Volunteer with us

A limited number of  shifts are available.

Overview: These volunteers assist with exercising, feeding, and cleaning up after our resident dogs.  Dog walking volunteers must be comfortable on their feet for a full 2 hours, be willing to walk in all kinds of weather, communicate well in a team setting, and commit to following detailed instructions from staff and senior volunteers faithfully (often with minimal supervision).   They must commit to one regularly scheduled 2-hour shift per week and must complete training as follows:

• Attend an orientation session at the shelter
• Attend multiple (generally 3) dog walking shifts as a 'shadow,' learning from one or more of our experienced dog walkers.

Hours: Dog care shifts are 2 hours long and occur three times daily (7 - 9 am, 11:30 - 1:30 pm and 6 - 8 pm) seven days a week.  

Interested? Requires a 6 month commitment minimum. Click on next steps at the top right of this page.

We currently need foster families.

Overview:  Foster families bring pets temporarily into their homes, caring for cat moms and kittens, as well as providing love and care for the dogs and cats whose health or emotional issues make shelter life too hard or simply too stressful and difficult.

SAS provides all food and supplies:   fosters just must have time, patience and space! They  must commit to keep foster pets away from all other pets, including their own, until they are fully vaccinated and cleared medically.  

Typically, pets stay in  foster care for an average of 3 weeks to 2 months.   It's a very rewarding way to help animals when they might just need you the most.

Interested?  We can use your help.   Once approved, you will be contacted when a need arises to see if you are available and would like to help with a particular pet or pets, such as a litter of kittens.

Please contact our Shelter Operations Supervisor:  

jorandolph@scituateanimalshelter.org

Some shifts are available, esp. for weekday mornings.

Overview: These volunteers assist with feeding, socializing and cleaning up after  resident cats and must be comfortable on their feet for a full 2 hours (with plenty of bending, squatting and twisting).  They must be able to communicate well in a team setting, and commit to following detailed instructions from staff and senior volunteers faithfully (often with minimal supervision).  Cat Care Volunteers should be comfortable with cats of all temperaments, and may be called upon to help care for  small pets such as rabbits, hamsters and birds.  Volunteers must complete the following :

• Attend an orientation session at the shelter
• Attend multiple (generally 3) cat care shifts as a 'shadow,' learning from one or more of our experienced cat care volunteers.

Hours: Cat care shifts are 2 hours long and occur two times daily (8 - 10 am and 6 - 8 pm) seven days a week. 

 *Please note, all shifts are currently full. Please check back in 4 weeks!

Interested? Requires a 6 month commitment minimum.  Click "Next Steps" button at the top right of this page.

Overview: Feral cats are among the most vulnerable animals in our region, and population control is crucial to keep animals healthy and happy.  

Our TNR programs help feral cats stay healthy and keep populations humanely in check.   Cats are humanely trapped, neutered, and then returned to their colonies to life out their lives more healthfully.  

TNR team members travel to sites in Scituate and the greater South Shore to:

• Check, rebait and set humane traps
• Transport feral cats to appointments for neutering
• Transport and release cats back to their colonies 

Hours:  Flexible, on an as-needed basis.  

Interested?  Click the "Next Steps" button at the top right of this page.

Overview: Our normal protocols at SAS include lots of cleaning, but since the COVID, pandemic, they have been kicked up a notch!    Because we must adhere to strict guidelines, we will direct interested volunteers to YouTube videos on cleaning protocols and or train you in person at that shelter.

• Cleaning dog enclosures, cat cages and transportation crates
• Cleaning meeting rooms, feeding areas and surfaces around the shelter 

Hours: Whether you are interested in coming for a few hours one day or the same time every week, we will do our best to schedule you at a mutually convenient time. 

Interested?  Click the "Next Steps" button at the top right of this page.

Overview:   Simply put, volunteer committees at SAS help keep staff costs down so we can help more animals.  Our committees are made up of Board members and regular volunteers and include: 

• Finance & Audit Committee 
• Fundraising Committee 
• Communications Committee 
• Human Resources Committee
• Gala Committee 

Hours: Most committees meet monthly with additional work done on the members’ own time. 

Interested? 

Please let us know what committee you are interested in by sending an  email to: info@scituateanimalshelter.org.

Overview:  These volunteers provide transport for pets going to veterinary appointments or surgeries, grooming, or even taking them to their new adoptive homes.  Animals are generally crated for transport.

Hours:  Flexible, as needed. Volunteers must be over 18 and have a valid driver's license.  

Interested? Click on "Next Steps" button  at the top right of this page.

Overview:  These volunteers help with routine maintenance of our shelter and our grounds, for example, helping to plow our paths when it snows so that our dogs can be walked. Trades experience is a plus (landscaping, carpentry, painting, etc).

Hours:   Flexible, as needed.  We welcome those who would like to help out regularly, or those who simply would like to volunteer for one afternoon.

    
Interested?  Click on "Next Steps" button at the top right of this page.