Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Central Oklahoma Humane Society. Devoted supporters such as you help keep these lifesaving services and programs running, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And so do the animals!
If you have any questions, please contact Sara at sara@okhumane.org or 405-286-1229 ext. 5.
Enter your email address here to sign up for Volunteer Updates!
If you enter your email address here, you’ll get our quarterly email newsletter so you can stay in touch with OK Humane activities all year long. When we have specific needs for lots of volunteers (such as a Midnight WoofnessTM mega adoption event), we’ll email this list and ask for volunteers. If you want to commit to being a regular OK Humane volunteer, the first step is filling out an application–click here to do that!
Specific Volunteer Job Opportunities:
To apply for a specific Volunteer job, please visit our volunteer application and mention it in the application.
Location: Adoption Center
Time Commitment: An hour or two each week
A picture is worth a thousand words! Animals have a much better chance of getting adopted if they have quality up-to-date pictures online. OK Humane is always looking for volunteers to help with this task. No photography experience is required, and the organization has both still and video cameras to use.
Location: OK Humane Adoption Center, 7500 N. Western Ave.
Time Commitment: Saturday and Sunday mornings, 9 AM – 12 PM
The Saturday and Sunday morning shifts at the Adoption Center are very cat focused, so if you’re a cat person this is the shift for you! Extra help is needed on weekend mornings to care for the 30-50 cats that stay full-time at the Adoption Center waiting for their forever homes. These duties include scooping litter boxes, refilling food and water bowls, sweeping the floors, and tidying up the Adoption Center before it opens to the public.
Location: OK Humane Adoption Center, 7500 N. Western Ave.
Time Commitment: Weekly shifts on Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9 AM-12 PM, 12 PM-4 PM, & 4 PM- 8PM; or Sundays 10AM- 2 PM, & 2 PM-6 PM; or flexible around your schedule
The Adoption Center is the central hub of OK Humane, and volunteers play a vital role in keeping the site running. While at the Adoption Center, volunteers help with everything from greeting visitors and answering questions, to doing laundry and walking dogs. They also clean windows, keep the cat rooms tidy, straighten the retail area, and help employees with numerous other daily projects and tasks.
Location: Various locations
Time Commitment: Varies by group’s request
Humane Education volunteers must enjoy working with children and be ready to impact the future of our community. Volunteers visit schools to educate classes on humane practices and also work with children’s groups visiting the Adoption Center.
Location: Various places around the community
Time Commitment: Varies depending on event
OK Humane volunteers have been involved in various special events, such as the Gazette’s Dachshund Dash and the Oklahoma Home & Garden Show. These events are a great way to increase awareness about OK Humane throughout the community. New opportunities are always presenting themselves, so sign up to be a volunteer and see what fun event pops up next!
Volunteer opportunities at PetSmart store locations
Location: PetSmart Stores, and other locations around the community
Time Commitment: Often Saturdays or Sundays, usually 10:45 AM to 4 PM
Outreach Helpers assist Captains at outreach events. Volunteers are needed to get the animals settled for the event and care for them while they are at the outreach, as well as to answer questions from the public about the animals and OK Humane. The best part of working at an outreach is assisting with the adoption process once a family decides to take an animal home.
Location: PetSmart Stores, and other locations around the community
Time Commitment: Often Saturdays or Sundays, usually 10:45 AM to 4 PM
Outreaches are a great way for OK Humane to bring adoptable animals into the community. Outreach Captains are in charge of outreach events. They are responsible for set up at the location, care for animals during the event, and assisting the public with questions about the animals and OK Humane. In addition to these duties, the captain will also pick up supplies ahead of time, handle adoptions at the event, and manage the money.
Location: Moore, Edmond, or N.W. Expressway & Rockwell PetSmart stores
Time Commitment: One-Two Hours Weekly
Laundry Aides help by picking up laundry at PetSmart in-store adoption areas, taking it home to wash & dry, and then bringing the clean laundry back to the PetSmart location. They also check the cat adoption areas to make sure everything is neat and tidy for the kitties.
Location: Moore, Edmond, or N.W. Expressway & Rockwell PetSmart stores
Time Commitment: One-Two Hours Weekly
These volunteers help OK Humane adopt out more cats by keeping PetSmart in-store adoption areas full. They transport available cats from OKHumane’s Adoption Center to one of three PetSmart locations and get them settled into their new temporary homes. Keeping the PetSmart cages full saves as many lives as possible!
Location: Moore, Edmond, or N.W. Expressway & Rockwell PetSmart stores
Time Commitment: Two-Three Hours Weekly
OK Humane has cats available for adoption at in-store adoption areas in three local PetSmart stores. Cat Care Coordinators help check on the cats, clean cages, refill food & water, and clean litter boxes at these locations. They also transport paperwork and may be asked to bring new cats to the in-store adoption areas as needed.
Volunteer opportunities you can do from your own home
Location: Your home
Time Commitment: An hour or two each week
Pet Detectives work to reunite families with their beloved lost animals and pull strays out of the city shelter. These volunteers take time each week to look through “Lost” and “Found” postings in print and online, and they compare these postings to recent arrivals at area shelters. They also work to educate the public on how to handle lost and found animals.
Location: Your home
Time Commitment: An hour or two each week
OK Humane follows up on all animal adoptions. These important phone calls allow the organization to see how each animal is adapting and to provide resources for any adopter questions. Being on the Follow-Up Team allows a volunteer to thank adopters personally and hear the “happy tails” from successful adoptions!
Location: Your home
Time Commitment: Often only a few days
Sometimes foster families need a temporary break from their animals for a weekend or for personal reasons. Other times, OK Humane’s animals just need a place to land for a few days before finding a longer term foster family to call their own. This is where relief foster families come in, and they receive the same food, medical care, and support as full time foster families.
Volunteer opportunities at our Northwest OKC clinic
Location: NW Clinic, NW 16th & Meridian
Time Commitment: Weekly shifts on weekdays, 10 AM-2PM or 2 PM-6PM; or flexible around your schedule
The NW Clinic serves feral cats in the Trap-Neuter-Return program and also offers low cost spay/neuter services to the general public. Volunteers assist staff during and after medical procedures. They also keep the environment clean and comfortable for the many animals arriving through the facility’s doors. This includes tasks such as doing laundry, cleaning floors, and sterilizing items.
Volunteer opportunities at our Southeast OKC clinic
Location: SE Clinic, 745 SE 26th
Time Commitment: Weekly shifts on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays, 10 AM-4 PM & 4PM-6PM; or flexible around your schedule
The SE Clinic is the primary internal medical facility used by OK Humane, and it is a busy place! Volunteers assist staff during and after medical procedures. They also keep the environment clean and comfortable for the many animals arriving through the facility’s doors. This includes tasks such as doing laundry, cleaning floors, and sterilizing items.
Art Student Makes a Difference for Animals Through Her Work
by okhumane May 16th, 2012
by Kat Hodges, Development and Marketing Associate Young local artist Caroline McKinnis has done it again! For the second year in a row, Caroline presented many of her works at the Festival of the Arts in Oklahoma City. This year she was able to raise $920 for the Central Oklahoma Humane Society by selling her [...]