THANK YOU for your interest in VOLUNTEERING!
We feel few things are more rewarding than helping homeless animals. The purr of a kitten and the appreciative look in a dog’s eyes say, “Thank you” like nothing else can.
Volunteers are an integral part of the Humane Society for Greater Savannah. We rely on the assistance of caring, hardworking individuals to fulfill our mission to educate the community in animal welfare, and socialize and integrate each pet into a “fur”ever home. Over 3,500 homeless pets enter through our doors annually.
There are several steps involved in order to participate in our shelter setting. Continue reading to find out more.
The first step is submitting an online volunteer application. Click the link below to get started. At the end of the application you are required to sign up for the “Intro to HSGS” orientation. There you will learn some of the expectations and procedures involved in animal shelter life.
The second step: Following the orientation, each person will be asked to sign up for a shelter tour. We will go through the volunteer handbook and fill out other necessary paperwork for animal care.
The third step: After the tour, a volunteer ‘job shadow’ will be required for the first part of your actual training. This ‘shadow’ is generally about two hours and is only offered in the morning. We are open seven days a week, so it meets everyone’s schedule.
The fourth step: Those interested in dog walking must sign up for the ‘Dog Walking Training’ with our behavior specialist. This training is offered a few times each month with the dates and times changing each month. ** During your shelter tour, you will learn of the training dates. **
Age Requirement:
Youth permitted without a guardian: 14-17.
Those younger are required to have a guardian present at all times, on site or otherwise. There is no exception to this rule. Our Youth Ambassadors are equally important to us on the journey to ensure better animal welfare. * Youth under the age of 14 are not permitted to walk shelter dogs, but may accompany their adult (who will have to attend all manditory trainings) when doing so. Youth are also encouraged to participate in cat & puppy enrichment. All volunteers must pass the dog walking training before walking any of the shelter dogs. This ensures the safety of our pets and YOU!
School Community Service: Attending the Volunteer Orientation requires at least 10+ school community service hours. If you or your student needs less than 10, participation in any one of our events in the community or a Single Day of Service (SDS) is encouraged. Check our calendar of events through the Home Page and call the number below to follow up.
Court-Related Community Service: Please NOTE: This is separate from the Volunteer Orientation held at Savannah Hospice. The orientation begins at 9 am and is usually held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Days may be altered. Call ahead of time to ensure the orientation is scheduled for the week you intend to participate. You must make arrangements with your work or school and expect to stay for a minimum of two hours on the day of orientation. AnchorRegistration is not required for this orientation. You may simply show up; however, to participate in the orientation, you will be required to turn in paperwork that identifies the name, email address and phone number of your Probation Officer and/or attorney on their letterhead as well as the reason for your service. You will also have to present a valid ID . Please be on time. Those late will be turned away.
Hurricane Season June-November- We have special volunteer needs for hurricanes.
Active Volunteers
CLICK HERE to view our scheduling system for volunteer opportunities. If you are not currently an active volunteer, please click the application link above to apply. We look forward to meeting you and seeing how we can work together to create better animal welfare awareness within our community!
ENTER OUR ONLINE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
View our Volunteer Job Descriptions
