Adoption Center Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the Athens-Clarke County Animal Services Adoption Center! The Athens-Clarke County Animal Services Adoption Center has a variety of opportunities for volunteers to help socialize and care for the animals. Below is a list of all the current opportunities. 

All volunteers must first come through the appropriate training program. If you are interested in volunteering at the adoption center and have additional questions, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at animalservicesvolunteer@accgov.com, or just complete this form and schedule your in-person training.

Doggy Day Out

Take a shelter dog out on a day trip for a few hours. Volunteers will speak with shelter staff to find a dog who matches their handling skills that could use a quick break from the shelter. After that volunteers will take the pup to dog-friendly places of their choosing. Here are some of our favorites:

• Hikes around town

• Coffee shop drive-throughs for a puppuccino

• Volunteer's homes for a nap on the couch

• Private dog parks at Sandy Creek Park

• Lowes or Home Depot

• Walks around the neighborhood

• Outdoor restaurants

After your Doggy Day Out you'll return the animal to the shelter and fill out a report so we can share how the pup did with potential adopters. This program is useful for getting to know the animals and how they react to novel situations, helping them unwind, and getting their energy out!

Doggy Day Out is open to anyone who has gone through the orientation process. This ensures our volunteers are well prepared. All dogs need to be back at the shelter by 4:00 PM for dinner. Volunteers must provide a copy of their driver's license and car insurance before participating.

Fill out the online Doggy Day Out Application, or come into the shelter at 125 Buddy Christian Way, Athens, GA 30605 to complete the form in person.

Dog Socialization

Volunteers work with the dogs at the Adoption Center and offer them out of kennel play in one of our nine interaction pens. Our Dog Socialization volunteers also help keep kennels and interaction pens clean, along with helping to provide toys and enrichment. These volunteers provide the dogs with an opportunity to expend excess energy, relieve stress, get some exercise and lots of love. Socializing the dogs helps build trust and makes them more adoptable. Even a few minutes of exercise and playtime can help calm them, and will certainly entertain you! Socializing with dogs is a great opportunity for those who cannot have pets of their own to get some puppy love! We welcome Dog Socialization volunteers every day on a pre-scheduled basis from 11 AM – 4 PM.

Morning Dog Care

Volunteers help clean kennels, sweep and mop the shelter area, assist with bringing dogs in and out of the play yards, clean and refresh water buckets, and assist with washing dishes. We are seeking volunteers for daily cleaning as well as deep-clean assistance. We welcome Dog Care volunteers every day on a pre-scheduled basis from 9 AM- 11 AM.

Dog Bathers and Groomers

Volunteers help groom and bathe dogs available for adoption, which helps keep them clean and in good appearance for potential adopters. There is nothing like the sheer joy of a dog after a bath! We welcome Dog Bathers and Groomers, especially in the Spring and Summer months, every day on a pre-scheduled basis from 11 AM – 4 PM.

Cat Socialization

Volunteers socialize cats by petting, playing, and talking to them, which helps build their trust in people and other animals. Some cats arrive at the shelter frightened and stressed, and every bit of human contact makes them feel better. We have two interaction rooms and an outdoor catio available for socializing with cats. We welcome Cat Socialization volunteers every day on a pre-scheduled basis from 11 AM – 4 PM.

Morning Cat Care

Volunteers help clean kennels, sweep and mop the shelter area, provide cats with scratching posts and toys, refresh food and water, and assist with washing dishes. The shelter cats appreciate the much-needed TLC. We are seeking volunteers for daily cleaning as well as deep-clean assistance. We welcome Cat Care volunteers every day on a pre-scheduled basis from 9 AM- 11 AM .

Photo & Pet Profile Volunteer

If you’ve got photography tools and skills and are interested in becoming more involved, contact us about becoming a photo and pet profile volunteer for our website. We ask that you commit to at least two visits a month and we will provide appropriate training.

Cross-posting 

If you can’t come to the shelter, you can also help our dogs and cats get adopted by publicizing them on social media (like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), listservs, etc. The more people we can reach, the more quickly our pets will leave the shelter!

Athenspets Opportunities

The Animal Services Department also works with the non-profit group Athenspets, who fundraises for the more needy animals at the shelter. Athenspets has a number of volunteer opportunities available within their organization. You can visit their website for more information, or email info@athenspets.net to sign up to volunteer with them.