Volunteer
Volunteering at Paws4ever
Want to get more involved at Paws4ever? We rely on our amazing team of volunteers for support with animal care, cleaning, events, maintaining our ReSale Store, and more!
Interested in volunteering and want to know more? Fill out the Volunteer Interest Form and we’ll get in touch!
Ongoing Adoption Center Volunteer Opportunities
Adoption Center Animal Volunteers
We need volunteers to spend time with cats and/or dogs at Paws4ever and assist staff in providing them with top quality care! Adoption Center volunteers are given comprehensive training about animal interactions and the Adoption Center environment.
In addition to spending time with the cats and/or dogs, Adoption Center volunteers are all expected to pitch in with cleaning and care tasks around the Adoption Center. A typical volunteer session may involve taking a dog for a walk and doing a load of laundry, or playing with kittens and scooping litter boxes.
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old to volunteer alone. Under 16 may volunteer with a parent or guardian.
Training requirements: View an informational video, attend an in-person orientation at the Paws4ever Adoption Center. Volunteers who are interested in working with dogs must also complete two one-on-one Canine Companion training sessions.
Transportation
We often need assistance taking dogs and cats to and from their vet appointments, picking up medication, and picking-up donations. Volunteers can use our Paws4ever van or take their own car if they are more comfortable.
Age requirement: Must be at least 25 years old to drive the Paws4ever van. Volunteers under the age of 25 can still provide transportation support but will need to drive their own car.
Training requirements: View an informational video, attend an in-person orientation at the Paws4ever Adoption Center
Doggie Day Out
By taking a dog out of the Adoption Center for just a few hours, you provide them mental stimulation from new experiences and meeting new people as well as help them exert pent up energy! Another added bonus is that people who wouldn’t normally come down to the adoption center may meet their new furry friend through this program! Find out more about the Paws4ever doggie day out program!
Foster
Have some extra love to share? Consider opening your home to a foster pet! Paws4ever’s Foster Program allows us to expand our capacity to rescue more animals and to support animals with special needs. Find out more about becoming a Paws4ever foster caregiver!
Other Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
ReSale Store
The Paws4ever ReSale Store in Hillsborough relies on a team of dedicated volunteers to lend a hand sorting, pricing, staging, and cleaning items. Proceeds from the Paws4ever ReSale Store support animals in need at Paws4ever.
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old to volunteer alone. Under 16 may volunteer with a parent or guardian.
Training requirements: View an informational video, attend an in-person orientation at the Paws4ever ReSale Store
Event Support
Raise awareness about Paws4ever in the community at events around the area. You can help us with one or all of the steps in the event process including planning, setting up and taking down booths, taking dogs to and from events to showcase them to potential adopters, and greeting people who are interested in meeting the dogs or learning more about Paws4ever as our booth ambassador.
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old to volunteer alone. Under 16 may volunteer with a parent or guardian.
Training requirements: View an informational video, attend an in-person orientation at the Paws4ever Adoption Center. Volunteers who are interested in working with dogs must also complete two one-on-one Canine Companion training sessions.
Grounds and Maintenance
Ongoing or one-time help is always needed for facilities and grounds maintenance tasks, including yard work, trail maintenance, item transport, and small repairs.
Age requirement: Must be at least 16 years old to volunteer alone. Under 16 may volunteer with a parent or guardian.
Training requirements: View an informational video, attend an in-person orientation at the Paws4ever Adoption Center
Other Ways to Get Involved
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Is your community group, office, civic group, church, neighborhood or friend group looking for ways to get involved in supporting animals in need? Contact volunteer@paws4ever.org to coordinate a group service project!
Host a Supply Drive
Read more about this opportunity here.
Community Service Hours
Court-Mandated or Lawyer-Recommended Community Service Hours:
School-Related and Other Community Service Hours:
Get Started Volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering on an ongoing basis, please fill out the volunteer interest form. After submitting this form, you will receive an email with next steps to complete your training and becoming a Paws4ever volunteer.
Please note, some roles may not be a good fit if you are allergic to peanuts, cats, and/or dogs. Please contact volunteer@paws4ever.org directly if you are interested in volunteering but have allergies to dogs, cats, and/or peanuts that prevent you from coming into contact with them.
All new volunteers under 18 must have written permission from a parent or guardian to volunteer. A parent must accompany children under 16 during volunteer training and while volunteering.
Although we do not have a set requirement for the number of hours you must complete each month, we do ask new volunteers to volunteer at least 4 hours per month for the first 3 months.