Current Volunteer Opportunities

At the Sam Swope TLC, also known as our Main Campus, the following volunteer opportunities are available. 

Please note: volunteers must be 18 and older at this location and the hours of operation are Monday - Friday from 11am - 5:30pm and Saturday - Sunday from 11am - 4:30pm.

• Date with a Dog - These volunteers come to the shelter and pick up a dog to take out of the shelter for a one hour or longer "doggie daycation." Take a dog for a car ride, to the park, or to hang out at your home (kept separate from owned pets). Pick up time is 10am, drop offs no later than 4:30pm. Minimum Time Commitment: low, must complete 1 Date with a Dog per month

• Cat or Dog Enrichment (CODE) - These volunteers help with cleaning tasks around the shelter, including spot cleaning kennels and doing laundry. After completing cleaning only shifts and Animal Handling Training, these volunteers work directly with dogs and/or cats to provide enrichment to better their time in the shelter. Morning and afternoon shifts available daily. Minimum Time Commitment = moderate at 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month)

• Pet Photographer or Photography Assistants - These volunteers come into the shelter on a weekly basis to take professional photographs of the animals for use on our adoption website. Assistants move the animals from their kennels around the shelter to get that purr-fect shot. Photographers/assistants edit photos and upload them to Flickr. Minimum Time Commitment = moderate to high. Shifts are weekly, but need only commit to 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month) with option to do more

• Foster Program - Our foster program operates out of Main Campus, but is separate from the general volunteer program. For more information about becoming a Foster with KHS, please click here.

• Foster Office - These volunteers assist the Foster Team with cleaning tasks, facilitating pick up and drop off of animals with foster volunteers, making neck bands for animals, and more. Morning and afternoon shifts available daily. Minimum Time Commitment: moderate, at 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month)

• Landscaping - These volunteers help with landscaping projects such as pulling weeds, planting flowers/trees, trimming trees, and more. Required Time Commitment: none. We contact these volunteers when projects arise to see if they are interested/available to help.

• Adoptions Reception/Kennel Docent - These volunteers sit at the reception desk in the Adoptions Lobby and direct visitors where to go within the shelter and answer questions about the adoption process and KHS. Only weekend shifts for this position. Minimum Time Commitment = moderate, at 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month)

• Vet Services/Intake - These volunteers assist our Vet Services team with animals recovering from anesthesia as well as other tasks in the veterinary suite. They also help our intake team with setting up new arrivals to the shelter. Only morning shifts Monday through Friday for this position. Minimum Time Commitment = high, with weekly or bi-weekly shifts

To apply for these volunteer opportunities, please visit our Volunteer Hub site and Create a New User Profile. 

Make sure to mark Main Campus as your preferred location to volunteer and select your choice from the above list as your main interest in volunteering. 

At the East Campus Adoption Center, the following volunteer opportunities are available. 

Please note: volunteers can be 14 and older at this location, depending on the volunteer position, and the hours of operation are Monday - Friday from 11am - 5:30pm and Saturday - Sunday from 11am - 4:30pm.

Another note: Orientations fill up very quickly at this location and often they are filled 3-4 months out. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer in the shelter more quickly, consider volunteering at Main Campus if you are 18 and over, or participating in Date with a Dog if you are 18 and over.

• Cat or Dog Enrichment (CODE) - These volunteers help with cleaning tasks around the shelter, including spot cleaning kennels and doing laundry. After completing cleaning only shifts and Animal Handling Training, these volunteers work directly with dogs and/or cats to provide enrichment to better their time in the shelter. Note: volunteers must be 18 and over to walk dogs. Early morning and afternoon shifts available daily. Minimum Time Commitment = moderate at 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month)

• Pet Photographer or Photography Assistants - These volunteers must be 18 and over and come into the shelter on a weekly basis to take professional photographs of the animals for use on our adoption website. Assistants move the animals from their kennels around the shelter to get that purr-fect shot. Photographers/assistants edit photos and upload them to Flickr. Minimum Time Commitment = moderate to high. Shifts are weekly, but need only commit to 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month) with option to do more

• Date with a Dog - These volunteers must be 18 and over and come to the shelter and pick up a dog to take out of the shelter for a one hour or longer "doggie daycation." Take a dog for a car ride, to the park, or to hang out at your home (kept separate from owned pets). Pick up times are either 11am or 1pm with drop offs no later than 4:30pm. Minimum Time Commitment: low, must complete 1 Date with a Dog per month

• Outreach Team Administrative Tasks - These volunteers help the Outreach Team with administrative tasks such as data entry (can be done remotely), folding and stuffing donor appreciation letters, soliciting donations/sponsorships, and more. Minimum Time Commitment: none. We contact these volunteers when projects arise to see if they are interested/available to help.

• Landscaping - These volunteers must be 18 and over and help with landscaping projects such as pulling weeds, planting flowers/trees, trimming trees, and more. Minimum Time Commitment: none. We contact these volunteers when projects arise to see if they are interested/available to help.

To apply for these volunteer opportunities, please visit our Volunteer Hub site and Create a New User Profile. 

Make sure to mark East Campus as your preferred location to volunteer and select your choice from the above list as your main interest in volunteering. 

At the S.N.I.P. Clinic, the following volunteer opportunities are available. 

Please note: volunteers must be 18 and older at this location and the hours of operation are Monday - Thursday until 5pm.

