![follow us on TikTok (icon)](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/tiktok-50.svg)](https://www.tiktok.com/@prepscholarofficial) - [![Follow us on LinkedIn (icon)](https://360031.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/360031/linkedin50.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/prepscholar/) © PrepScholar 2013-2025. All rights reserved SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this web site. ACT® is a registered trademark belonging to ACT Education Corporation ("ACT"). ACT is not involved with or affiliated with PrepScholar Inc., nor does ACT endorse or sponsor any of the products or services offered by PrepScholar Inc. GRE® and TOEFL® are registered trademarks of the ETS®. The ETS® does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with, the owner or any content of this web site. GMAT® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admissions Council®. The Graduate Management Admissions Council® does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with, the owner or any content of this website. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dora Seigel", "url" : "https://blog.prepscholar.com/author/dora-seigel" }, "dateModified" : "2024-08-21T13:27:47+00:00", "datePublished" : "2015-12-29T23:00:00+00:00", "description" : "Want to become an animal shelter volunteer? This guide explains how to get involved with your local shelter and what the pros and cons are.", "headline" : "How to Volunteer at an Animal Shelter", "image" : "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/360031/body_dog.jpg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.prepscholar.com/animal-shelter-volunteer", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.prepscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PrepScholar-Logo-Colored.png" }, "name" : "PrepScholar" } } ```