Volunteer On-Site

Volunteers 7-12 years of age are eligible to take part in our "Read to A Shelter Pet" program. This program invites kids (and their parent/guardian) to practice their reading skills on our resident cats! This enriches our feline's experience at the shelter and allows a safe way for younger kids to make an impact in animal welfare.

Volunteers 13-15 years of age with a parent/guardian are eligible to take part in our standard volunteer program. There are a variety of volunteer roles to choose from.

Volunteers 16 years of age and up are eligible to volunteer independently.

Attend a new volunteer orientation.

Submit an application.

Complete a volunteer onboarding call to learn details about the opportunities available to you specifically based on your availability, interests, and experience. Set up a first day and training schedule.

Train in your volunteer role.

We've decided to introduce an "orientation before application" onboarding approach because of our commitment to delivering an exceptional volunteer experience. Our aim is to ensure both our team members and animals receive the best support possible. While we acknowledge this might seem like a hurdle for some prospective volunteers, our priority is to foster a sense of mission and organizational connection before focusing on service specifics. Our trials with the orientation process have shown that volunteers who attend orientation beforehand feel more integrated with staff and peers, grasp their potential impact better, and generally have a more fulfilling experience. Our intent is to invest time in providing comprehensive education, training, and mentorship to all volunteers, ensuring their unique talents are utilized to the fullest and they feel fully supported in their volunteer endeavors.

Certain on-site volunteer roles, especially those that involve direct handling of the dogs, require a significant amount of training and therefore to be considered for these roles we ask for a commitment of at least 6 months of volunteer work with a dedicated weekly shift. Many of the other available on-site volunteer roles are more flexible and require a minimum commitment of at least 3 months of 4 hours of service.

After completing an orientation you will receive a link to submit an application and all job descriptions for available roles. These job descriptions include time the time required commitment for each role.

Yes, but there are some restrictions based on the offense. Please visit our Required Community Service page.

We are unable to accommodate one time volunteer opportunities for individuals.

We do offer one time group volunteer projects for local companies and clubs. Please view the "on-site group projects" link above.

Volunteers are strongly encouraged to carry their own insurance. Volunteers are not covered by workers’ compensation nor insured by Capital Humane Society during the performance of their volunteer duties and tasks, including when driving a vehicle or transporting an animal. Volunteers are responsible for their own medical, liability, and auto insurance during their volunteer service.

Volunteers at our adoption center are typically at the shelter between the hours of 8AM-7PM Tuesday through Friday and 8AM-5PM on Saturday through Monday.

Volunteers at our intake center are typically at the shelter between the hours of 8AM-5PM Monday through Friday and 8AM-4PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Volunteers should plan to wear closed-toe and closed-heel shoes (no sandals, flip-flops or slip-ons), long pants or jeans free from holes or tears, and a t-shirt that covers the shoulders, midsection and back. Volunteer attire must include a Capital Humane Society volunteer uniform shirt or an appropriate t-shirt accompanied by volunteer name tag, must be worn at all times while actively giving service to Capital Humane Society.

Volunteers who give service outdoors should plan appropriately for anticipated weather, including sunscreen, cooling cloths, jackets, coats, gloves, etc.

We are able to accommodate a limited number of job shadowing opportunities each school year. Job shadow students observe and interact with our Animal Welfare staff as they complete direct care duties to the animal at the shelter including cleaning, feeding, medicating, facilities cleaning, etc. Job shadowing often does not include direct interaction with animals.

For job shadow or work experience requests please call 4024414483.

Although we are unable to offer on-site volunteer opportunities for kids under 7 years of age, we always encourage interested individuals to consider hosting fundraisers and donation drives outside of the shelter environment as a great way to support the people and pets of Lincoln!

Please check out the "At home projects" link above for some fun and easy ideas or consider getting a group together for a Humane Education presentation where you can learn more about being a good advocate for all animals.

At this time the only volunteer opportunity that we are able to offer to kids 7-12 years of age is our Read To A Shelter Pet Program. In the future we plan to developed additional volunteer roles for this age range!