in-shelter volunteering
Naperville Area Humane Society’s in-shelter volunteers work directly with our homeless animals. As one of our in-shelter volunteers, you will be at the forefront of helping keep our animals healthy, both mentally and physically. It is only through the help of our volunteers that NAHS can help so many animals find their forever homes each year!
Please take a moment to review the volunteer requirements and the FAQs below to see if volunteering in the shelter is a good fit for you.
in-shelter volunteer requirements
Be at least 16 years of age.
Have a working email address.
Attend an orientation and a mentoring session.
Fill out the online application.
Volunteer for at least three shifts every month for a minimum of one year.
Pay a one-time, $25 program fee. This fee is due before your mentoring shift or can be paid the day of your mentoring shift. The fee covers the cost of your volunteer t-shirt, badge, and training materials, which you will receive during your mentoring shift.
There is a $10 fee for any additional t-shirts or replacements and a $10 yearly renewal fee.
frequently asked questions
What will I be doing as an in-shelter volunteer at NAHS?
Dog Caretaker—Assist the Animal Care staff in providing the best care possible through kennel upkeep (filling water bowls, cleaning kennels as needed, doing laundry) followed by quality time with the dogs in their kennels, petting, playing, and rewarding calm behavior with treats.
Cat Caretaker—Assist the Animal Care staff in providing the best care possible through condo/room upkeep (filling water bowls, cleaning litter boxes and condos/rooms as needed, and doing laundry), followed by quality time with the cats to help reduce stress by playing, petting, and rewarding them with treats, which can all help make them happy and more adoptable.
Morning Cleaner (Cat & Dog) - Assist the Animal Care staff in providing the best care possible by providing healthy living spaces through daily cleaning and sanitizing cat condos/rooms or kennels while the animals await their forever homes.
Dog Walker—Exercise and provide companionship for our dogs by walking them outside (rain and snow days included). Walks provide the dogs with time outside of their kennels to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, sniffing opportunities, and potty breaks. There are three walking shifts to choose from: morning, afternoon, and evening. Please note that you must start as a dog caretaker first.
Why do I need to pay a $25 program fee?
The fee covers the cost of your volunteer t-shirt and badge, which you will receive at your mentoring shift. Your t-shirt must be worn on all volunteer shifts.
How long is a shift?
The average caretaker and walking shifts are one hour long and start on the hour (so, 1:00 rather than 1:30). Morning cleaning shifts are approximately two-and-a-half hours long (8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.)
What are the hours?
Caretaker shifts are from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the week and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends.
Morning kennel/condo cleaning occurs daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Dog walking has 3 walking shifts to choose from: mornings 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. / afternoons 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. / evenings 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Can I volunteer for longer than one hour or more than once a week?
Absolutely! If there is an opening in the schedule, you are welcome to sign up and come on in!
How often do I need to volunteer?
We ask that you volunteer at least three times every month for at least one year. Ideally, we would like you to commit to a set weekly schedule, for example, every Tuesday from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
What if my schedule changes all the time?
Not a problem! You will have the ability to schedule/remove yourself as you have availability.
Can I work with both cats and dogs?
Absolutely! But we will ask that you get started on just one side. Once you volunteer for a few shifts, you can request to be trained on the other side of the building.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Naperville Area Humane Society! We are currently experiencing a high demand of volunteer requests at this time. Due to this, we have decided to place a brief hold on accepting new volunteer applications so that we can reevaluate our shelter's volunteer needs and create new and exciting volunteer opportunities .
In the meantime, we appreciate your understanding and encourage you to check the volunteer webpage the near future for new volunteer openings.
Questions? Please contact our Volunteer Training Coordinator at volunteer@naperhumane.org or (630) 420-8989 x 1004.