Dane County Humane Society Volunteer Programs

 

Thank you for your interest in becoming part of our volunteer team! Volunteers provide homeless animals at Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) with care and compassion in so many ways. We look forward to working with you to find a volunteer role that makes full use of your skills, interests, and compassion while contributing to the well-being of the animals in our care.

GETTING STARTED

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

HOURS

Getting Started

Step 1: Submit a volunteer APPLICATION.

Please review and consider the many volunteer opportunities we have available. Complete a volunteer application, and mail, fax or drop it off at DCHS. Your application will be compared to our anticipated volunteer needs for the next six months. If a match is made, you will be invited to a volunteer orientation. If a match is not made, you will be encouraged to reapply in six months. 

Download the 2008 volunteer application

* We strive to respond to your application within two weeks of receiving it.

Step 2: Attend an ORIENTATION.

Two orientations are offered each month. After learning more about DCHS and our programs, you will sign up for available volunteer positions that match your profile or add your name to a waiting list for future openings.

Step 3: Attend TRAINING for your volunteer position.

Within two weeks after your orientation date, you will be contacted to set your volunteer training and schedule.

After these three steps are completed, you’re ready to volunteer! Please be aware that the application, orientation, and training period can last well over a month. We appreciate your patience and hope that your commitment to volunteering remains strong throughout the process. Thank you!

Volunteer Positions

We know you want to give your time doing something that is rewarding and meaningful while contributing to the care of homeless animals. There are a number of ways to get involved that require different time commitments, schedules, and focus. We look forward to working with you to find the volunteer position that’s just right for you!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Dane County Humane Society can only fulfill its mission with the help of people from throughout Dane County.  If you'd like to help the animals by working and creating relationships with people within DCHS and beyond, consider one of these positions: 

Administrative Assistants carry out clerical duties to support DCHS staff in their efforts to help homeless animals.  We'll find a position that's just right for you, whether you prefer greeting customers and answering phones, or the more task-oriented work of data entry, mass mailings, filing, or photocopying!

• Age: 18 years or older
• Schedule: Shift-based, weekdays. Some work can be done from home.
• Commitment: Minimum of 1-2 hours per week for six months
• Skills: Basic clerical skills as appropriate to the position

Fundraising and Development Volunteers contribute their time and talent to help us raise money, community support, and goodwill to benefit our homeless animals. Everything DCHS accomplishes needs financial and community support…and you can help!  Do you have a knack for raising funds while raising spirits?  Can you sell ice to an Eskimo?  Do you prefer to work behind the scenes and reach people indirectly through print or media?  We’d love to put your strengths to work, whatever your area of interest! 

• Age: 18 years or older
• Skills: Experience or interest in the areas of fundraising, special events, direct marketing, and advertising/sales

BRINGING PEOPLE AND ANIMALS TOGETHER

There’s a certain magic when people connect with animals in need. If you like working with people but also want to get involved with the animals in a hands-on way, consider one of the following ways you can help people and animals come together:

Adoption Center Volunteers are the friendly people behind the counter of our adoption center, where our merchandise sales raise needed funds to help the animals in our care.  Volunteers not only help keep our sales running smoothly by keeping shelves stocked, neat, and clean, they also greet adopters, introduce people to the cats residing in the center, and assist our adoption staff as needed in order to send animals home with their new families.

• Age: 18 years or older
• Schedule: 3-4 hour shifts during afternoon and early evening
• Commitment: Minimum 2 shifts per month for 6 months
• Skills: Good customer service skills required

Adoption Counselors help people adopt new pets!  They meet with adopters, discuss what kind of pet would be a good addition to their home, and introduce them to our adoptable animals.  They also complete and review adoption paperwork with adopters.

• Age: 18 years or older
• Schedule: Shift-based, during open shelter hours
• Commitment: Minimum 3 hours per week for 1 year
• Skills: Excellent communication skills, friendly and positive attitude, good animal handling skills, understanding of good pet care, and data entry experience

Mounds Satellite Adoption Center Volunteers keep our satellite adoption program up and running!  Center are located in Mounds Pet Food Warehouse stores in Middleton, Fitchburg, East Madison, and Sun Prairie.  Dedicated volunteers primarily staff the satellites, so consistent reliable attendance is required.  Looking for out-going, committed individuals, with good animal experience to help care for cats, rabbits, and small animals which includes socializing animals, cleaning adoption room, and helping animals find forever homes.  Must be able to work independently and complete a variety of tasks such as, pre-approving adoption applications, answering phones, and assisting interested adopters.

