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1. Is there a minimum age to work with animals?

You must be at least 18 years old to work directly with animals. Volunteers often work "behind the scenes" and there is an element of risk involved. Our first priority is to keep our volunteers safe and their experience enjoyable.

2. Do you need to have prior animal experience to become a volunteer?

Prior animal experience is helpful, but not necessary to become a volunteer. You should be able to communicate well enough to follow instructions. You will also be working closely with other volunteers and staff, so you must be able to get along with others. Additionally, you should also have the ability to work independently without close supervision.

3. Do I need any particular skills to work with animals?

You should be in reasonably good physical shape to walk dogs; some are very strong and pull hard on their leash. There is a fair amount of strenuous activity involved in just about all of our animal care volunteer opportunities. If you take immunosuppressive drugs, you should speak with your physician before working with animals.

4. What's involved in the foster care program?

Foster homes are needed for many different situations. Some animals are too young for adoption, may have an injury, or may need a different environment than the Adoption Center can provide. Foster care is needed for those animals who are adoptable, but just need time away from the Adoption Center in order to grow, heal, or chill out. Foster care typically lasts anywhere from one week to a month or more. We usually try to match the needs of the foster home with the needs of the animal(s). Contact us directly if you would like to become a foster home for our animals.

5. Is there a minimum time commitment?

Yes. We ask that you commit to volunteering for a minimum of one year. We invest a lot of time and resources into training our volunteers. Having a large turnover of volunteers strains our resources and the care we can ultimately give to our animals. If you are an animal care volunteer, we ask that you be able to commit at least two hours per week, for at least one year. There are some exceptions. Please contact us with your particular concerns.

6. Am I able to drop by and work whenever I have some spare time?

We ask that you maintain a regular schedule as a volunteer. We are able to plan our day better if we know that volunteers are working at a particular time. We know that you may miss your scheduled shift due to illness, vacations, etc., but we do ask that you make an effort to follow your schedule as much as possible.

7. Are there any jobs that don't involve working directly with animals?

There is a multitude of administrative and clerical tasks that you can do. Clerical duties tend to get lowest priority in our very busy Adoption Center so help is always appreciated. There is always landscaping that needs a talented touch, as well as special events that frequently require a lot of extra hands. If you can't commit to a steady two hour per week time commitment, these opportunities might be just what you're looking for.

8. What hours are available for volunteering?

We are here from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with evening hours Thursdays until 7 p.m. On weekends and holidays, we are here from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We especially need help during morning cleaning on weekdays. If these hours don't fit your schedule, we also need help during the evenings for our off-site adoption program at area Petco stores.

9. I think I'd really like to become a volunteer. What do I do now?

Attend one of our scheduled volunteer orientations. You will learn more about us and about the volunteer opportunities we offer. We will then set up a one-on-one interview with you to discuss your availability and the volunteer areas that interest you most.

10. I'm ready to sign up! What's next?

Contact our Volunteer Coordinator. Call 757-441-5505, ext 307 or email Laurelyn Flowers.