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
Mark Pannitto
Tuesday – Saturday
9 AM – 5 PM
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 a 4 hour shift.
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
813.774.4346
For questions about your foster application or signing up to foster, please contact:
Fosterapp@HumaneSocietyTampa.org
Group Volunteering
We welcome groups of up to 12 people to join us each morning to help us get our shelter and animals ready for the day. This program is open to corporate groups, school groups or local organizations. All members of a group must be 16 or older to participate. Volunteers can earn hours for school or work through this program. Groups are scheduled in advance with the Donor and Community Engagement Manager.
Teambuilding for Tails: Corporate & Community Group Teambuilding
We offer enhanced Teambuilding options that include lunch and/or a happy hour for your employees, a shelter tour, and more for a small cost per person. Learn More about our Teambuilding options or email us with questions, groupvolunteers@humanesocietytampa.org.
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
- Maximum group size is 12 people
- 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
- Group shifts are available 7 days a week in the morning.
- Shifts are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis
Daily Tasks May Include:
- Socializing our shelter pets
- 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 20 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 $50 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
For Teens 16 and older, we also offer a Critter Camp Counselor program where High School and College Students can earn up to 50 volunteer hours per week.
Current high school students aged 14-15 can apply to be a Junior Camp Counselor if they are enrolled in 9th or 10th grade at the time of the application. Please follow the Junior Camp Counselor Link to apply.
Email programs@humanesocietytampa.org with any questions about the Camp Counselor Program.
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. 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.
- Visit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay Tuesday through Saturday between 12 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 Angel. If you are under 18, please bring a parent/guardian with you to expedite the paperwork as a signature will be required.
REQUIREMENTS
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Must be available for shifts of 4-5 hours that start at 7am or 12pm
- Must provide copy of your charges and a photo ID before starting
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
