Volunteer

picture of a person wearing a shirt that says Ames animal shelter volunteer and the person is cuddling a brown dog who is looking at the camera

The Ames Animal Shelter is staffed by three full-time employees and five part-time employees. But it takes a lot of people to keep the animals as happy and comfortable as possible during their stay here. That’s where volunteers come in!

The Ames Animal Shelter has, on average, 175 active volunteers and foster families. Volunteer hours totaled over 8,000 hours in 2024, providing a wide array of talents and interests to support our facility's operations. The level of support we receive each year from our volunteers is critical to our shelter operations.

Volunteers provide a variety of services to the shelter and the animals. Volunteers pitch in to help with the chores when things are busy, and also socialize with the animals to help them relax and adjust to the shelter setting. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see how the animals recognize the volunteers when they come in, knowing it means they’re about to get some special attention.

Volunteers also help make the animals more adoptable to visitors! A dog that knows the basic “sit” and “stay” commands will seem far more adoptable to a visitor than a dog that still needs to learns their commands. A cat will be more adoptable if it’s been brushed and gotten used to being cuddled and snuggled with. This is a critical role volunteers play in the program.

Some volunteers provide other sorts of support to our shelter, such as graphics and videos for our social media pages, participating in outreach events, coordinating tours, assisting in the planning and execution of special events, and more! We encourage our volunteers to share their talents as much as they'd like, and to reach out to us with any ideas they may have to add to the shelter's operations.

What are the program requirements?

We require the following:

  • Volunteers must have health insurance. The City will not cover medical expenses for any injuries while volunteering.
  • Volunteers must be able to provide at least four hours of service a month.
  • Volunteers must be able to provide a one year commitment.
  • All volunteers will be required to complete a virtual orientation once their application has been approved.
  • Volunteers must be able to meet the items outlined in our Volunteer Essential Capabilities(PDF, 113KB) document.

Is there a fee to apply?

A $25.00 fee is due once we have completed the initial review of your volunteering application. When your application is approved, our volunteer coordinator will email information regarding payment of the fee. Once we received the payment, a full background check will be completed, and you will receive information for the orientation program.

Volunteer application fees are non-refundable in the event the application is denied due to discoveries during the background check, or if the applicant withdraws from the program at any point.

All volunteers will receive a volunteering t-shirt on their first day of volunteering.

What are the age restrictions for volunteering?

10 - 15 years old

Must volunteer each time with a parent/legal guardian. Parent/legal guardian is required to sign a special liability form, and must submit a volunteer application as well.

Step 1: Both guardian and minor should submit a volunteer application.

Step 2: The guardian should then complete the Guardian Liability Form for Volunteer Minors.

16 & 17 years old

May volunteer without a parent/legal guardian present, but must sign a special liability form.

Step 1: The minor should submit a volunteer application.

Step 2: The guardian should then complete the Guardian Liability Form for Volunteer Minors.

 

18+ years old

No restrictions.

How do I get started?

Volunteers are required to submit a volunteer application for screening. Applications are available through the links below.

The full volunteer application approval, orientation, and tour process can take 3-4 weeks before your first volunteer visit. Staff work diligently to process applications and move volunteers quickly through the process. We promise to push your application through as quickly as possible. Applications for volunteering are NOT processed from Thanksgiving through December 31st.

New Volunteers

Go to our online Volunteer Application (using our Volgistics volunteer management website) to submit your application. 

How do I become a foster parent?

Learn more about our foster program on our Foster Program page.

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