Note: New volunteer applications are currently closed. We anticipate accepting new volunteers in November 2021.
Please check back for updates.

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 2019 alone, volunteers gave 45,690 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:

The first step is to complete a registration form and pay your volunteer fee of $35 per person. The fee covers your badge, T-shirt, training materials, and administrative costs.

Step 2:

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

Step 3:

Your orientation concludes with a hands-on training at the shelter. Once you are onboarded, you can schedule volunteer shifts that fit your availability. We ask that volunteers maintain a minimum of 4 hours per month to remain active.

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.

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.

Front Desk Admin

Front Desk Administrator

You will help answer phones, look up pet information in the computer system, and support the Client Services team with visitors and adopters.

Dog or Cat Assessor

With additional training, you will work directly with the dogs and/or cats to perform a behavioral assessment. This helps us gain information about each animal so that we can match them with their perfect new family.

Clever Canine

With additional training, you can become a Clever Canine volunteer. These specialized volunteers work with dogs who need basic manners training and sometimes more complex behavior training. You will work with each dog in the program on their behavior plan to help them become more adoptable.

Smarty Cat and Frisky Kitty

With additional training, you can become a Smarty Cat or Frisky Kitty volunteer. Smarty Cat volunteers work with cats who are fearful or under socialized. Frisky Kitty volunteers work with cats that get overstimulated easily and may bite or swat. You will work with each cat in the program on a behavior plan to teach them to trust and help them become more adoptable.

Medical Ambassador

With additional training, you can become a Medical Ambassador 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.

Adoption Counselor

With additional training, you can become an Adoption Counselor. You will work directly with clients to help them find the animal that they want to adopt. This includes reviewing their adoption questionnaire, introducing them to prospective pets, guiding them towards the perfect match, and processing their adoption contract and payment.

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.

Enrichment

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

Fundraising

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

KINDNESS FOR KIDS

Humane Education

Teaching our children to become the next generation of responsible pet owners is the foundation of our Kindness for Kids Humane Education program. We deliver our popular programs at area schools, community recreation centers and at our adoption center.

Experienced volunteer teachers partner with friendly shelter dogs to help teach the fun, engaging lessons. Through these lessons, children learn how to care for the family pet and develop greater compassion and empathy for animals. Presentations include entertaining visuals and are modified to appeal to different aged children. Key elements include:

How to be a responsible pet owner
How to care for your pet
How to interact safely with animals
Take-home handouts/materials

To schedule your school or after-school care program, contact our Volunteer Manager.

volunteers@operationkindness.org

Email Us

Kindness for Kids is in schools and after-school centers in Southwest Dallas, Dallas, Coppell, Irving, Lewisville, Carrollton/Farmer’s Branch and Richardson.

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.

Note: New volunteer applications are currently closed. We anticipate accepting new volunteers in November 2021. Please check back for updates.