Volunteer

 

West Suburban Humane Society would not be able to operate without the compassion and dedication of our volunteers. Our volunteers come to the adoption center every week to take care of our animals, provide foster care for cats & kittens and dogs & puppies in their own homes, and participate in events on-site and in the community as well as coordinate our humane education programs.

Basic Requirements for Joining Our Volunteer Team

1. Commit to a regular shift for at least one year, once a week for Monday through Friday shifts or every other weekend for Saturday and Sunday shifts. There are three shifts a day in our kennel and cattery:
   • Morning shift 8:30-11:00am
   • Afternoon shift 12:00-3:00pm
   • Evening shift 6:00-8:30pm
2. Meet our age requirements:
   • Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to volunteer independently.
   • Children 12 years and older can volunteer with a parent in our kennel.
   • Children 10 years and older can volunteer with a parent in our cattery.
3. Attend both an orientation and training.
4. You must attend your shift without excessive absences.

Court-ordered community service hours are only offered Monday through Friday at the 8:30-11:00am shift.

A limited number of volunteer spots are available each summer.

For more information on becoming a foster family, visit our foster page.

Additional Qualifications

1. An understanding and passion for animal welfare issues.
2. A positive attitude and a willingness to help in anyway needed.
3. An ability to work well independently and within a team.
4. Attention to detail and the ability to follow instructions.

Steps to Becoming a Volunteer:

1. Submit a volunteer application.
2. You will receive a confirmation email when your application is received. You must respond to this email to move forward. Please check your spam folder for the confirmation email.
3. We are only able to bring new volunteers on a shift where we have an opening. Due to the number of applications received, we are not able to maintain a volunteer waitlist.
4. Volunteer orientations are scheduled once a month. It may take several weeks for you to attend an orientation.
5. New volunteers will attend orientation and any required training prior to starting their shift.

If you have any questions, please contact the volunteer coordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..