Adult Volunteer Opportunities

About Our Programs

The SAHS General Volunteer Program offers individuals a variety of volunteer opportunities. Examples include:

Humane Education Team

Education is an essential part of our mission at the SAHS. Education Team volunteers will work side by side with our Certified Humane Education Specialists by assisting with Camp Humane, the Tales for Tails reading program, and helping lead campus tours.

Animal Behavior & Enrichment Team

Animal Behavior Team volunteers get the opportunity to work directly with our pets and our Animal Behavior Evaluator/Trainer. Volunteers will help ensure daily animal enrichment is provided to all pets in the form of daily walks, socialization, playgroups, and enrichment treats/activities.

Animal Care Team

Animal Care Team Volunteers assist the Animal Care staff with the daily care, cleaning, and feeding, of our shelter pets. Don’t worry, volunteers also get to spend some quality time with the pets once the cleaning is done!

Public Relations Team

Breaking Mews! Our Public Relations Team needs support with media appearances, paparazzi (photography/videography), and graphic design. Help our pets look purr-ty through our dif-fur-ent creative outlets with PR!

Community Outreach Team

Community Outreach Volunteers work directly with the Volunteer Coordinator to engage the community. Volunteers can learn how to set up and manage information booths, Volunteer for a Day programs, campus tours, and assist with general administrative tasks.

Development & Donor Relations Team

Development & Donor Relations volunteers work directly with our Development & Donor Relations staff to ensure all of our donors receive the personalized thanks they deserve. Volunteers help our staff make thank you calls and help us fold, stamp, and mail thank you letters to our donors. Volunteers also help the staff at special events like our annual Friends for Life Luncheon!

Adoption Team

Adoption Team Volunteers provide direct support to our Adoption Staff by helping with general administrative tasks like answering and returning phone calls, responding to emails, greeting guests, and scanning or filing paperwork. Volunteers can also assist the Adoption Staff at adoption events on and off-campus. Volunteers can even train to become Volunteer Adoption Counselors.

Animal Health Team

Volunteers in the Animal Health Team help our Medical Staff with the daily care, cleaning, and feeding of pets that are not yet ready for adoption. These could be pets that have just come into the shelter or pets that are receiving medical care for illnesses or injuries. Volunteers can also assist the staff with general administrative duties like scanning and filing paperwork or data entry. If you are interested in earning hours and gaining experience to use on an application to a veterinary technology program, like the Palo Alto Vet Tech Program, this is the team to join!

Program Requirements

18+ Years of Age

The SAHS General Volunteer Program is open to individuals 18 years of age or older.

Volunteer Fee

Individuals will be required to pay a $15 volunteer fee to reserve their seats and help offset the cost of volunteer supplies and insurance.

Background Check

Individuals will be required to complete a background check with Backgrounds Online. ($18.95 fee paid to Backgrounds Online)

Before registering for an orientation, please review the following information to ensure our program is the right fit for you.

Volunteer Opportunities & Time Commitments

Volunteer opportunities are available between 7 am & 7 pm every day except for major holidays. The SAHS offers two types of volunteer opportunities, shifts & service projects.

Shifts are determined by the supervisor requesting volunteer assistance. Shift start and end times are set and require the volunteer to be available for the entire duration of the shift. Shifts can range anywhere from 1 – 4 hours in length.
Service projects are more flexible. They don’t have a set start or end time. Volunteers can set their own start and end times within the timeslot set for the day by the volunteer coordinator.
Volunteers are asked to commit to volunteering at least once a month to remain active.

How to Get Started

Register for a Volunteer Orientation
– Space is limited so be sure to register early.
– Individuals are required to pay a $15 fee when registering to reserve their seats. This fee helps the SAHS offset the cost of volunteer software, insurance, and supplies. (This is a separate fee from the $15.50 background check fee)
– An account must be created and a ticket must be purchased individually for each person attending orientation.
Check your inbox for a confirmation email from the Volunteer Team. This email will contain the links you’ll need to:
– Update your volunteer profile in CERVIS
– Submit your background check ($18.95 fee paid to Backgrounds Online)
– You will not be able to attend orientation if your background check is not in process.
– You will not be given your volunteer shirt and badge unless your background check is complete.