Smiling person holding a dog

Volunteer to save the lives of homeless pets

With thousands of dogs and cats in shelters across the country hoping for their very own families, one of the most valuable gifts you can give is your time.

Your kindness makes all the difference in the lives of homeless pets ― whether you volunteer locally or at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, give rides to pets across the country, or help animals from your home through one of our national opportunities.

There are so many ways you can make a lifesaving difference for dogs and cats by volunteering.

You can volunteer at one of the Best Friends locations around the country or at a Best Friends Network Partner near you. You can also foster a pet, care for community cats, or advocate for pets, shelters, and rescue groups where you live.

.
Locations icon

Help save pets around the country

Passionate, caring people like you can volunteer and help in so many ways to save the lives of homeless pets.

Smiling person sitting with a dog outside on some steps

Volunteer in your community

There are countless opportunities to help save the lives of homeless pets, no matter where you live in the United States. 
Volunteer in My Community
Person playing with a dog in a living room

Volunteer from home

From administrative and marketing roles to events and fostering, we have lifesaving volunteer opportunities suited for you and your interests.
See Remote Opportunities
Horse in pasture at animal sanctuary in Utah surrounded by red rock hills

Volunteer at our animal sanctuary

Stroll with a dog, spruce up a rabbit run or simply keep a shy cat company. There are plenty of ways to make a difference at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
See Sanctuary Opportunities

Compassion in action

Meet a few amazing volunteers who are helping to save the lives of dogs and cats around the country.

Volunteer Toni Dorsey and another person unloading pet food from a truck

Rising up for pets every day and when disaster strikes

Meet a Best Friends volunteer in Arkansas who goes the extra mile — literally — fo...
Invaluable member of the team
Feature
Dog licking a whisk

Baked goods for some good dogs

A spoonful of kindness, a handful of treats, and a whole lot of wagging tails are ...
Tasty new volunteer opportunity is for the dogs
Feature
Frankie the cat on the back of the couch next to Judy Reynolds and a small dog

Faces of No-Kill: Cat purrs her way home

When Judy and David volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, they weren’t loo...
Now she's home in Florida
Feature

Volunteer for a shelter or rescue group near you

Shelters and rescue groups in your community need caring people like you to volunteer, adopt, foster, donate, and advocate to help save the lives of pets. When you give us your email address, we'll send you a list of shelters where you live and share more about how you can help save the lives of homeless pets.

Looking for more ways to help?

There are many ways to help save the lives of dogs and cats waiting to find homes. You can help homeless pets in your community by adopting, fostering, donating, and advocating.

Adopt a pet

Save lives by freeing up shelter space for other animals.
Two smiling people sitting on an outdoor couch with a dog

Foster a pet

Save lives by freeing up shelter space for other animals.
Smiling people holding two small dogs at a pet adoption event

Make a lifesaving gift

Your gift goes straight to work saving lives.
Smiling person sitting with a small dog outside

Advocate for animals

Use your voice to defend the animals who need it most.
Person leaning down to hug a dog
Best Friends Animal Society logo mark

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends is working to end the killing of dogs and cats in U.S. shelters in part by getting more pets out of shelters and into loving homes.

We’ve come a long way since the first known city reached no-kill in 1994, and now we’re closer than ever to making the entire country no-kill. Of the roughly 3,900 shelters operating in America today, 1,300 of them are not yet no-kill, but nearly half are close with 100 or fewer additional pets to be saved, and we know what to do to get them there.

Best Friends is committed to working with passionate people like you to save homeless pets through adoption, volunteering, fostering, and advocacy. In addition to our lifesaving centers around the U.S, we also founded and run the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals.

Working together, we can save homeless pets in our communities and secure a better future for our best friends. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill.