Volunteer

Welcome! We are so glad that you are interested in becoming a volunteer with the San Bernardino County Animal Care Volunteer Program.

We are looking for compassionate and caring people willing to spend time with some of the cutest shelter pets you may ever meet.

Volunteers provide much needed socialization and enrichment for shelter pets and help to make their stay more comfortable, while increasing their adoptability. We look forward to serving alongside you in our shared mission of providing a safe, clean, and loving environment to each animal in need.

Volunteer Interviews

Once your application is received by the Animal Care Team and the Volunteer Program Coordinator, a 15-minute phone interview will be arranged.

We currently only have a limited number of volunteer slots available. We plan to continue to expand the volunteer program. Some applicants may be placed on a waitlist until a slot opens or capacity expands to accept more volunteers. Thank you for understanding.

Volunteer Onboarding and Orientation

Once the interview is completed, if both parties decide this is a good fit, you will receive additional information on completing a background check.

After your background check is processed, you will receive an email with the Volunteer Manual and current dress code. The dates and times for Orientation and Safety Training will be provided at that time.

We are currently offering an Animal Care Volunteer Orientation and Safety Training twice per month. Once on a weekday and once on a weekend. You must attend one of the orientations before your volunteer hours may begin. A badge with “Volunteer” will be given to all volunteers at this orientation. Please wear this badge when volunteering.

NOTE: If you are unable to attend Orientation and Safety Training in-person after two consecutive months due to scheduling or other conflicts, please reach out to the Animal Care Volunteer Coordinator directly for an accommodated option.

Volunteer Hours and Commitment

• 2-hour increments between the hours of 8 a.m. – Noon and 2 – 6 p.m. Accommodations will be made as needed for hours.
• A minimum of 9 hours a month is required; however, a volunteer can do more! You cannot exceed 8 hours in one day.
• After completing 20 hours of volunteer work, a volunteer t-shirt will be provided.
• Please sign-in at the start of each volunteer shift and sign-out at the end of each volunteer shift. 
• Each volunteer will be assigned a mentor or one-on-one Animal Care staff for the duration of their volunteer hours.
  These assigned staff members may be different depending on the day. Thank you in advance for your flexibility.
• A wide variety of tasks will be available to the volunteers and the Animal Care team will work to allow for opportunity
  in your specific interests or skillset.