• Age requirement: Must be 18 years old to volunteer alone; children ages 12-17 must work with trained parent and complete interview with Mounds Assistant
• Commitment: 1-2 shifts per month for minimum of 1 year—no exceptions
• Schedule: Shift based
  • Middleton & Fitchburg
    • Monday through Friday 2:00pm-4:00pm, 4:00pm-6:00pm, 6:00pm-8pm
    • Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-1:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm
  • East Madison
    • Monday through Friday 4:00pm-6:00pm, 6:00pm-8:00pm
    • Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm, 2:00pm-4:00pm
    • Note: We are attempting to expand shift-based hours of operation
  • Sun Prairie
    • Monday through Friday 3:00pm-6:00pm, 6:00pm-8:00pm
    • Saturday and Sunday 2:00pm-4:00pm
• Skills: Animal-handling experience, with good understanding of responsible pet care. Ability to interact and communicate well with public.

Mobile Adoption Volunteers promote adoptable animals at events throughout Madison and the surrounding area.  Perfect for outgoing individuals who have prior experience with cats or dogs, this position gets our animals out of the shelter and into the community!  Volunteers will have the opportunity to educate the public on DCHS’ programs and services, promote responsible pet ownership, and help match adoptable animals to forever homes while providing care, comfort, and socialization to the animals at the event.

• Age: 18 years or older.  A limited number of positions are available for children 12 and older to volunteer with a trained parent.  Families interested in volunteering will be pre-screened by the Mobile Adoption Coordinator.
• Schedule: 4-6 hours events, mostly weekends & weeknights.
• Commitment: 1 event per month for 6 months.  Priority is given to volunteers who can commit to a regular schedule, but opportunities exist for volunteers who need more flexibility.
• Skills: Good customer service skills required.  Prior experience with either cats or dogs is desired, although training may be substituted for motivated individuals without experience.  Volunteers working with dogs at events must be able to provide transportation for themselves and their assigned dog to/from the event location.

Mobile Adoption Assistants take it to the next level and run adoption events!  This is an exciting opportunity for volunteers with proven leadership ability, outstanding customer service skills, and a solid background in animal handling (both cats and dogs).  This position involves overseeing Mobile Adoption Volunteers and is responsible for assuring the safety and comfort of all adoptable animals at the event.  Volunteers should thrive in a fast paced environment and posses a strong ability to multi-task as well as attention to detail.

• Age: 18 years or older.
• Schedule: 6-8 hours shifts, mostly weekends & weeknights.
• Commitment: 1 shift per month for 1 year.
• Skills: Professional and friendly demeanor, ability to transport animals to/from event sites and a clean driving record, good animal handling skills, understanding of good pet care, data entry, and leadership experience.

ANIMAL CARE AND COMFORT

The 7,000 animals that come to Dane County Humane Society over the course of one year depend on the loving care they receive from staff and volunteers. If your calling is to volunteer directly with the animals, consider one of these opportunities to help ensure their health and happiness:

Animal Medical Services (AMS) Assistants help our veterinary staff care for animals recovering from illness, including assisting with surgical prep/clean-up, recovering animals from surgery, and performing various lab duties. Feeding, cleaning, laundry, and providing animals with TLC are also a part of this position.

• Age: 18 years or older
• Schedule
  • Monday through Sunday 9:00am-1:00pm, 12:00pm-4:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Note:  other shifts available upon request
• Commitment: Minimum 4 hours a week
• Skills: Basic handling of dogs and cats

Animal Medical Services (AMS) Annex Assistants care for cats recovering from ringworm in our Dermatophyte (ringworm) treatment facility. You will help feed and medicate the cats and kittens as well as clean cages and do laundry to ensure a clean environment where they can heal. In this position, you can help save lives!

• Age: 18 and older
• Schedule: Shift-based, 7 days a week. Shift length averages two hours but depends on the number of cats needing care.
  • Morning shift can begin between 8:00am-10:00 am
  • Afternoon shift begins between 3:00pm-5:00 pm
• Commitment: Minimum 2 shifts a month
• Skills: Basic handling of cats

Canine Companions provide exercise and socialization for our adoptable dogs by taking them on walks, playing with them in the exercise yards, spending quiet time with them, and helping them learn good manners.

• Age: 16 years or older to volunteer alone; 12 years or older with a parent
• Schedule: Flexible, but same time every week is preferred
• Commitment: Minimum 2 hours a week for 6 months
• Skills: Basic handling of dogs; Ability to squat, bend, twist, lift, or stand for long periods

Carestaff Assistants work side-by-side with shelter staff to clean cat cages, provide them with bedding, food, and water, and do laundry and dishes to ensure a clean and comfortable environment for our shelter animals.

