Volunteering

The Niagara Falls Humane Society accepts volunteers for a variety of positions. A few things you should know about volunteering:

1. Our most popular volunteer positions involve working directly with the animals. This means that the program is often full or that there are not enough animals in the Shelter to work with & there may be a wait for you to begin your volunteering. Please do not expect to begin immediately as we simply cannot guarantee available volunteer positions at all times.
2. Volunteer shifts after 3pm and on the weekends are the most popular.You may be contacted sooner if you are able to be more flexible with your schedule.
3. Those who provide a valid e-mail address may be contacted sooner. There may be dozens of applications waiting for interviews at any given time. It is more time effective to e-mail rather than call all applicants.
4. High school students should note that they will not be given priority for hands on animal positions. We cannot accommodate all high school volunteers and due to the high turnover of high school volunteers after the completion of their hours, we will accept non-high school volunteers first for hands on animal positions.
5. All volunteers MUST BE 16 YEARS OLD. This is due to insurance reasons and is not negotiable even if an adult volunteers with them
6. We need volunteers for special events as much as we need help with the animals!! If these are things you’d like to help with, please get in touch.

PLEASE JUST BE PATIENT WITH US AS WE TRY TO PLACE EVERYONE TO THE POSITION THAT BEST SUITS THEIR PREFERENCES!

What do I need to do to get started?

First, you need to complete a volunteer application form. This application allows us to learn a little bit about you and gives you information on what volunteer opportunities there are within our organization.

Second, you will be contacted to attend an orientation session where you will learn about the Niagara Falls Humane Society and our volunteer program.

You will then be called for a volunteer interview. This step is designed to determine your motivation for volunteering, our needs, the position you are interested in as well as provide general information about the NFHS and what we do. All volunteers will be given a volunteer handbook and will be familiarized with the expectations and responsibilities of the various positions. At this point, any volunteers selected will choose their schedule and will be assigned their volunteer position.

Volunteers may also choose at this point to be added to a volunteer database for casual positions and/or special events. When we run special events or fundraisers these volunteers are essential in ensuring that our day is run smoothly.

To download the volunteer application please click here. Complete the form then either fax it back to us or email it to our

Seniors Volunteering at the Niagara Falls Humane Society

Many seniors enjoy spending time volunteering with the animals here at the NFHS. Special time is spent cuddling cats in our new cat room or walking dogs on our property. If you would prefer to help in another way we have various volunteer positions ranging from assisting with administrative duties or events to helping with our gardens. Please contact if you would like to join our volunteer program.