Volunteering at SafeHaven Humane Society provides a great way to work directly with animals, or indirectly to assure their welfare! We have a limited paid staff and depend on hundreds of volunteers (763 volunteers provided 62,691 hours of support in 2021) to help care for the animals entrusted in our care.

Requirements

• Must be 16 years of age or older. All volunteers under 16 years of age will need an adult to attend orientation and volunteer with them (Learn more here).
• Able to commit to scheduled volunteer shifts
• Able to bend, twist, lift, squat or stand for long periods when working directly with the animals
• Possess a positive attitude as our volunteers work directly with staff, visitors and other volunteers
• Attend a Volunteer Orientation
• Make a Commitment. SafeHaven encourages at least two volunteer shifts per month.

Benefits

• Make a real difference in the lives of over 2,000 homeless pets each year.
• Experience the joy, fulfillment, and purpose that helping animals brings.
• Grow personally and professionally. Add to your resume with experiences built at SafeHaven, and acquire volunteer hours for school, work, scholarships or any other documented purpose.
• Form lifelong bonds with like-minded people and pets.

Becoming a Volunteer

You just need to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Volunteer Application  

The first thing you need to do in order to become an active volunteer is fill out our volunteer application, found at the bottom of this page. Once your application is received, the volunteer coordinator will contact you with the dates of the next available orientations.

Step 2: Orientation & Training  

During orientation, you will learn about the mission of SafeHaven, take a tour of the shelter, and look at all the volunteer opportunities available to you.  If you are wanting to volunteer directly with our dogs then you will also be required to participate in a basic animal handling class. SafeHaven offers four volunteer orientations every month. The orientation lasts approximately two hours and will provide you with a tour and overview of our shelter and allow you to get acquainted with our volunteer program. This is a great opportunity to come and see if SafeHaven Humane Society is right for you! AN RSVP IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND OUR ORIENTATION.

Step 3:  Purchase Volunteer Supplies

You will have the option to purchase your volunteer equipment. This includes a t-shirt ($13) for general volunteering. These supplies will be available for purchase at the time of orientation and can be purchased prior to your first volunteer shift. If you would like to work with adult dogs, you will be required to take a dog handling class after completing orientation and will have the option to purchase a leash ($25). A small number of loaner aprons and leashes are available for use should you not wish to purchase your own materials. Keep in mind the supply of loaner materials is limited and volunteer apparel must be worn at all times in order to participate.

Step 4: Scheduling  

We have a very small staff and we depend on volunteers to help us care for all the animals at the shelter. Because of this, we encourage volunteers to commit to at least 2 shifts per month, which they schedule ahead of time from home. To sign up to volunteer with SafeHaven Humane Society please see our Online Volunteer Application.