Best Dog Volunteer Programs in the U.S.

Dog volunteering USA

If you love animals and doing good deeds, then the best dog volunteering programs in the US are can’t-miss opportunities. What better way to spend your free time than by working with man’s best friend? 

Why Apply to Help Dogs?

Volunteer opportunities with animals can involve tasks that entail cleaning, feeding, rehoming, and transporting them.

Through these programs, you get to change the lives of helpless animals that are in dire need of care.

If you’ve ever wondered: how can I help animals who need my help the most? Animal volunteering may be the answer.

These organizations have been extremely active in the animal welfare sector and are worth considering if you’re looking for volunteer opportunities.

Here are the best places to volunteer with dogs in the US: 

Humane Society

Their vision to “end all forms of animal cruelty” and build a stronger movement for animal protection has them fighting against animal cruelty and offering much-needed assistance to animals in crisis.

The Humane Society of the United States or HSUS is affiliated with Humane Society International which has a vast network spanning over 50 countries. 

How do I volunteer at the Humane Society?

The Humane Society offers different ways you can get involved:

  • As a Humane Policy Volunteer Leader, you’ll be advocating for animal protection policies by working on federal, state, and local levels. 
  • As an HSUS Ally, you can submit your name and information to them and they will call on you as needed. This offers less extensive involvement and you can volunteer as many hours as you’d like.
  • You can also look for volunteer opportunities by state to find roles near you. This includes work from home volunteer arrangements and assignments in different clinic sites.

Each role may have different requirements and prerequisites. It’s best to visit their website for specific steps in applying.

Best Friends Animal Society

The Best Friends Animal Society is a sanctuary for homeless animals, and animals with special needs. 

They ensure that every animal up for adoption finds a safe and comfortable foster home. Arrangements for adoptions are made through their network of partners and lifesaving centers.

Although they have work-from-home volunteer opportunities, you can also work from one of their sites in Los Angeles, New York City, Salt Lake City, Houston, Atlanta, and Northwest Arkansas. There are many ways you can help from taking care of and transporting animals to advocating for animal welfare in your local community. 

PAWS

Progressive Animal Welfare Society or PAWS cares for around 150 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. 

They care for over 7,600 cats, dogs, and wild animals each year and are always looking for dedicated, compassionate volunteers willing to lend their time and offer a helping hand.

As a volunteer, you’ll work alongside their staff and care for all kinds of wildlife and companion animals while helping with education and outreach programs in different communities.

Volunteer opportunities at PAWS range from Animal Care, Support as well as Outreach, Events, and Education roles. From walking dogs to being a Cat Care Attendant and administrative duties to Animal Adoption Photographers, there’s a wealth of positions for whatever talents and skills you bring to the table.

Animal House Shelter

Animal House Shelter offers no-kill shelters for homeless pets. The majority of the cats and dogs they take in were taken from facilities that euthanize animals due to lack of space. Some of them are willingly given up by their owners who are no longer able to care for them due to lifestyle changes, relocations, allergies, or having a new baby in the house. Many of these animals were neglected, abandoned, and abused. 

Upon taking in these animals, they rehabilitate them and carefully screen prospective adopters to ensure that they end up in loving forever homes. 

As a volunteer, your duties can include walking and spending time with dogs in a park. You could also teach dogs how to behave in a park, help them learn various tricks, bathe them and groom them.

There are also opportunities that don’t involve working with the animals directly like helping with their fundraisers, newsletters, publicity, writing bios about the animals for adoption, adoption packets, maintenance work like gardening, tree trimming, and fixing fences.

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue’s Youth Program

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is committed to rescuing abandoned, homeless, and neglected animals from euthanasia by placing them in nurturing forever homes. Their work involves educating pet owners on how to care for animals, the importance of spaying or neutering, and teaching owners the basics of obedience training and good nutrition.

They are heavily reliant on their volunteers who prepare for the arrival of new animals, pick them up at transport, assist with adoption events, and perform follow-ups after an animal has been adopted.

What is the youngest age you can volunteer? This organization offers a Youth Program for volunteers seven to 17 years old. While they welcome the help, it’s also a great way to educate the youth about animal welfare and what animal rescue entails. 

