Want to make a difference in your community? Volunteer at WAGS!
WAGS Volunteers are our essential helpers and community ambassadors. Volunteers simply do it for love.
About our Volunteer Program
Thank you for thinking of WAGS Pet Adoption as the place to donate your time. We know that you have endless opportunities to volunteer in Orange County and we are thrilled that you are interested in supporting our organization and the lifesaving work we do.
We care for 3,000+ animals each year. While we work hard to find adoptable animals their next home, we also focus on helping people keep their pets through lost and found services, and pet safety initiatives like microchipping, pet identification, and more.
Whether providing direct care for shelter pets, supporting the cleanliness of our shelter, preserving the human-animal bond, or administration efforts, you make a BIG difference each and every day.
The impact of you, as a WAGS Pet Adoption volunteer, is felt by every animal in our care. Thank you for your interest in our organization.
Volunteer Requirements & Qualifications
To get the most out of your volunteer experience at WAGS Pet Adoption, there are a few requirements we ask volunteers to meet:
An active email address is required
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, or between the ages of 7-15 years accompanied with a parent or legal guardian.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age to handle animals.
Volunteers have a passion for both pets and people and be supportive of WAGS Pet Adoption’s mission and philosophy.
A mature, compassionate, and respectful attitude is required.
Essential Capabilities of Volunteers
Being on a Team
- Ability to follow instructions.
- Ability to receive, incorporate and sustain instruction and feedback.
- Ability to understand words such as ‘quarantine’.
- Respect staff, have a positive attitude, and follow shelter protocol (even when you think there is a better way).
- Ability to understand WAGS Pet Adoption policies and requirements as a volunteer.
Shelter Life
- Ability to cope with being in the presence of animals who are homeless, abandoned, injured and/or abused.
- Ability to cope barking dog noise.
- Ok with being in a building with animals who have diseases, some of which are contagious (ringworm, mange). You will never be asked to be in a room with animals who have these diseases without protective gear.
- Understanding and acceptance of WAGS decisions surrounding euthanasia.
Volunteer Opportunities
We have a variety of roles for you to select from.
Please complete a volunteer application to get started!
You can complete more than one volunteer application too!
General Volunteers Over 18yrs
Shelter Care
General volunteers are the backbone of the shelter.
They provide much-needed cleaning such as dishwashing, laundry, cleaning community cat rooms, and guinea pig kennels.
Animal Companionship
Additionally, volunteers can provide socialization to the shelter dogs and cats through calm canines, feline friends, critter companions (bunnies & guinea pigs), and cat cuddlers.
A General Orientation class is required before you can volunteer.
WAGS Walker
The WAGS Dog Walker program is designed to get dogs out of their kennels throughout the day and allow them to destress from kennel life, to get them life experience and adventure time, practice leash walking and calm exit & entry, socialize with new people, and to work on new behaviors to help them get adopted. WAGS Walkers receive training on basic dog handling skills to prepare them to work within the shelter and to safely walk our dogs.
Reading to Cats (8-14yrs)
If you are between 8-14 years, you can volunteer with your parent or guardian. We offer reading to cats, which is a great way to help cats become more comfortable with humans. Many will want to sit in your lap as you read.
Dog Fostering
Short Term Foster. This is needed to provide dogs with a break from the shelter, reduce stress, and provide them with exposure to the home and community setting. This allows us to find out more about the dog’s personality and needs to help find the perfect forever family! Short term fostering can be as little as two days.
Emergency Foster in your home. This is needed for bad weather or for dogs being treated for short-term medical conditions. Your role is essential to keeping dogs safe during rain or heat events. Dogs recover more quickly in a healing environment away from the stress of the shelter. You get to explore the fun of pet ownership without the long-term commitment!
Commitment: 2+ days
Extended Foster or until adopted in your home. This is needed for dogs who have been in the shelter for an extended time and need a break as well as to reduce shelter overcrowding. Dogs can work on developing their people skills, manners, and behavior in real-life settings. You get to help an animal learn to trust humans again!
Commitment: 2+ weeks
Fospice for dogs that due to age or terminal medical conditions need end of life care in your home. Fospice allows the dog to live out their days in a stress free and loving environment.
All medical care is provided. You get to love on an amazing animal who needs it most!
Commitment: end of life
Kitten Fostering
Bottle Babies from birth to 4 weeks. This is needed for infant kittens who are bottle fed (every 2-3 hours). You get to help these little babies get strong, watch them open their eyes, and begin to walk and play. All medical care is provided, plus food and heating pads.
Transition Kittens from 4-8 weeks or until adopted. These kittens are now ready to be weaned from milk toward kitten food. They are more playful and love cuddling. You get to socialize them to humans and possibly your own pets. All medical care is provided, plus food and heating pads.
Doggie Day Explorer (DDE)
Doggie Day Explorer (DDE) is the opportunity to give dogs at the shelter a break and exposure to the home or community environment. You get to spend quality time one-on-one with a dog and WAGS learns more about the dog’s personality and needs plus exercise and fresh air.
Commitment:Â 2-8 hours
Classroom Foster
If you are a teacher wanting to foster a rabbit or guinea pig in your classroom at school, we can support you and you get to help an animal be with humans who will care for them.
Application Approval
Once you complete your application, you should receive approval within 24-72 hours. You will then be able to sign up for our required Orientation Training for all volunteer roles with the exception of dog or kitten fostering.
Our Orientation training is to designed acquaint you with WAGS Pet Adoption and the expectations and requirements for volunteering. We want you to feel welcome and knowledgeable about shelter life and the opportunities that await you.
Doggie Day Explorer
