Volunteer

Without the compassion and dedication of our volunteers, the West Suburban Humane Society would not exist!

We depend on them to help with the care, feeding and transportation of animals; the foster care of dogs, puppies, cats or kittens; humane education; fundraising; public events; and so much more!

1. Commit to a regular shift (bi-weekly on weekends) for at least one year.
   1. Most shifts last two to three hours.
   2. A limited number of summer-only shifts are available each summer. See below for more information.
2. Meet our age requirements - you must be at least 16 to volunteer independently.
   1. Children aged 12-15 must volunteer with a parent or guardian when working with the dogs.
   2. Children aged 10-15 must volunteer with a parent or guardian when working with the cats.
3. Have a valid email address.
4. Attend both an orientation and training.
5. Purchase a volunteer t-shirt ($15).

Additional Qualifications

1. An understanding and passion for animal welfare issues.
2. A willingness to clean and help in any way needed.
3. A positive attitude.
4. An ability to work well independently and within a team.
5. Attention to detail.

Steps to becoming a volunteer:

1. Submit a volunteer application electronically.
2. You will receive an email confirming that we received the application.  Please check your spam folder for our email responses. Please email us back to confirm your commitment to becoming a volunteer.
3. When there are shift openings, we will notify you of which shifts are available and orientation times.  You will need to select a shift time. If there is not one that fits your schedule at that time, no big deal. Let the volunteer coordinator know and you will be contacted with future openings.
4. Once you are assigned to a shift, you will need to attend the New Volunteer Orientation. This is a training that lasts 45 minutes to an hour and introduces you to the shelter, our volunteer program, and the basic responsibilties of your new volunteer position.
5. Once you have completed training, you will be ready to get started on your shift, where you will shadow an experienced volunteer until you are comfortable on your own.

We will work to match your availability with our needs.  The process of becoming a new volunteer can take a few weeks to a few months.  If you have any questions, please contact the volunteer coordinator at 630-960-9606 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..