East Bay SPCA

East Bay SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has been helping lost, abandoned, and injured animals since 1874. They have three offices in California that are committed to helping pets and their owners with veterinary services, advice on how to care for their pets, humane education, and behavior and training resources.

Volunteers will be assigned shifts in one of their shelters and will have the opportunity to attend training on animal handling, customer service, and leadership.

For youth aged eight to 17, East Bay SPCA has a Youth Volunteering – Shelter Scouts Program where they can learn about animal welfare through different educational experiences. There is a $100 fee for each participant for three weeks. This fee will cover the cost of supervision under the program and COVID cleaning supplies. 

You’re never too young to make a difference. Lucky Dog and East Bay SPCA dog volunteer opportunities are open to youth below 18 years old.

Best Places to Help Dogs in North America & Worldwide

These companies offer placements in North America and all around the world:

Fronteering

Interested in travel and visiting remote unspoiled places while volunteering? Fronteering may be the organization you’re looking for. Fronteering aims to help wildlife, local communities, the environment, and indigenous people in remote places where the need is greatest. This can mean working in hard-to-access places like the Canadian wilderness or the Amazon rainforest.

Their work with animals involves rehabilitating orphaned and injured wildlife and releasing them into the wild when they’re ready. An example of non-animal related initiatives is Fronteering’s work in Amazonas, Brazil which involves empowering locals to foster local and sustainable tourism.

Their volunteer opportunities aren’t for the faint of heart. Accommodations can be very basic from sleeping underneath the stars to basic cabins with no electricity. For a fee, they will take care of your meals, in-country and airport transfers, safety measures, in-country coordinators, guides, orientations, and access to round-the-clock emergency services.

Volunteer opportunities cost $795 to $2495. 

Whether locally or abroad, there are a wealth of volunteer opportunities that allow you to work with and help dogs.

Plan My Gap Year

Plan My Gap Year is an award-winning organization with roots in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. They help you find meaningful ways to spend your gap year overseas. They offer paid work, educational courses, adventure tours, backpacking trips, and volunteer opportunities.

Their volunteer opportunities can take anywhere from a few days to over a year to complete. Animal-related programs are done in partnership with GVI, an organization committed to immersive education programs and sustainable development. Through GVI, you have the opportunity to:

  • Help rehabilitate elephants in Thailand
  • Monitor the population of Aldabra giant tortoises in Seychelles
  • Engage in a lemon shark catch and release program
  • Work towards the conservation of endangered turtles in Greece or Costa Rica

Most volunteer placements need no prior experience but you’ll need to be aware of the bigger picture, have a great attitude, be open-minded and committed to helping, be ready for challenges, and demonstrate adaptability to working in remote places with different cultures.

There are different costs involved to volunteer abroad. It’s best to visit the Plan My Gap Year website for more information.

Looking for meaningful ways to spend your gap year? Plan My Gap Year helps you find, plan, and arrange overseas volunteer opportunities, including those that involve working with animals.

One World 365

For potential volunteers who can’t decide on which overseas volunteer programs to apply for, One World 365 is an online resource that helps you compare volunteer abroad programs. They work with over 200 organizations, offer 81 destination countries, and have helped thousands of people find their ideal volunteer programs.

You can search for volunteer opportunities abroad based on the region you’re interested in visiting, the kind of work you’d like to do (they offer child and animal care), and the length of time you’re willing to spend. 

Once you find an opportunity you’re interested in, One World 365 will help you arrange and pay for overseas volunteer opportunities. They offer volunteer programs in the areas of wildlife conservation, marine conservation, and African wildlife.

 

Love Volunteers

Love Volunteers is an organization that offers overseas placement for volunteers. They have animal welfare, rescue, and conservation programs that include dogs.

You can search for a program you’re interested in, apply, and pay for it through their website and they’ll secure your placement for you.

With Love Volunteers, you’ll have many volunteer opportunities to choose from and an easy application and placement process. 

Before You Apply

Volunteering is a noble way to spend your time. This list of the best dog volunteering programs in the US will ensure that you’re off to a great start whether you’re looking for local or international opportunities.

Remember – there is no age limit on kindness and generosity. Volunteering requires both in abundance.

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