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.

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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.

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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
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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.

Volunteers Rich and Linda Yates with a dog beside some crates

Volunteers hit the road to help animals in need

Rich and Linda Yates combine road trips with rescue work, lending their hands — and sometimes their backseat — to help the animals.
Now they're steady and spirited fixtures in the Best Friends family
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Volunteer working with a dog

All for the animals: Volunteers share their ‘why’

Each Best Friends volunteer has their own reason for giving their time to help animals. Read their inspiring stories here.
Volunteers believe that together we can Save Them All
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Two people petting a happy puppy

Celebrating the heart of Best Friends: Volunteers

Volunteers with Best Friends give their time, energy, and love to help animals thrive.
Recognizing the incredible individuals who give so much
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Volunteer for a Best Friends Network partner near you

Don’t live near a Best Friends location? No problem. The Best Friends Network is made up of thousands of public and private shelters, rescue groups, spay/neuter organizations, and other animal welfare groups, all working to save the lives of dogs and cats in communities like yours across the country.

Each and every one of our network partners needs caring people like you to volunteer to help save the lives of homeless pets where you live.

Find a network partner near you today:

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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.
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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. Today, roughly 2,500 shelters are no-kill throughout the U.S. — and 700 more are just 100 pets or fewer away from reaching that milestone.

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.