Volunteer
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!
Fill out the Volunteer Application
Volunteer Spotlight: Iris May
After 17 years with my Cocker spaniel, Isabeau and then two years with Labs Bucky and Wheaty I found myself dog-less in the summer of 2008. And to those of you “dog” people; you know how empty life can be without a furry best friend. While reading a newspaper article in October 2008 about Central Oklahoma Humane Society I had an epiphany – I could foster dogs. And so began my rewarding relationship with COHS.
The minute I set eyes on my first foster (a little black, female, terrier mix) I was in love and adopted my beautiful Bella. There were a few more foster dogs and then came Seymour, a sandy colored, male Yorkie mix. I was struck in the heart again and adopted him changing his name to Snickers. A foster failure, twice.
COHS offers a wealth of volunteer opportunities and I’ve managed to get involved with a number of them. From laundry, cleaning surgical equipment and paperwork at the SE Clinic, to being a member of the Pet Detective Team, various outreach one-time occasions to volunteering on Tuesdays at the OKC Animal Shelter and … fostering kittens. Yes, I’ve gone over to the dark side ☺.
I’ve met some wonderful, caring people through COHS and believe it is a special organization with a mission worth believing in.
Programs:
Stop the CATTIN’ Around! OK Humane has launched an aggressive TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program for feral cats in Oklahoma City. If you would like to learn more about the TNR program, please click here.
Humane Education Program OK Humane is in the planning process of a city-wide Humane Education Program focusing specifically on children. Humane Education is an extremely important component of creating a compassionate community. There have been numerous studies proving the correlation between cruelty to animals and violent crimes later in life. Children that are kind to animals are kind to each other. Helping to promote the human-animal bond is the focus of our program. If you enjoy working with children, this is the program for you!
Adoption Program
Our adoption program is managed through a network of foster homes. Foster parents open their homes to OK Humane’s adoptable dogs and/or cats and provide care for them until we can find the animals permanent homes. They are responsible for feeding, cuddling, and exercise, as well as for bringing the foster animal to vet appointments and adoption outreaches. OK Humane is responsible for medical costs and we participate in Hill’s Shelter Nutrition Program which provides food for all animals currently in the our Adoption Program.
Adoption Outreach Events are held at several different locations around Oklahoma City and is the primary way most of our animals are adopted. Adoption Outreaches are lots of fun and very social; duties include handling dogs and/or cats, answering questions about OK Humane for the public and helping with set up and take down of our cages and materials.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at 405.286.1503. You can also fill out our volunteer application and we’ll get back to you!
Spay/Neuter Clinic Volunteers:
Days in our Spay/Neuter Clinics are busy ones and we appreciate our volunteers! Volunteers may assist Veterinary Technicians, handling of animals, surgery preparations, sterilization of surgery supplies, animals in recovery, laundry just to name a few!
Specific Volunteer Job Opportunities:
To apply for a specific Volunteer job, please visit our volunteer application and mention it in the application.
Adoption Center Helper
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.
PetSmart Cat Care Coordinator
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.
Cat Transporter
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!
Cat Laundry Aide
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.
Clinic Assistant, SE 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.
Clinic Assistant, OK Humane Place, NW 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.
Fosters Families
Location: Your home, with some transportation to the clinic and adoption locations
Time Commitment: Varies from animal to animal.
OK Humane relies on foster homes to provide temporary care, shelter, and love for the animals in the adoption program. Food and medical care are provided free of charge for foster animals. Foster homes are an essential part of saving the lives of animals in Oklahoma City. The more foster homes available, the more animals can be saved!
Relief Fosters
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.
Intake Assistants
Location: Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division Office, 2811 SE 29th St.
Time Commitment: As needed
Thanks to great volunteers and two new intake coordinators with offices at the Oklahoma City animal shelter, a record number of animals are being saved in our community. Due to this increased volume, the intake coordinators often need assistance. Volunteers help with paperwork, assist staff with intake vet work, and have an opportunity to work with newly rescued animals.
Outreach Captains
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.
Outreach Helpers
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.
Special Event Assistants
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!
Follow-Up Team
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!
TNR Trappers
Location: Various locations around Oklahoma City
Time Commitment: An hour or two on any week night, and travel time to the clinic and back
Trapping feral cats for spay/neuter surgery can make a huge impact on the city’s cat population and be a real adventure! OK Humane has an active TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program with nearly three hundred colony managers caring for feral cats around the city. Occasionally colony managers are unable to trap because they are elderly or disabled, and these people need volunteers to visit their homes to assist with trapping.
Pet Detectives
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.
Humane Education
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.
Photographers
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.
Feline-ality Assessors
Location: Adoption Center
Time Commitment: Twenty minutes per assessment
Adoption matches are most likely to succeed when families know what type of behaviors to expect from their new cat. The Feline-ality program trains volunteers to assess personality traits in adult cats. Volunteers spend one on one time with each animal before they go into the adoption rooms in order to predict the cat’s behavior in a new setting.
