Become A Volunteer

Coronavirus (COVID-19) UPDATE

We are suspending placement of all NEW volunteers and interns until further notice. Applications will be accepted for later placement. Thank you for your understanding!

Animal Services Shelter and Adoption Center is a great, big place to work with a huge mission! Our animals and award winning staff and volunteers need your help to continue to meet the mission of Public Safety, Public Health, and Animal Welfare for Pinellas County residents. Are you up to the challenge? To

lend a hand, call the Animal Services Volunteer Coordinator at (727) 582-2600, Option 7 or fill out the application below, today.

• Volunteer Application

Volunteer Programs:

• Foster Care Program:
  Not quite ready to adopt a new cat or dog but interested in a short-term commitment? We have just the program for you. Our foster parents provide a safe and loving environment for kittens, puppies, dogs and cats until they are ready to be adopted. Our greatest foster needs are: mom cats with litters and orphaned kittens and litters. Fostering is flexible enough for most lifestyles and all veterinary care, medication and care supplies are provided by Pinellas County Animal Services. The foster parent provides affection, we provide the rest. By taking one of our animals into your home on a temporary basis you provide that animal with a safe environment as they get ready to find a forever home. Ready to begin?
• Teen Program:
  

  The Teen Program is designed to give teens, ages 15-18 years, a sense of pride and ownership through volunteering and to prepare teens for a future role within the workforce. 
  

Adult Opportunities:

• Dog Walker/Cat Socializer:
  Volunteers that want to help exercise the dogs in our adoption area can take the dogs out for a casual walk or play with them in one of the two exercise yards we have for them. Or, volunteers can enter our cat adoption area and take the cats out of their cages one at a time and just sit down and socialize with them.
• Clerical Assistant:
  Volunteers can assist the customer service staff and/or the administrative staff in various clerical areas with data entry, filing, making charts, or excel spreadsheets. Whatever your area of expertise may be, Animal Services would be happy to have you work side by side with us.
• Animal Photographer:
  Do you have the gift of catching those special moments on camera? If you enjoy photographing pets, then join the Pinellas County Animal Services Team! Use your own digital camera or ours to take photos and videos of our adoptable cats and dogs for listing on the official Pinellas County Animal Services Website and various social media and adoption outlets. In many instances, a great picture and profile are all that's needed to help find a loving family for a deserving animal! Photographers should be comfortable handling animals. Shifts are 3 hours and start times vary based on individual availability.
• Creative Writers:
  Do you have a way with words? Marketers, poets, writers, and aspiring Shakespeare’s - welcome! Join our team and assist the Adoption Coordinator with promoting our adoptable animals increasing their chances of being seen by their forever family. Spend time with our dogs and cats and discuss them with fellow volunteers and fosters to create short biographies that highlight their individual qualities. The descriptions will give potential adopters a glimpse into the animal’s personality to increase the likelihood of compatibility. If you are considering a career path in creative writing this position is for you.

• Greeter:
  

  We are looking for people-orientated volunteers to greet and direct our customers to the proper areas to fill their needs. The greeters will provide additional information regarding all aspects of the department such as brochures and handouts.

• Animal Control Officer Assistant:
  Are you interested in learning how to be an animal control officer? What a better way to learn than to ride-a-long and assist an animal control officer on daily field duties. Each volunteer will get on-the-job orientation and training to effectively handle these assignments.
• Kennel Assistant:
  The kennel assistant will work with the animal care staff and learn how to properly clean and sanitize the kennels, feed and water the pets and assist citizens that come into the shelter looking for a lost pet. Each volunteer will get on-the-job orientation and training to effectively handle these assignments.
• Pet Groomer:
  Experienced groomers can volunteer and can do makeovers on the dogs and cats received that are going into our adoption areas. Groomers have in the past taken dogs and cats that had never been properly groomed and given them baths, groomed them, sometimes putting ribbons on them and they get adopted almost immediately upon entering the adoption areas! Pinellas County Animal Services provides all the necessary equipment for this area of expertise.

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