• Administrative Tasks - These volunteers help answer phones and emails, set up appointments with clients, greet clients, and perform cleaning tasks. Minimum Time Commitment: moderate, at 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month)

• Animal Handling Tasks - These volunteers help with cleaning tasks, moving animals from kennels to the operating area, oversee animals recovering from anesthesia. Please note: ability to lift 50+ pounds often required. Minimum Time Commitment: moderate, at 2 shifts per month (or 4 hours per month)

To apply for S.N.I.P. Clinic volunteer opportunities, please visit our Volunteer Hub site and Create a New User Profile. 

Make sure to mark S.N.I.P. Clinic as your preferred location to volunteer and as your main interest in volunteering. 

Please note: volunteers must be 18 and over to volunteer at this location. Their hours of operation are: 

Tuesday - Thursday from 10am - 8pm, Friday - Saturday from 10am - 9pm, and Sundays from 10am - 8pm.

The Purrfect Day Cat Cafe runs their own volunteer program. They have their own Volunteer Coordinator, orientations, and trainings independent of KHS. 

To apply to volunteer at Purrfect Day Cat Cafe, please click here and fill out their volunteer application. 

Please note: volunteers must be 18 and over. Horse experience is preferred, but not required. 

• Currently we are looking for volunteers who are available one day per week (specifically Monday-Friday) for a few hours, on a regular basis. 

• You can also be added to the Special Events list if that time commitment does not work for you. 

To apply to volunteer at Willow Hope Farm, please click here and Create a New User Profile. 

Make sure to select Willow Hope Farm as your preferred location to volunteer and your main interest.

Are you the contact person for a business or organization that wants to volunteer as a group? We have several opportunities including:

• Date with a Dog - for groups of 10 or fewer, we can send out shelter dogs for an hour or longer "doggie daycation". Groups can take a dog out for a drive, to hang out at home (separate from owned pets) or to the park to play. Pick ups are from our Main Campus location at 241 Steedly Drive.

• Donation Drive - businesses often support KHS by hosting donation drives among their members or clients. For our Wish List, please click here.

• Make Adoption Kits - this can be done off site, and is a great opportunity to reach KHS adopters. Businesses can purchase items to make 'adoption kits' that we can give to adopters. These can include logo swag from the business, like bags, frisbees, balls, blankets, etc. along with cat or dog toys, personalized photo frames, hand written thank you cards to the adopter, cat litter, blankets, etc. Anything a new adopter might need for their new feline or canine FURever friend!

• Kennel or Yard Cleaning - At our Main Campus location, 241 Steedly Drive, groups can come out and deep clean kennels or pick up debris in the yards. 

• Fence/Barn Painting or Landscaping at Willow Hope Farm - larger groups can come out to our equine rescue facility in Simpsonville, KY and spend an afternoon painting fencing or taking care of landscaping needs. 

If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities or arranging one for your business or group, please contact the Volunteer Engagement Manager Megan Collins at volunteer@kyhumane.org or (502) 272-1052.

To learn more about our Foster Program or to apply to become a KHS foster, please click here. 

If you would like to volunteer at one of our annual fundraising events such as Waggin' Trail Festival for the Animals or Tuxes and Tails, please fill out this questionnaire so you can be added to our Special Events Volunteers contact list.

• Major Fundraising Events - We have several major fundraising events throughout the year including our black tie gala Tuxes and Tails in April and the Waggin' Trail Festival for the Animals in May. Minimum Time Commitment: Low with the events being one day/night per year. To help out with these events, please fill out this questionnaire. 

• Puppy Pack - These volunteers must be 18 and over (sometimes 21 and over, depending on the venue) and travel to community events to do outreach on behalf of KHS. These events sometimes involve puppy grams, where puppies are present for the public to interact with, and/or a KHS information table. Ability to transport puppies is strongly preferred. We contact these volunteers monthly with upcoming events and you can sign up for whichever events you are able to help with. Minimum Time Commitment: moderate at 1 event per month. To sign up to be a member of the Special Events Squad, please fill out this questionnaire.

• Events Planning Committee - For some of our major fundraising events, we utilize a committee made up of volunteers to help plan the event, solicit for auction items and sponsorships, and more. Minimum Time Commitment: moderate with monthly meetings leading up to the major event, roughly 6-8 meetings per year. To join an events planning committee, please contact our Donor Engagement Manager Leila Burch at lburch@kyhumane.org. 

Several departments at KHS have unpaid internships available for students or those able to commit for 10-15 hours per week for a semester or longer. To apply for any department's internship, or to learn more, contact Volunteer Engagement Manager Megan Collins at volunteer@kyhumane.org.

• Outreach Team Internship - Come learn about major fundraiser planning, fundraising for non profits, cause related marketing, administrative tasks, community outreach, and more! Great for those looking for non profit experience, fundraising experience, and office atmosphere experience.

• Volunteer Engagement Internship - Come learn about engaging volunteers in non profit service through recruitment, training, social media communication, mentorship, newsletter creation, administrative tasks, volunteer position placement, and more! Great for those looking for team management experience, public presentation experiences, training development experience, non profit management experience, and more.

• Foster Team Internship - Come learn about how our Foster Team tackles the incredible task of housing hundreds of animals in foster homes as they become available for adoption. Great for those looking for animal handling experience, task management experience, teamworking experience, and more.

Have a specialized skill you'd like to share with KHS that you don't see an appropriate outlet for among the opportunities listed above? 

Have a unique idea for a way to contribute? 

Contact the Volunteer Engagement Manager Megan Collins at volunteer@kyhumane.org  or (502) 272-1052 because she would love to find a way to get you involved!