Humane Society Volunteer

If you would like to become a humane society volunteer visit your local society or shelter. This will be a help to all facilities that are overcrowded with homeless pets.

Shelters and humane societies are in the business to help these animals by providing pet and dog adoption. There are not only dogs in need, but cats, ferrets, snakes, and horses.

All require care and love until they can find a home. Working at these facilities is the same as a boarding kennel. The animals must be fed, watered, brushed, cleaned up after and the cages disinfected.

The difference, these pets don't have owners that will come and take them home. Many of these animals have been in the shelters for a long time, waiting to be adopted.

If you are interested in working for a public or private shelter, check out their policies. Some euthanize animals after they have been there a certain length of time, others do not.

Talk to people employed at the shelters and get their input as to how the animals are cared for and treated.

Many public, private and non profit shelters and humane societies employ administrative staff and managers along with bookkeepers, receptionists and animal care technicians.

These jobs are not always interactive with the animals in the shelters. However, I do know people who work at these jobs and on their lunch hours, go into the kennel area and play and love on these homeless creatures.

At public shelters, some important jobs are screening prospective adopting pet parents, adoption counselors and answering questions about animals up for adoption.

They have a knowledge of all animals in the facility and are able to match them with the people looking to adopt. These attendants also have greater contact with the public.

Many also deal with abuse and neglect cases. You must keep a cool head when talking with the people involved in these cases.

There is no formal training you need to become an attendant but there are programs and workshops that will help you with your continuing education in this job.

Job requirements and salaries will vary according to which job you choose to apply for.