Volunteer

Dedicated volunteers are critical to our goal of saving lives. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, volunteers donated nearly 35,000 hours, which is equivalent to approximately 17 staff members and a dollar value of nearly $820,000.

Our shelter is always seeking additional volunteers to help us care for our animals and help them find new homes.

If you are already a registered volunteer and are needing to schedule , change, or cancel a shift, that can be done here.

Why should I volunteer?

Volunteering will help you to make new friends, the two-legged and the four-legged kind! Connect with wonderful, like-minded people that want to make a difference too! When you give the gift of your time, love and dedication, you will receive more than just the satisfaction of knowing that you helped save a life, you will get plenty of purrs and wet kisses from some furry friends!

What do volunteers do?

Volunteers help in many ways, including assisting staff with feeding, cleaning and caring for the animals; fostering animals that are too young, sick or injured to be adopted; clerical projects; lost and found support, and off-site adoption and special event support.

How can I become a volunteer?

Kern County Animal Services Volunteers

Step 1: If you are 18 or older, submit an online volunteer application.

Step 2: Once your application is accepted, you will receive an email that includes the next steps necessary so that you can help us care for shelter pets. Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks from the time your application is submitted for a response.

For more information, please email animalservices@kerncounty.com.

To register for volunteer shifts or events, click here.

Note: Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate students under the age of 18. However, if you are under 18, you may find other interesting and educational volunteer opportunities available at the following volunteer matching websites.