Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in volunteering
with the Animal Protection Society of Durham!
Click here to fill out your volunteer application.

APS values our volunteers!

Volunteers are vital to the lives of homeless or neglected pets in Durham County. All APS volunteers are expected to pledge at least eight hours a month to help us with a variety of needs including dog and cat care, socializing animals, front desk support or serving on one of our committees. In return for your hard work and dedication, APS will provide support, training and boundless gratitude.

APS Volunteer General Requirements:

  • 10 and under? You can volunteer your time with adult supervision, reading to cats!
  • 10-16? You can volunteer your time with adult supervision, walking dogs or participating in cat care!
  • 16+? You can volunteer with dogs and cats without adult supervision, and volunteer at our community events!
  • Community event volunteers should have completed 10+ hours of in-shelter volunteer hours.
  • Volunteers work at least 8 hours per month and commit to volunteer for at least six months (for exceptions to this or questions, please still apply and note this in your application; we still want your help!)
  • Volunteers must be able and willing to follow procedures for the safety of the animals, the public, volunteers and staff.
  • All Volunteers must 1) attend an orientation and 2) complete necessary training before volunteering.
  • We accept community service volunteers. To apply, please click here. Our Volunteer Manager will be in touch within a week.

Volunteering at an animal shelter is physically and emotionally challenging. Should you decide to volunteer, please know you are making a difference in the lives of the animals at the Durham County Animal Shelter and the Durham community, at large.

 

Group Volunteering:

Interested in bringing your group to volunteer at APS? Click here to read more.

Becoming a volunteer:

  1. Complete your APS Volunteer Profile.
  2. Once your application has been processed, you will receive a welcome packet with a link to the orientation presentation, FAQ about shelter volunteering, and a shelter map.
  3. After completing Orientation, you can select a training session for your volunteer area of interest. Most volunteers will go through two to five hours of training before they begin volunteering independently.
  4. After completing Orientation and Training, you can sign up through your VicNet portal to find volunteer hours that are right for you.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Dog Walkers and Dog Enrichment

Cat Care

Medical Care Volunteer

Front Desk Volunteer

Event Volunteer

Once you’ve completed Orientation, click here to complete  Event Volunteer specific Orientation and email the completion certificate to events@apsofdurham.org.

Dog Handler for Events

You must have 8 hours of Dog Walking experience to become a Dog Handler for events.

Once you’ve completed Orientation, click here to complete Dog Handler specific Orientation and email the completion certificate to events@apsofdurham.org.

Already a volunteer?

Current APS Volunteers log in here.