How old do I have to be to volunteer?
Volunteers must be a minimum of 14 years old to volunteer. From ages 14 to 17, Student Volunteers can perform their service work without parental guidance. However, parents are welcome to volunteer alongside a Student Volunteer as an active Adult Volunteer. Persons 18 years and older are considered Adult Volunteers.
If I am too young to volunteer, how can I get involved?
At-Home Pet Projects can be completed by those not old enough to volunteer. This includes creating enrichment for animals, hosting a Wish List Drive, fostering animals, and so much more. Please read through our “At-Home Pet Project Packet” for various ways to give back to the Kentucky Humane Society that do not involve physically being in the shelter.
Is there a time commitment to volunteer?
Yes, when working directly with animals, volunteers must donate 2 hours of their time every 2 weeks, for a consecutive 6-month period to remain an active volunteer. That’s a minimum of 2 volunteer shifts per month.
Under extreme cases of sickness, illness, school/college, family-based issues, etc., the Outreach Coordinator can work with volunteer about the time commitment. Please be transparent and communicate any concerns/changes in scheduling.
Due to the evolving dynamic of our shelter and need of our shelter pets, we ask that you consider whether or not you can honor this commitment before beginning the process to volunteer.
I have to complete a certain number of service hours for school, can I volunteer for the Kentucky Humane Society?
Thank you for thinking of the Kentucky Humane Society to perform your school service hours. Due to the concentrated training and investment of our volunteer program, if you are needing less than 20 hours of service, we ask that you complete service through the “At-Home Pet Project Packet.” [hyperlink to Pet Packet PDF] This includes creating enrichment for animals, hosting a Wish List Drive, fostering animals, and so much more.
If you are needing more than 20 hours and/or can abide by the volunteer time commitment in conjunction with and after the completion of your school hours, we encourage you to apply for our volunteer program.
Where can I volunteer?
Volunteers between the ages 14-17 must perform their in-shelter service work at our East Campus Adoption Center at 1000 Lyndon Lane, Louisville, KY 40222.
Any individual aged 18 and over after undergoing orientation and applicable training classes, may volunteer at a variety of locations including:
Sam Swope Pet TLC at 241 Steedly Drive, Louisville, KY 40214
East Campus at 1000 Lyndon Lane, Louisville, KY 40222
S.N.I.P. Clinic at 4918 Preston Highway, Louisville, KY 40213
Willow Hope Farm near Simpsonville, Kentucky
Are there requirements for volunteering?
Yes. All volunteers are expected to follow proper protocols, present themselves in a friendly manner, and treat all staff and other volunteers with respect.
At times, volunteers will be working independently, with little to no supervision from staff. However, staff may also request volunteer assistance for a specific task. Additionally, animals in the shelter can be physically demanding due to stimulated environment. Volunteers are expected to understand what animals they physically can and cannot handle.
Volunteers are also required to adhere to our dress code that includes wearing an official KHS Volunteer T-Shirt or a provided KHS apron, and a KHS name tag at all times as well as long pants or shorts, closed toed shoes, and no dangling jewelry or accessories.
What are the hours I can volunteer? How long is a volunteer shift?
Volunteer work hours are dependent upon the location and available shifts. In-shelter volunteer work is only completed when staff is present in the building. Generally, hours for volunteering are 10:00am to 4:00pm.
Volunteer shifts are divided into two hour blocks. With the progression of volunteer service, volunteers may begin to stay longer than their designated two hour shift with approval from KHS staff.
Is there a fee to volunteer?
There is no requirement, but we do have an optional $25 membership fee. This cost includes a KHS Volunteer T-Shirt (the design changes each year) and a “Pawsitive Perks” Discount Card good for one year. This fee supports the success of our volunteer program and allows us the opportunity to rescue 5,500+ dogs, cats, and horses each year.
Do you accept court ordered community service hours?
We are unable to accommodate court ordered, KTAP, Kentuckiana Work Service, or traffic evasion mandated service hours.
Can I volunteer with more than one program at a time?
Yes. We have many volunteers that provide services to many different departments.
For example:
Sophie volunteers by walking dogs at our Sam Swope Pet TLC Center on Wednesday morning, but also participates in the Belly Bank Program by collecting money at the end of each month for the Development Department.
Greg volunteers every Monday afternoon at East Campus socializing cats, but is also a member of our Transport Team by driving to overcrowded shelters on Saturdays and bringing animals back to our shelter for adoption.
I have a question that was not answered, who can I contact?
Please contact Outreach Coordinator Eugina Scoggins [email protected] for more information about the Volunteer Program. Due to the high volume of volunteer inquiries, please allow us 2 weeks to contact you about questions you may have.
I have read through the FAQs and want to volunteer! What is the next step?
Currently our waitlist is closed for new in-shelter volunteers. However, we are still accepting new volunteers into our Foster program, at the S.N.I.P Clinic, and at Willow Hope Farm.
To apply for the Foster program, please visit https://www.kyhumane.org/get-involved/foster/.
Volunteers at the S.N.I.P. Clinic on Preston Highway and Willow Hope Farm in Simpsonville, KY must be 18 and over. Horse experience is preferred at Willow Hope Farm. Contact Eugina Scoggins at [email protected] for more information about volunteering at the S.N.I.P Clinic and contact [email protected] for more information about volunteering with Willow Hope Farm.