Thank you for your interest in supporting the shelter through volunteering!
We look forward to having you join our volunteer team!

Open Opportunities Adult Opportunities Junior Opportunties Group Opportunties

Front Desk Assistant: Welcome guests and friends to the shelter. Assist the front desk with clerical work and phones during open hours.

Dog Walking & Enrichment: Walk dogs during designated hours, work alongside staff on dog enrichment.

Cat Socialization: Socialization can be done with our cats during our open hours- gentle socialization is very beneficial for some of our shyer cats.

Small Mammal Socialization: Our critters love having visitors and meeting new people while they are at our shelter waiting to be adopted.

Cat Cleaning: Cleaning of our social rooms is offered from 7am – 9am every day of the week.

Shelter Maintenance: Assistance with various tasks around our facility, including our daily dishes and laundry, lawn maintenance, and landscaping.

Other volunteer opportunities will become available on an as-needed basis, so check back often if none of these activities are of interest to you! You are welcome to fill out a Volunteer Application to be processed at another time, but please note that our Volunteer Coordinator will not be processing applications for those interested in activities that are not a priority for us at this time, and therefore you will likely not get a response right away.

Once you have applied to volunteer with us, please give us time to process your application. Upon approving your application we will schedule an orientation with you. Our orientations are given in small groups and are led by our Volunteer Coordinator.

  • All positions require a six-month commitment, serving a minimum of 4 hours each month. If you go inactive for three consecutive months within the first 6 months of volunteering you will be ineligible to return to the program for one year.
  • All volunteers must have a valid email address. This will be used to communicate scheduling needs, updates and all other necessary information, as well as how you will sign up for volunteer shifts in our system.
  • Volunteers must be able to read and understand all policies and procedures, follow all shelter rules and complete all duties of their role independently, or with the help of an aid. In the event that a volunteer requires assistance, they would have to bring their own aid, and be in the presence of that aid for the duration of their time volunteering. The aforementioned aid would have to apply, and be trained as a volunteer.

Step 1: Complete and submit your volunteer application! (Please choose only one area of focus to begin with, you may be trained into other areas later on.)
Submit your application here: Adult Volunteer Application
Step 2: Attend a new volunteer orientation. Our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you via email to schedule this with you.

Fox Valley Humane Association is thrilled to offer a volunteer opportunity for teens ages 13-17 years old. The Junior Volunteer program offers responsible and energetic youth a chance to learn new skills and enhance their dedication to animal welfare. This program will allow these volunteers to make a difference in the lives of the animals at FVHA.

*WE DO NOT SIGN OFF FOR COURT-ORDERED COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENTS. IF YOU WISH TO BE SIGNED OFF FOR SCHOOL-REQUIRED VOLUNTEER HOURS THIS MUST FIRST BE APPROVED BY OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR. *

Requirements:

  • Junior Volunteers must be between 13-17 years old.
  • Junior Volunteers aged 16-17 are able to volunteer with or without parental supervision in Shelter Maintenance, as long as the proper consent forms have been signed in person by the parent/guardian. The parent/guardian will be required to attend Volunteer Orientation with the Junior Volunteer as well. Please note that the parent/guardian will be held responsible for the actions and behavior of the Junior Volunteer while visiting the Fox Valley Humane Association. For Cat Cleaning & Socialization a Junior Volunteer (16-17) must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times an animal is present.
  • Consent and supervision is required at all times for Junior Volunteers aged 13-15.
  • An Adult Volunteer application will also need to be submitted for those accompanying Junior Volunteers aged 13-15 or the Jr. application will not be processed.

Junior Volunteer Positions:

  • Shelter Maintenance: Laundry and Dishes
  • Cat Cleaning & Socialization: Must be done with an adult present until 18 years of age

We are always welcome to new ideas or projects the Junior Volunteers are interested in. If you have suggestions, please let us know.

In order to attend orientation, applications must be submitted and approved by the Volunteer Coordinator at least ONE WEEK prior to orientation.

Get Started:

Submit your application here: Junior Volunteer Application

WE CURRENTLY ARE NOT OFFERING ANY GROUP VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES AT THIS TIME. OUR HOPE IS TO OFFER THESE OPPORTUNITIES AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, SO PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON!