Volunteers can do a great deal for a shelter or rescue, from walking dogs and cleaning kennels to driving animals to appointments and helping at events. Finding people is only the first step, though. You also need a clear way to bring them in and a reason for them to come back.
This guide covers how to recruit volunteers, get them started, and keep them involved.
Let people know you need help
Your supporters may not realize you need volunteers unless you tell them. Add a clear volunteer page to your website, with a link to your application. Link to it from your social media profiles, and mention it in your posts and newsletters.
Current volunteers can also help. Ask them to invite a friend, and share photos of them at work, with their permission. Seeing someone like themselves walking a dog or setting up an event makes it easier for people to imagine taking part.
Ask for something specific
A general call for volunteers can be easy to ignore. It works better to say exactly what you need, when you need it, and how long it takes. For example:
- Two people to walk dogs on Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m.
- A driver for vet appointments on weekday mornings
- Someone to take photos at a monthly adoption event
- Help keeping your social media accounts up to date
Remember that some people would rather not work directly with animals, or they have skills you can use elsewhere. Bookkeeping, design, event planning, and grant writing can all help your organization.
Keep the application short
A volunteer application should tell you enough to find the right role and contact the person. You'll generally want:
- Name and contact details
- Availability
- Areas of interest
- Relevant experience
- Physical limitations that affect certain roles
- Access to a vehicle, if you need drivers
- Emergency contact details
If you accept minors, ask for a parent or guardian's name and contact details, and explain any age rules on the form. See our guide to adoption, foster, and volunteer form questions for more ideas.
Respond quickly and plan the first shift
Interest can fade quickly, so try to reply within a few days. Tell the new volunteer when to arrive, where to go, what to wear, and who will meet them.
Someone should be expecting them on that first day. Keep their first training session simple:
- A tour of the space and where to find supplies
- Your daily routine and safety rules
- How to handle the animals they'll be working with
- What to do in an emergency
- Who to contact with questions
Giving each new volunteer one named contact is a small step that makes it easier to ask for help.
Offer flexible ways to help
Not everyone can commit to a regular weekly shift. Offer one-time roles as well, such as helping at an event or driving an animal on a single trip. These can be an easy way to try volunteering, and some people will go on to take a regular shift.
Be clear about how much notice you need if someone can't make a shift. That way, volunteers won't feel bad about telling you, and you'll have time to find a replacement.
Show your appreciation
Volunteers give their time by choice, so a little recognition goes a long way. Thank people directly after a shift, and mention what their help made possible. Tell them when an animal they cared for gets adopted. A social media shout-out or a simple annual get-together can also help people feel part of the team.
It's also worth asking for feedback. Check in after the first month, and ask what's working and what's getting in the way. When someone decides to leave, ask why. Their answer may point to something you can fix.
Keep track of schedules and hours
Once you have more than a few volunteers, it gets harder to know who's available and who has completed their training. Hours can also matter for grant reports or for volunteers who need to document their service.
PawPlacer keeps volunteer records with contact details, status, recurring availability, one-time shifts, documents, and notes. Your team can log hours on the volunteer's profile, and a shared calendar shows who's scheduled.
A spreadsheet can work too when your team is small. What matters most is having a single place to check, so nobody has to send a round of texts to find out who can cover Saturday morning.
