We are currently seeking a new Volunteer Program Coordinator. Apply for Animal Services Coordinator at Employment Opportunities – Santa Cruz County

Becoming a Volunteer at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter

New Volunteers Sign Up HERE!

Volunteer Opportunties

Dog Volunteer – Tier 1 & Tier 2: Dog Tender Loving Care (TLC) – Our dog volunteers walk, play, and coddle our dogs, spend quiet time with them in their kennels or in our cuddle room, take them on outings in the community (SPOTT), take them on relaxing sleepovers, and introduce them to potential adopters!

Cat Volunteer: Cat Tender Loving Care (TLC) volunteers play with cats in their condos, introduce cats and kittens to potential adopters, and spend play time or quiet time with them in our Get Acquainted Rooms (GARs).

Rabbit Volunteer: Rabbit Tender Loving Care (TLC) volunteers give our rabbits and Guinea pigs social time, treats, out-of-cage enrichment and exercise in x-pens, introduce them to potential adopters and assist with some cleaning and feeding duties.

Green Team: Our Green Team volunteers maintain and beautify the grounds at our shelters – keeping them tidy, welcoming, and beautiful with native and adapted plants and flowers. Mulching, weeding, mowing, pruning, weed-whacking, and planting make guests feel welcome and give our dogs interesting and calming things to sniff and explore. Email Rodolfo.Manriquez@santacruzcountyca.gov if you’re interested!

Fostering: Foster volunteers help by taking animals home temporarily (for a few days, weeks, or even months). Pets may need some in-home time to recover from illness or injury, grow big and strong enough to be adopted, have a break from the stresses of the shelter, or get a chance to show us their behavior in a home environment instead of a shelter.

Enrichment: Enrichment volunteers provide daily or weekly activities to animals in the shelter to prevent boredom or depression and decrease stress in sheltered animals. Activities might include stuffing Kongs and other puzzle toys, preparing and providing lick mats, kibble rolls or boxes, and more!

Volunteer Training

To volunteer with SCCAS the first step is to register with Get Connected and make a Volunteer profile – you can do this HERE.

The next step is to view the Volunteer Orientation video HERE. This Orientation will talk about the mission of SCCAS, Open Admission Sheltering model, different departments in the Shelter and what Volunteers do at SCCAS.

After Orientation, you will be asked to pick a species and then fulfill the requirements for working with that species. All volunteers are also required to download a VIP Program Application, fill it out and upload it in your Qualifications portion of your profile. If you have questions or concerns about this (or just want to email this application in), please email Amber Rowland at Amber.Rowland@santacruzcountyca.gov.

Dogs
Sign up for a Dog TLC Class in the Classes/Orientations section. After you have attended the class, you can sign up for a one on one mentoring session which will be in the Volunteer Shifts section. Once the class and mentoring session are finished, then you can start signing up for shifts on our Volunteer Shifts site!

Cats
Please watch the Cat TLC video and then sign up for a Cat TLC mentoring session on our Volunteer Shifts site. Once you have filled out all paperwork, you are then ready to sign up for shifts using out Volunteer Shifts site!

Rabbits
Please sign up for a Rabbit Mentoring session on the Volunteer Shifts site. After your mentoring session, you can sign up for shifts at the Volunteer Shifts site!