Volunteer
Volunteers Are Essential to Our Success. Our incredible volunteers – including long-term volunteers, short-term volunteers, foster parents and volunteer groups – act as an extension of our staff, helping us to care for thousands of animals every year.
We Are a Proud Service Enterprise Member 
Contact
Volunteer Manager
Chris Madalena
813-291-7357
Volunteer@HumaneSocietyTampa.org
Messages and voicemails will be returned.
Already an HSTB Volunteer?
Would you like to join our team and help save lives?
Check out our different volunteer programs below to see which might be the right fit for you!
Join Our Long-Term Volunteer Team
This program provides a wide variety of opportunities and schedules for those who are interested in volunteering regularly for more than 6 months. All ages are welcome in this program, but volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Volunteers can earn hours for school or work through this program.
Next Steps
- Click the button below to access our online training system
- Click the Volunteer Program Overview course
- Click Enroll for Free to create your online account
- Watch the Volunteer Program Overview for more information on our program and to learn your next steps! If you want to volunteer and are under the age of 16, a parent or guardian must complete the above steps as well.
REQUIREMENTS
- Be willing to volunteer at least once a month for 6 or more months
- Complete new volunteer training program (mixture of online and in-person sessions that take approximately 4 hours to complete)
- All ages are welcome in this program, but those who are under the age of 16 will need to volunteer with a parent or guardian at all times. The adult accompanying a child under 16 must create a separate account and complete all training requirements as well.
OPPORTUNITIES
- Intake Path – working in the medical areas of our shelter to assist our vets and vet techs
- Adoption Path – providing support to our adoption team as they help match our pets with the perfect family
- Animal Handling Path – working directly with our pets to provide daily needs, exercise and socialization
- Special Events Path – representing our organization throughout the community during our outreach and special events
- Humane Education Path – helping our local youth learn about our pets through our various humane education programs
Join Our Short-Term Volunteer Team
This program is ideal for anyone who only wants to volunteer once or for less than 6 months. The program is quick-start with minimal training required. This program is only open to volunteers who are 16 or older. Volunteers can earn hours for school or work through this program.
Please Note: If you need community service hours for court, or hours for a PreTrial Diversion or PreTrial Intervention (PTI) program, those must be done through our Court Program and cannot be completed through the Short-Term Program.
SIGN UP
Simply click below to create an account and schedule your hours!
REQUIREMENTS
- Be at least 16 years of age
- May only sign up for ONE shift per time slot
- Must cancel ASAP if you are unable to fulfill your shift
- Two no-shows will make you ineligible to volunteer
- Shifts are set times, you will sign up for 1 of the 4 daily shifts
DRESS CODE
- No sandals or flip-flops, rubber soled, closed-toed shoes are recommended
- No tank or tube tops, no bare midriff showing
- No revealing and/or offensive clothing; shorts must cover at least to the mid-thigh
- Clothes may get dirty and/or be exposed to bleach, please dress accordingly
Fostering Saves Lives
If you are interested in caring for animals who are not quite ready for adoption, fostering might be for you! Foster parents care for animals in their own homes, providing a loving environment to young or injured animals. Foster parents must be 18 or older. Volunteers can earn hours for school or work through this program (check with your school to verify they accept foster hours).
SIGN UP
At this time, we are most in need of cat/kitten fostering. Please apply below if you would like to foster cats. Thank you!
REQUIREMENTS
- Be at least 18 years of age. If you are under 18 you MUST have the application filled out by your parent or guardian.
- Have an extra room or space in your home to keep foster animals separate from your pets
FOSTER CARE COORDINATOR CONTACT
813.291.7136
For questions about your foster application or signing up to foster, please contact:
Fostercare@HumaneSocietyTampa.org
Group Volunteering
Are you looking for fun and unique team-building experiences for your corporate group or organization? We have several options available for groups of 6 to 30 people. Show your company’s philanthropic spirit, earn volunteer hours for your team, spend some time with adorable animals, and most of all, have fun!
Level 1 and 2 team-building experiences are available for groups of 6-15 people, including beverages and a light snack.
