Volunteer
Volunteer Program
We need you and so do the animals!
Tails Humane Society offers a variety of exciting opportunities designed to provide the best quality of life for homeless animals in our care. We offer opportunities to work directly with our animals and also opportunities that are “behind the scenes”. Examples include fundraising event committee members or administrative support roles. Tails utilizes volunteers every single day from 7AM-close, including holidays. Your volunteer time, regardless of your interest or assignment, will directly impact our rate of success.
Volunteer Roles
Tails Pals (5-15 years old)
Children ages 5-15 can join the Tails Pals program. For safety reasons, Tails Pals must be accompanied by an Adult Volunteer (18+) who will submit their own volunteer application that includes the child or children’s information, and attend the volunteer orientation, training, and accompany the Tails Pals for all volunteer shifts at the shelter and/or events. There are some restricted volunteer activities for this age group. Pals will volunteer under their Adult Volunteer’s account until they reach the age of 16. Fee for Tails Pals is $10 for the volunteer shirt, name badge, and printed materials.
Junior Volunteers (16-17 years old)
Teenagers ages 16-17 can join the Tails Junior Volunteers program. Tails Junior Volunteers may volunteer unaccompanied by an adult Volunteer, but must have their permission form signed by a parent/legal guardian (18+). Junior Volunteers attend orientation, training, and shifts independently. Fee for Junior Volunteers is $20 for the Volunteer shirt, name badge, and printed materials.
Adult Volunteers (Over 18 years old)
Adults age 18 or older can join the Tails Adult Volunteer program. Adult Volunteers must complete orientation and training. Fee for Adult Volunteers is $20 for the volunteer shirt, name badge, and printed materials.
Community Service Volunteers
Hours assigned by a court can be completed at Tails for non-violent misdemeanors, such as minor traffic offenses. There are some restricted volunteer activities for these volunteers while they are completing their service hours due to the nature of their required volunteer service work, but afterwards they are welcome to become regular volunteers. These volunteers are required to attend orientation and training. Fee for Community Service Volunteers is $20 for the volunteer shirt, name badge, and printed materials.
Volunteer Opportunities
Tails offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. Volunteers must be trained in any area they are interested in volunteering in before signing-up for their first shift. Volunteers can volunteer for as many opportunities as they would like to.
Brooms and Brushes
Roles Open To: Tails Pals, Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers, Community Service Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Weekdays 7am-7:30pm, Weekends 7am 5:30pm
Brooms and Brushes Volunteers aid in general shelter maintenance duties including washing windows, sweeping and mopping, cleaning dishes, rotating and folding laundry, cleaning and sanitizing hard plastic items, organizing and cleaning shelter rooms, refilling water bowls throughout the shelter, spot cleaning dog/puppy runs, opening and shredding newspaper, organizing donations, and emptying the garbage.
Cat Care/Cleaning
Roles Open To: Tails Pals, Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers, Community Service Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Daily 7am-11am (Shelter), 8am-9am (Petco), Weekdays 4pm-7:30pm, Weekends 4pm-5:30pm
The Cat Care/Cleaning volunteer role includes caretaking tasks involving the cats at the shelter. This role also includes caring for the adoptable cats at our partner Petco location. Tasks include providing fresh food and water, cleaning individual condos and colony rooms, scooping litter boxes, and ensuring all cats have clean bedding and toys. The morning shifts involve deep cleaning and the afternoon/evening shifts involve spot cleaning.
Cat Socializing
Roles Open To: Tails Pals, Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Weekdays 7am-7pm, Weekends 7am-5:30pm
The Cat Socializing Volunteer role includes socializing with the cats at the shelter to help lower stress. This role may include brushing and grooming cats, providing enrichment, and completing a behavioral evaluation report for staff
Clinic
Roles Open To: Adult Volunteers
Two options:
- Veterinary Assistant
- Shifts Available During: Tuesdays-Thursdays 9am-4pm
- Clinic Veterinary Assistant volunteers assist the veterinary team with surgical prep, wrapping surgical packs, monitoring animals in recovery, scrubbing in, shaving, laundry, and cleaning.
