New volunteer applications will open on February 1. Please check back then!

Volunteer

Volunteering at Operation Kindness is rewarding and makes a huge difference in the lives of homeless animals. Caring and hard-working volunteers help in a variety of programs throughout the year.

Become a Volunteer

Our volunteer program is an essential part of Operation Kindness. Volunteers are involved in all aspects of the organization and enable us to save even more lives. In 2021, volunteers gave 16,700 hours of their time to help the animals!

By joining Operation Kindness’ team of dedicated volunteers, you’ll build strong relationships with other like-minded animal lovers, the community, and of course, the animals themselves. Working together, we can help match more pets with loving homes.

VOLUNTEER

Get Started

Ready to get going? Volunteers can start as young as age 10, if accompanied by a responsible adult who has also completed volunteer training.

Step 1:

Watch our Introduction to Volunteering video.

This short video will give you an overview of the volunteer opportunities available at Operation Kindness.

WATCH VIDEO

Step 2:

Next, complete a registration form and pay your volunteer fee of $45 per person.

The fee covers your badge, t-shirt, training, and administrative costs.

After completing registration, you’ll receive instructions for completing an online training at your own pace.

Step 3:

Once you complete your online training, you will be able to sign up for training shifts to help one of our core teams. Volunteer shifts can be scheduled to fit your availability.

We do ask volunteers to work at least one shift for their core team each month for the first 6 months with us.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Volunteer Opportunities

To keep the shelter running smoothly for the hundreds of pets in our care, there’s a variety of daily tasks that volunteers can help with. These tasks include cleaning kennels, laundry, dishes, shredding paper for puppy pens, bathing dogs, cleaning and distributing toys, walking dogs, socializing cats/kittens, and more.

Beyond the general tasks around the shelter, volunteers also receive additional training to help in specific roles.

Animal Care Support

You help clean kennels, wash dishes, do laundry, and shred paper. All things that are needed to help give our animals a clean, healthy environment to live in while they are here.

Adoption Contract Processor

You will help new adopters complete the paperwork necessary to take home their new pet.

Enrichment

Work with our behavior team to provide mental and physical enrichment to the animals in our care.

Foster

Sign up as a foster and you will receive one-on-one training on how to care for foster pets in your home. Fosters are needed for orphaned puppies and kittens, nursing mothers, animals recovering from a medical procedure, and animals that need behavioral support. The typical foster stay is two weeks to two months, depending on the individual animal. Learn more and sign up.

Fundraising

Work with our development team to assist with our signature fundraising events, send mailings to supporters, and support admin/data entry work.

Greeter

Become a Greeter

Be the smiling face visitors see when they first arrive in the lobby! You will assist the Client Services team by greeting visitors, providing directions, and answering questions.

Intake & Foster Support

You help us process the paperwork when we bring in new animals. This role also takes photos of our animals and helps get supplies ready for our fosters.

Medical Support

With additional training, you can become a medical support volunteer and work with our veterinary team in our on-site hospital. You will help with giving medicated baths, taking injured/ill dogs out for potty breaks, cleaning kennels, and scooping litterboxes.

Pet Food Pantry

Volunteers on this team help provide dog/cat food, treats, and litter to people in need.

Texas Instruments staff during a corporate group volunteer session at Operation Kindness' North Texas no-kill animal shelter

Work Paws Playdates

The Work Paws Playdates Program allows corporate partners to provide relief and interactive fun for their employees. Participating employees are encouraged to take a few minutes out of their day to leave their workstations and interact with the animals. Employees can walk a dog, play fetch, pet a puppy, or cuddle a kitten.

Welcoming Operation Kindness animals into your workplace helps your staff stay healthy and practice good habits, such as taking breaks. On a deeper level, pets help to alleviate some of the stress associated with work life. They also promote team bonding, laughter and a positive work environment. Additionally, there is a huge benefit to the animals currently in our care. Playdates give them a chance to socialize and reveal more about their personalities which helps them get adopted.

What the playdate includes:

Operation Kindness brings social dogs or puppies, and/or kittens to your workplace.
Sessions are 2 hours.
Operation Kindness provides materials needed to set up a clean environment.
Work Paws Playdate fee is $1,500.

Group Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering at our adoption center is an employee favorite! The Corporate Group Volunteering Program has been created to give the maximum benefit to the animals as well as your staff.

All volunteer group experiences start with welcoming remarks from our team and a behind-the-scenes tour of Operation Kindness. Then, your team will participate in a volunteer project and gets hands-on time with the dogs and cats. Groups of up to 40 people can be accommodated.

With a corporate donation of $500 or more, a group of up to 20 participants can volunteer. With a corporate donation of $1,000 or more, a group of 21-40 participants can volunteer. Note: The donation is waived for registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

To schedule a group volunteer opportunity, please reach out to us by email.