Volunteer Opportunities
Below are several volunteer opportunities available at the Idaho Humane Society, but it is not a comprehensive list. Once you're trained as an IHS volunteer you'll be added to our volunteer email list. Through email you'll receive requests for special events and special needs the shelter has.
If you have other talents you think would be valuable to our shelter, please feel free to speak with the Volunteer Director, we'd love to hear your ideas.
Dog Walking/Socialization
- Dog walking allows shelter dogs to get daily exercise, fresh air and helps maintain their housetraining skills.
- Dog walkers are needed everyday from 9am to 6pm and are particularly in demand on weekdays when fewer volunteers are available.
- This task requires the ability to handle large, excited and unruly dogs in sometimes less than ideal weather conditions.
Dog Bathing/Grooming
- Groom & bathe shelter dogs to help increase their adoptability.
- There is a particular need for bathing dogs before special events, adoption events, and television appearances.
- Requires experience grooming and bathing dogs and physical strength and stamina.
Dog Adoption Assistant
- Help potential adopters who are looking to adopt a dog.
- Ask questions of adopters to help them find a dog that is a good match for their lifestyle & expectations. Educate them about responsible pet ownership.
- Provide reminders of shelter rules & assist in getting dogs out of kennels.
- Requires knowledge of dog breed characteristics and good customers service skills.
Adoption Events
- Adoption events take shelter animals out into the community to events and pet-friendly businesses to find them new, loving adoptive homes and to raise awareness about the Idaho Humane Society.
- Helping the morning of the event to get animals ready for the event. Putting collars & leashes on dogs, loading cats in carriers, organizing paperwork and loading all animals onto the trucks that will transport them.
- Assisting at the event with handling dogs, acting as animal sales people, walking adopters through adoption paperwork, cleaning cat cages, answering general questions about the shelter and providing great customer service.
Television Representative- Pet of the Week
- Transport a shelter dog or cat to and from a television station and present the pet during a short news segment.
- Requires skills to handle an animal in a stressful/unfamiliar situation, regular monthly commitment and public speaking.
Television Representative- Pets on Parade
- Load, transport, and handle shelter animals to and from the television station for weekly taping.
- Unload and handle animals during the taping of the show. Volunteers occasionally appear on camera too.
- Requires transporters to have a valid driver's license; ability to lift and load dogs and drive pick-up truck weekly or with a regular commitment.
Event Representative
- Represent IHS at community events by staffing an information table and answering the public's questions.
- Requires good interpersonal skills and commitment to a specific event.
Cattery Assistant
- Socialize and play with cats to keep them active and accustom them to being handled.
- Assist with customer service. Assist potential adopters in finding a cat that suits their lifestyle and expectations.
- Help clean cages, prepare newspaper for cages, replace soiled litterboxes, refill food dishes, etc.
- Cattery volunteers are needed everyday from 9am to 6pm. This task can be done on a flexible schedule.
- Requires good cat handling skills, a calm demeanor and good customer service skills.
