Volunteer at Dogtown

 See what a day in the life of a Dogtown volunteer looks like: 

You’ll get to spend your shift helping with tasks like cleaning, feeding, landscaping (weeding, raking), and building maintenance tasks.

Walking and socializing with our Dogtown residents may be limited, and interactions will be at the discretion of our trained caregivers depending on an individual dog's medical and behavioral needs.

Outings

You can also lend a hand by taking a dog on an outing with your personal vehicle, within a one-hour drive of the Sanctuary. Outings can include a car ride, hikes outside of Dogtown (dependent on the dog and weather conditions), or quiet time at your pet-friendly lodging.

Dogtown laundry building

We always need help with keeping the blankets and toys clean for the dogs, so your help with basic housekeeping, laundry, and walking dogs at the Dogtown laundry building is always appreciated.

Adoption hub shifts

Volunteers are also welcome at the adoption hub inside puppy preschool, where cats and dogs reside while they wait to be adopted. 

During a shift at the adoption hub, you might help with cleaning the dog spaces and cat room, dishes, laundry, sweeping and mopping, cleaning litter boxes, taking dogs for walks, and socializing the animals. This shift should not be selected if you are allergic to cats.

You can choose from two volunteer shifts daily: 8:15-11:30 a.m. and 1:15-4 p.m.   

We also offer disability-friendly shifts that are shorter and last for one hour total. 

To volunteer at Dogtown, you need to be 16 years old or older. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while volunteering. One adult can supervise two minors.  

Due to Dogtown being spread out over several miles, a personal vehicle is required. 

If you’re taking a dog for a one-hour outing during your shift, please keep in mind that we don’t allow personal pets for this Dogtown volunteer option, and 24-hour advanced sign-up is needed.

Safety guidelines: We're focused on keeping you and our animal friends safe while you're volunteering. Before your trip to the Sanctuary, make sure you've read through what to expect at the Sanctuary and in specific animal areas.

Scheduling your volunteer shifts in advance is highly recommended, and shifts can be scheduled as far as one year in advance. You can check the availability of shifts anytime.

Signing up for an outing requires two steps. You’ll first need to sign up for your shift in our volunteer portal. After that, you’ll need to fill out the outing sign-up form within 24 hours of signing up for your volunteer shift registration.