- Administrative Assistant
- Shifts Available During: Tuesdays-Thursdays 7am-9am, 2pm 4pm
- Clinic Administrative Assistant volunteers assist the Clinic Office Staff with checking the animals in and out for their surgery.
Dog Care/Cleaning
Roles Open To: Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers, Community Service Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Daily 7am-11am, Weekdays 4:30pm-6:30pm, Weekends 3pm-5pm
The Dog Care/Cleaning volunteer role includes caretaking tasks involving the dogs at the shelter. Tasks include providing fresh food and water, cleaning individual kennels and runs, and ensuring all dogs have clean bedding and toys.
Dog Socializing
Roles Open To: Tails Pals, Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Weekdays 7am-7pm, Weekends 7am-5:30pm
The Dog Socializing volunteer role includes individually socializing with the dogs at the shelter to help lower stress. This role may include brushing and grooming dogs, providing enrichment, taking dogs on Dog Day Outs as volunteers, working on basic training, and assisting the dog trainer with play groups.
Dog Walking
Roles Open To: Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Weekdays 7am-6:30pm, Weekends 7am-5pm
Volunteers interested in walking dogs will receive training to ensure they are comfortable when handling the dogs and can recognize dogs’ body language. Tails places all adult dogs into one of four categories (or “colored tiers”) plus “Staff Only” dogs to better group the dogs into categories based on general displayed behaviors, current needs, and required handler experience level. Dog Walking Volunteers can opt to be trained in each tier. More information regarding the colored tiers is covered during Dog Walking training. Dog Walking includes long walks, short walks, quick outs, and individual supervised playtime in the yard. Morning and late afternoon/evening shifts walk the dogs while another volunteer or staff member is cleaning the dogs’ housing, while afternoon shifts allow for longer walks.
Events
Roles Open To: Tails Pals *, Junior Volunteers *, Adult Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Date, time, and location of events are provided to volunteers as available
Tails holds a number of fun and impactful events throughout the year, designed to help fund the efforts of Tails Humane Society. Volunteers can assist with event setup, tasks during the event such as dog handling or helping with item purchases, and also with tear down after the events. Example of events include: Sip & Sparkle, Mutt Strut, Pumpkin Fest Bake Sale, seasonal Yard Sales, offsite adoption events, and community outreach events.
* Tails Pals and Junior Volunteers may not be able to volunteer for certain events.
Greeter
Roles Open To: Adult Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Weekdays 12pm-7pm, Weekends 12pm-5:30pm
Greeter Volunteers are the first face a potential adopter sees when they enter Tails Humane Society. They provide exceptional customer service to shelter visitors by greeting and answering general questions, assisting with donations, keeping the lobby clean and organized, and supporting the Tails Adoption Counselors.
Little Critters
Roles Open To: Tails Pals, Junior Volunteers, Adult Volunteers, Community Service Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Daily 7am-11am
The Little Critters Volunteer role includes general tasks involving the small mammals and pet birds at the shelter. These tasks include providing fresh food and water, refreshing bedding, ensuring all animals have enrichment in their housing, cleaning their housing, and socializing.
Program Support
Roles Open To: Adult Volunteers
Shifts Available During: Varies
Volunteers perform a specific task supporting one of our numerous programs supporting Tails’ mission. This may include transporting animals for the foster program, HomeBuddies, assisting with dog training classes, assisting with orientations or trainings, data entry, and creating content for social media to promote adoptable animals. These hours will vary and can be entered as total hours you volunteered doing the task versus as entering the hours at a specific time when you are recording your volunteer hours.
Ready To Get Started?
It’s easy! Simply click the Apply Now button at the top of this page or click here to fill out an application. After your application is reviewed and approved, a team member from Tails will invite you to join a Volunteer Orientation session.
After you have completed an orientation, Becky will work with you to schedule your training. After you’ve completed training, you will be able to schedule shifts to come in and volunteer.
Have questions?
Read about our FAQs or contact Becky Frale at volunteer@tailshumanesociety.org or 815-758-2457 ext 4.
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering at Tails!