Volunteer

⭐Volunteer recruitment is now closed!⭐

Please check back regularly for updates about our next volunteer recruitment!

Become A Volunteer

With more than 3,700 volunteers, HSSV is able to save and enhance the lives of thousands of pets and people each year. There are a variety of critical and deeply impactful volunteer roles to choose from based on your age, schedule, and preferences. We hope you’ll join us!

Learn About Types of Volunteer Roles

Information About Volunteer Recruitment

Here’s an overview of our volunteer recruitment process and where and when you can find out more about how to become part of our volunteer community.

What are the basic requirements to volunteer?

Volunteers in regular on-site roles must be over the age of 18. If you are under 18 and interested in volunteering, please reach out to education@hssv.org for more information about youth volunteer opportunities.
Most of our volunteer roles ask for a weekly or bi-weekly commitment for a six-month period. Animal handling roles ask for a one-year commitment.

When can I start volunteering?

We recruit for on-site volunteers on a quarterly basis (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall). If you’re interested in learning more about our Foster Volunteer program, please visit HERE.

When is my next chance to volunteer?

We generally recruit quarterly. Our next volunteer recruitment cycle will be in early fall (August/September) of 2022.

How do I find out what roles are available in a recruitment cycle?

The available roles in each recruitment cycle will be posted HERE and will including role descriptions, time commitments, volunteer shift schedule, and application details.
Some roles, like dog and cat socializers and matchmakers, have limited openings and application spots fill up very quickly, so it’s a good idea to check out the website regularly for updates and apply as soon as a role is posted.

What if I can’t make a six- or twelve-month commitment? Is there any other way I can get involved?

We do have occasional opportunities for special events volunteer roles, like helping at our gala fundraising event The Fur Ball, or at sporting and community events.
These special event roles do not require an ongoing commitment to HSSV. For more information about upcoming Special Event opportunities, please keep an eye on this page.

How else can I support HSSV?

We can always use help for our incoming animals by donating items from our wishlist or supporting our Pet Pantry. We also accept these in-kind donations. You can also stay up to date on latest news, stories, and events at HSSV by signing up for our monthly email newsletter.

I still have some questions, can you help?

Yes! If you have questions we haven’t covered here, please reach out to the Volunteer Team by emailing volunteer@hssv.org.

The Value of Volunteerism

Fiscal Year 2020

Number of active volunteers

Total hours given

Number of animals fostered by loving foster families

Volunteers Save Lives

Volunteers make an incredible difference in the lives of the homeless animals that come in through our doors everyday. Foster volunteers like Diane Foxen help us care for the sickest and most vulnerable of those animals: kittens with ringworm. Diane has continued to foster with us during shelter-in-place – even as she works on the front lines as a neonatal nurse. We’re so grateful to Diane for her work, and she’s grateful for the joy her kittens bring her. “These little kittens have been my heroes,” she says.

Watch her Story on the News!

Volunteer Stories

Esther Moncharsh

Esther gives more of her time to Humane Society Silicon Valley than almost anyone else. She touches almost every piece of the organization in a variety of volunteer roles — nearly a dozen different roles in all. One of her favorite places to volunteer is in the behavior department. She helps evaluate and work with the more challenging cats, works in the kitten nursery to help get under-socialized kittens ready for adoption, and even fosters underage kittens.

Greg Price

Greg has been a volunteer with us for over 6 years and comes in at least 4 days a week. He’s a board certified behavior analyst and uses his extensive skills volunteering in the behavior department working with dogs with behavior issues. His favorite part of volunteering with HSSV is participating in dog playgroups because he can see the impact they have, including teaching dogs how to get along with each other, trust humans, and experience joy.

Karley Delorme

Karley is one of our most dedicated volunteers. She holds nearly a dozen roles, and spends her time here volunteering with dogs, participating in rescue runs, working in our spay/neuter clinic, helping with events, and assisting our fundraising team. Her favorite parts of being a volunteer include helping match dogs with adopters, welcoming in new dogs that are transferred here, and learning new skills in the medical department.