Volunteer

Age Requirement: 18-years-old
To volunteer on-site at OC Animal Care, you must be at least 18 years old. If you are under the age of 18 and are interested in learning how you can get involved, please visit the community service projects section of the website.

Time Commitment: 8 hours per month
OC Animal Care requests that you commit to a minimum of 8 hours per month for at least 3 consecutive months. This commitment ensures that the program will operate smoothly and that the maximum benefit is provided to the animals.

Recruitment:
OC Animal Care requires that all potential volunteers go through an extensive orientation, selection, and training process. This process ensures that OC Animal Care is selecting volunteers that best fit the needs of the program and understand the unique environment in which they will work. The recruitment process may take up to two months. Applicants will be selected based on the current needs of OC Animal Care.

1. Email VolunteerOCAC@occr.ocgov.com with your interest.
2. Complete a required background check and sign policies.
3. Volunteers will be notified of acceptance via email and invited to attend an in-person New Volunteer Orientation.
4. Complete the online training course.
5. After receiving good standing status, volunteers may begin onsite training.

OC Animal Care will provide training to all volunteers.  Volunteers are required to complete training for each position in which they are selected to serve.

• Dog Walker
  Dog walkers exercise and socialize dogs that are currently available for adoption. Through this interaction, volunteers provide the dogs with mental stimulation creating a healthier, happier, more adoptable dog. Some volunteers work with dogs to develop good manners, such as walking well on a leash, that will help them be more successful in their new homes. Dog walkers may also bathe adoptable dogs as needed.

• Kitten Nursery Attendant
  Kitten nursery attendants help to feed, clean, and care for small kittens that are housed in OC Animal Care’s kitten nursery. These kittens are currently awaiting placement with a rescue organization or a foster home. With the help from these volunteers, OC Animal Care and its extensive network of foster caretakers and rescue organizations have saved thousands of underage kittens.

• Petco Cattery
  When volunteering at the Petco Cattery in Orange, you will have an opportunity to create a comfortable and clean environment for the kittens, guide potential adopters towards the right match, ensure seamless adoption processes, and offer ongoing love and care to our residents Petco kittens.

• Cat Socializer
  Cat socializers work with cats that are currently available for adoption, providing them with mental stimulation and practice being handled in various manners. By doing so, volunteers help to improve the cats’ quality of life and prepare them for adoption into loving homes.

• Rabbit Socializer
  Rabbit socializers handle rabbits that are currently available for adoption at the shelter. Some rabbits are not used to being handled and these volunteers help to create more social, and thus more adoptable, bunnies.

• Customer Service Support
  These volunteers help our Customer Service Staff with items like sorting donations, helping with copies and paperwork, and completing special projects as needed.

• Community Events/Special Shelter Events
  Volunteers act as shelter ambassadors and help to spread the mission of OC Animal Care throughout the community. Volunteers participating in special events, both on-site and off-site, help to promote the adoption of shelter animals. Through education and a positive attitude, these volunteers help build lasting relationships with the community OC Animal Care serves.

• Clerical Support
  Volunteers assist shelter staff with various office projects, helping to improve the efficiency of work completed at OC Animal Care. Projects are intermittent and are assigned to clerical volunteers as the need arises.

• Groomer
  Volunteers groom shelter dogs to create quality bonding time between themselves and the dogs, thus increase a dog's adoptability. These dogs often come to us matted and dirty. This special attention from a grooming volunteer enables the dog’s true personality to shine through and increased his chance of being adopted. At this time OC Animal Care is unable to offer thorough grooming training, but we welcome those who possess grooming skills.

1. Be part of the solution! You will be working with other individuals dedicated to helping homeless pets find loving homes.  Through public education, volunteers help spread the word about responsible pet ownership and the importance of adopting rather than shopping for pets.

2. Meet new friends. OC Animal Care welcomes volunteers from all walks of life.  You will get to know quite a few friendly new faces and may walk away with a lasting friendship.

3. Get some fresh air and exercise. Many of our volunteer positions encourage physical activity for the volunteer and the animal.  The health benefits are plentiful!

4. Obtain relevant career/school experience. In today's competitive job market listing relevant volunteer service on your resume may give you an advantage.  Likewise, college admissions offices look favorably on volunteer service.

5. Pets are the best listeners.  After a stressful day, sometimes the best remedy is a furry head in your lap.

Community Service Projects are a great way for those under the age of 18 to earn service hours and help the pets at our shelter! Click here to see what community service projects you can complete to provide enrichment for our shelter animals! 

Those interested in volunteering who may have special needs (or a job coach/shadow), must inform the Volunteer Program Coordinator prior to Orientation.  Though we do our best to accommodate those with special needs or handicaps, our unique volunteering opportunities require certain abilities to maintain the safety of our animals, staff, public and other volunteers. Special volunteer requirements must be discussed with the volunteer program coordinator on a case-by-case basis prior to Orientation. 

We can provide special orientations for those who cannot ambulate up a flight of stairs. Please email VolunteerOCAC@occr.ocgov.com if you have special mobility needs. Please be aware that some parts of the shelter are not conducive to wheelchair access, and this may limit the areas you are able to volunteer in safely.

*OC Animal Care is unable to accommodate court ordered volunteer service at this time.  For possible assistance, please visit our More Volunteer/Intern Opportunities page.

Current volunteers may click here to log into their Volgistics Portal.