Level 3 Team Building events can accommodate 10 to 30 people and can include lunch or happy hour!
To schedule your team-building event, visit here.
Please email groupvolunteers@humanesocietytampa.org with any questions or to book a Teambuilding experience, and a member of our team will contact you soon!
CONTACT
Donor and Community Engagement Manager
Tuesday – Saturday
9 AM – 5 PM
813.774.4344
groupvolunteers@humanesocietytampa.org
GROUP REQUIREMENTS
- All group members must be 16 years of age or older
- Minimum Group Size is 6
- Group members must be willing and prepared to get wet or dirty and to interact with all types of animals
- All group members must arrive wearing close-toed shoes
AVAILABILITY
- We have limited group shifts available each day; please book early!
- Group shifts are available daily in the morning or afternoon.
- Shifts are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis
Daily Tasks May Include:
- Socializing our shelter pets
- Dog Walking
- Light cleaning throughout the shelter
- Organizing storage areas
- Providing animal baths or other grooming
Join Our Teen Program
We offer a weekly program for teen volunteers ages 12–15 that allows them to earn 10 hours for school while learning about our shelter, working with our animals and assisting with our various Humane Education programs. Volunteers in our teen program do not need to have a parent or guardian volunteer with them.
Teens age 16 and older can also volunteer through our standard Short-Term and Long-Term volunteer programs or through our Camp Counselor Programs below.
PROGRAM DETAILS
- Program consists of weekly meetings on Wednesdays from 5-7pm
- Dates: Sessions run weekly during the school year.
- Open to students ages 12 through 15
- Parent or guardian is not required for this program
- We request a $75 program fee to cover supplies
- Each weekly meeting includes an educational lesson and activity to highlight a different aspect of shelter animal care, including:
- Grooming and bathing
- Housing, care, and cleaning
- Animal enrichment activities
- Community engagement
Volunteer Camp Counselor Opportunities for High School and College Students
Teens who will be at least 16 years old by 05/01/25 and are high school sophomores or older can apply to be a Summer Critter Camp Counselor.
Teens who will have completed 9th grade and are 14-15 years old during the summer can apply to be Junior Camp Counselors.
High School and College Students can earn up to 40 volunteer hours per week, plus bonus hours.
Email programs@humanesocietytampa.org with any questions about the Camp Counselor Program.
For Kids Under 16 Who Want to Get Involved
Children under the age of 16 can volunteer accompanied by an HSTB trained volunteer parent/guardian who is over the age of 18 and have signed up for a shift in the long-term program.
We invite families with children to visit the shelter, and with the adoptable animals, during regular business hours. The Shelter is open seven days a week, from 10a-5p. A volunteer shift is not required to socialize with the adoptables.
Looking to get your kid involved in other ways? Check out Humane Education for all the fun opportunities!
Join Our Court Appointed Community Service Program
If you need community service hours for court, or hours for a PreTrial Diversion or PreTrial Intervention (PTI) program, you can complete those through our court program. We offer daily morning and afternoon shifts through this program. Participants in this program must be 16 or older.
HOW TO GET STARTED
- First, create an account below. This step must be done prior to coming to the shelter. Once you have visited the shelter and we have verified your paperwork, you will be able to access the shift schedule from your online portal account.
- After you have created your online account, please visit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay Tuesday through Saturday between 12:30 PM and 3 PM for open enrollment in the program.
- Bring a copy of your charges and photo ID to the shelter and ask for Tony. If you are under 18, please bring a parent/guardian with you to expedite the paperwork as a signature will be required.
- If you have any questions about the Court Program, contact Tony Sherrod at 813-291-7168. Thank you!
REQUIREMENTS
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Must be available for shifts of 4-5 hours that start at 7 AM or 12 PM
- Must provide copy of your charges and a photo ID before starting
DRESS CODE
- Must wear pants (no shorts)
- Mandatory: No sandals or flip-flops, rubber soled, closed-toed shoes
- No tank or tube tops, no bare midriff showing
- No revealing and/or offensive clothing
- Please note that clothes may get dirty and/or be exposed to bleach