• Age: 18 years or older
• Schedule: Mornings
• Commitment: Minimum 2 hours a week for 6 months
• Skills: Basic handling of cats

Critter Cuddlers socialize small animals waiting for adoption, including rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, and ferrets!

• Age: 16 years or older to volunteer alone; 8 years or older with a parent
• Schedule: Flexible, but same time every week is preferred
• Commitment: Minimum 2 hours a week for 6 months
• Skills: Basic handling of small animals. Ability to squat, bend, twist, lift, or stand for long periods

Feline Friends provide their time and attention to our adoptable cats through socialization, play and cuddles.

• Age: 16 years or older to volunteer alone; 8 years or older with a parent
• Schedule: Flexible, but same time every week is preferred
• Commitment: Minimum 2 hours a week for 6 months
• Skills: Basic handling of cats. Ability to squat, bend, twist, lift, or stand for long periods

Foster Parents care for animals that need time in a home setting before they are adopted. Potential foster animals include newborns, pregnant animals, and animals recovering from injury or illness.

• Age: 18 years or older
• Commitment: Minimum 1 year
• Skills: Good vet records, landlord approval if renting, enough time to care for foster animal

SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS

DCHS has two high-volume spay/neuter clinic programs that depend on volunteer help for their success. Shelter Outreach Services (SOS) is our mobile shelter outreach program, bringing spay / neuter services to rescue groups and shelters in Dane and surrounding counties. Mobile clinics most often occur on weekdays. During our Saturday Spay Days, DCHS provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for the pets of Dane County. Join DCHS in providing these surgeries, recognized as the number one solution to addressing pet overpopulation. Training is provided for all entry-level positions.

Intake Volunteers assist in data processing, check in duties, assigning forms to patients, and provide basic restraint for exams

• Skills: data processing, basic handling of dogs and cats
• Schedule:  SOS weekdays, 7:30am-5:00pm

Client Assistants (Saturday Spay Day Only) assist with check in and discharge as well as interact with clients, retrieve records, basic cat handling and restraint, and transporting pets from reception to clinic. You will also help by understanding and explaining patient aftercare instructions.

• Skills: Basic handling of cats, customer service skills
• Schedule
  • Saturday morning 7:00am-9:00am
  • Saturday afternoon 3:00pm-5:00pm

Recovery Volunteers (I) monitor patients recovering from anesthesia under supervision of Recovery Volunteer II. You will also clean up patients from surgery (blood, urine), clean ears, clip nails, and prepare patients and records for discharge.

• Skills: Basic handling of cats
• Schedule
  • SOS weekdays
  • Saturday Spay Days
    • Morning 8:00am-12:00pm
    • Afternoon 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Check In / Recovery Volunteers (II) prepare patients for surgery by vaccinating, weighing, examining and reporting abnormalities to staff. They monitor patients during recovery from anesthesia as well as clean up patients after surgery (blood, urine, etc.) This position requires previous experience as a veterinary assistant and/or with Spay Day.

• Skills: Previous experience
• Schedule: Saturdays Spay Days: every other or once a month, minimum 6 months

Pack and Scrub Volunteers keep our surgery instruments and supplies cleaned and stocked to ensure a sterile environment for our animal patients. Training is provided.

• Skills: Cleanliness and attention to detail
• Schedule: Saturday Spay Days
  • Morning 8:00am-12:00pm
  • Afternoon 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Surgery / Prep Volunteers assist staff technicians with induction, prep and monitoring of surgery patients as needed. This position requires previous experience as a veterinary assistant and/or with spay/neuter clinics, but some training will be provided.

• Skills: Previous experience
• Schedule: SOS weekdays, or Saturday Spay Days: every other or once a month, minimum 6 months

“Lunch Ladies” provide sustenance for about 15 volunteers in need of a homemade lunch during Saturday Spay Days. Family recipes preferred; vegetarian options appreciated.

• Skills: Able to cook and deliver to DCHS for Saturday Spay Days

WILDLIFE CARETAKERS (Seasonal: May - September)

Wildlife Caretakers assist in the daily care of wild animals for eventual release back into the wild.

• Age: 18 or older; youth volunteers, age 14-17, may volunteer with a parent
• Schedule: 4-8 hours per week, including one weekend a month
• Commitment: Minimum 3 months
• Skills: Animal handling experience, preferably with wild, zoo, or exotic animals

Hours

Dane County Humane Society is open for volunteers during the following times:

	January 1 - May 31
Monday	8:00am - 6:30pm
Tuesday	8:00am - 6:30pm
Wednesday	8:00am - 4:00pm
Thursday	8:00am - 6:30pm
Friday	8:00am - 6:30pm
Saturday	8:00am - 4:30pm
Sunday	8:00am - 6:00pm