We are unable to accommodate court ordered, KTAP, Kentuckiana Work Service, or traffic evasion mandated service hours.

The volunteer program at our East Campus Adoption Center (1000 Lyndon Lane) starts at age 14. Only volunteers aged 18 and over can handle the leash when walking dogs. 

The volunteer program at our Main Campus and all other KHS sites starts at age 18.

At-Home Pet Projects can be completed by those not old enough to volunteer. This includes creating enrichment for animals, hosting a Wish List Donation Drive, and 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.

Yes, when working directly with animals, volunteers must donate a minimum of 2 shifts every month, for a consecutive 6-month period to remain an active volunteer. That’s the equivalent of 4 hours per month. At least 1 of these shifts per month must be a Cleaning shift.

Under cases of illness, school/college, family-based issues, etc., the Volunteer Engagement Manager 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.

Thank you for thinking of the Kentucky Humane Society to perform your school or organization 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”. 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.

Volunteers between the ages of 14-17 must perform their in-shelter service work at our East Campus Adoption Center at 1000 Lyndon Lane, Louisville, KY 40222.

Individuals over the age of 18, after undergoing orientation and applicable training classes, may volunteer at a variety of locations including:

Sam Swope Pet TLC (Main Campus) 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

Yes. All volunteers are expected to follow proper protocols, the Volunteer Code of Conduct, present themselves in a friendly manner, and treat all staff and other volunteers with respect. Volunteers must act at all times as an ambassador for KHS, keeping in mind our Core Values.

Volunteers are also required to adhere to our dress code that includes wearing a KHS name tag at all times, long pants, closed toed shoes, and no dangling jewelry or accessories. Volunteer Program t-shirts are available for purchase and are an optional part of the volunteer dress code.

Non-Volunteer Friends/Family and Pets can not accompany volunteers on their shifts. 

Volunteers must adhere to all guidelines and protocols in the Volunteer Handbook and trainings, including any updates. 

We do require a $20 annual 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. The discount card includes 50% off an adoption, $10 off Doggie Daycare Day Pass or a la carte service at Fern Creek or Eastpoint Pet Resort (One Time Use), and $10 off Grooming Service at Fern Creek or Eastpoint Pet Resort (One Time Use).  This fee supports the success of our volunteer program and allows us the opportunity to rescue 6,000+ dogs, cats, and horses each year.

To volunteer in our East or Main Campus, we require potential volunteers to attend an orientation/tour, complete two cleaning-only shifts, then attend a Mentor Shift where they are paired with one of our staff members to learn animal handling training.

For other volunteer roles at other sites, training varies. 

Volunteer work hours are dependent upon the location and available shifts. In-shelter volunteer work is only completed when staff are present in the building. Generally, hours for volunteering are between 8:30am and 6pm. In-shelter volunteer shifts are divided into two hour blocks. 

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 mornings, but also picks up donations from local businesses on a monthly basis.

Greg volunteers every Monday afternoon at East Campus socializing cats, is a foster, and also helps load and unload bags of dog and cat food at our monthly Food Bank.

Please contact Volunteer Engagement Manager Megan Collins by email at volunteer@kyhumane.org for more information about the Volunteer Program. Due to the high volume of volunteer inquiries, please allow 5-10 business days to contact you about questions you may have.

Please check out our Current Volunteer Opportunities and decide which you would most like to start volunteering in. Instructions for how to apply for these opportunities are included in their description.

We are also accepting new cat and dog fosters! To apply for the Foster program, please visit https://www.kyhumane.org/get-involved/foster/.