It’s easy! Just review our volunteer options and fill out an application. Someone from our team will follow up with you. We are always grateful for new volunteers and can't wait to welcome you to our team.
It helps, but it’s not necessary. A love of animals and a willingness to learn is all you need to get started.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to volunteer independently. We welcome younger volunteers aged 14–17 with a parent or guardian.
It depends on the role. For some positions, such as transport or spay/neuter clinics, you choose the shifts that work for you. Fostering, kenneling or colony feeding require a more consistent daily or weekly commitment. We do request that you commit to volunteering at least twice a month.
Yes. Since our programs operate across the Tampa Bay area, volunteers need to be local.
A foster provides a temporary home for an animal until they are adopted. An adoption counselor works at our adoption events and centers, helping potential adopters find the right match and processing adoptions. Some volunteers do both!
Most importantly, we will assign you a mentor to help you through the foster process. They are with you every step of the adoption journey. We also provide all food and medical supplies for our fosters. For cats, you will need to supply litter, boxes, bowls, bedding and toys. For dogs, you'll need bedding, bowls, toys and treats. But we often have these donated for fosters.
Yes, most of our fosters are animal lovers and have personal cats and dogs in their home. We match each foster animal with the right home situation, and you will be involved in choosing which pets you foster.
Yes, as long as your lease permits pets and you have confirmed there are no breed, size, or number restrictions that would prevent you from fostering. It is your responsibility to confirm this with your landlord before applying.
We provide routine medications and cover all veterinary care for animals in our foster program. If your foster animal shows signs of illness or injury, you just contact a member of our medical team who will provide medication or direct you to one of our partner veterinarians.
Absolutely — and it happens all the time!
