Do you love dogs and cats? Are you interested in helping New Mexico pets and growing the practice of kindness and respect in our state? Then you have come to the right place!

Join our family of over 400 volunteers and make a difference in the lives of New Mexico’s pets. Whether you prefer working with computers or cameras, pets or people, chances are we have a way for you to get involved! See our many opportunities below.

New Volunteer Orientation

Please email us at NewVolunteer@AnimalHumaneNM.org to take your first step in becoming an Animal Humane volunteer.

 

Volunteer Requirements
  • Volunteers for our adult program must be at least 18 years old. (Options are available for volunteers younger than 18; see our Junior Ambassador Volunteers and Children’s Volunteer Opportunities for further details).
  • All volunteers must have internet access and a valid email address.
  • Each of our volunteers receives extensive training, so we ask that all volunteers commit to spending eight hours a month for at least six months with us. If you cannot commit to a long-term volunteer opportunity, short term opportunities are available.
  • Be aware that many volunteer positions require bending, lifting, standing, walking or squatting. In addition, all volunteers must be able to communicate clearly and understand and comply with written and spoken instructions.
  • To ensure the safety of our pets, volunteers and staff members we perform a standard nationwide criminal background check on all potential volunteers. Prior felony convictions may prevent you from volunteering with us.

Adult Volunteers (18+)

Animal Humane offers a number of ways for adult volunteers (18+) to assist us in nearly every aspect of our organization. The list below is just a small sample of how you can help:

  • Walk dogs or socialize cats
  • Receive donations at our Thrift Shop
  • Assist our veterinary staff in our Donor-subsidized Veterinary Clinic
  • Join our educators as they speak to school groups
  • Answer phones and greet potential adopters

You will learn more about the many other ways that volunteers can get involved at our New Volunteer Welcome Session.

Ready to start?

Email us at NewVolunteer@AnimalHumaneNM.org.

Junior Ambassadors (16-17)

We are pleased to offer young adults, age 16 and 17, long-term volunteer opportunities (four hours monthly for at least six months) with our organization. Junior Ambassadors may volunteer in a number of different capacities, from answering phones and ringing up sales to assisting at special events.  Please note that only adult (18+) volunteers may work directly with our pets.

Volunteer Requirements
  • Junior Ambassadors must be at least 16 years old and may volunteer independently once they have attended a New Volunteer Welcome Session with a parent or guardian. (Children under 16 must volunteer with a parent; see our Children’s Volunteer Opportunities).
  • All Junior Ambassadors are required to attend a New Volunteer Welcome Session, accompanied by a parent or guardian. After this initial Welcome Session, Junior Ambassadors will be able to volunteer on their own. To begin the process of signing up for a Welcome Session, email us at NewVolunteer@AnimalHumaneNM.org to let us know you are interested. We will follow up with orientation steps.
  • All volunteers must have internet access and a valid email address.
  • Be aware that many volunteer positions require bending, lifting, standing, walking or squatting. In addition, all volunteers must be able to communicate clearly and understand and comply with written and spoken instructions.
  • If you need to complete a service project for school, please contact our Volunteer Team. Do not begin the registration process until you have determined that completing the FULL volunteer process is the best option for you.
How It Works
Kids age 6 to 15 may read to the cats at our Main Campus location with your supervision. Because of the training involved we do ask that you and your child commit to at least six months with the Page Pals program.
Getting Started

Please send an email to NewVolunteer@AnimalHumaneNM.org to let us know you are interested in joining our Page Pals Program.

Once we receive your email, the following steps will need to be completed:

Step 1: We will email you a link to complete our Volunteer Application. A parent or guardian must complete the application.

Step 2: Once we receive the completed application, we will send an invitation to complete a background check.

Step 3: Once the background check is completed, we will email you links to two short videos on cat behavior. Both parent & child are required to watch the videos.

Step 4: After completing the videos, we will schedule an in-person mentoring session for you and your child(ren) at our Main Campus.

For other questions, please email our Volunteer Team.

Children’s Volunteer Opportunities (6-15)

Page Pals is open to youth ages 6 to 15 with parental supervision. Our Page Pals volunteers provide enrichment and reduce stress for cats, while at the same time strengthening reading skills, by reading out loud to our pets in both our Real Life Rooms and Cat Housing. Human interaction is one of the most important ways we keep our pets happy and healthy and you and your child can be an important part of this work.

Be sure to read and complete ALL steps in the Getting Started section to the left before signing up for your Page Pals orientation!

 

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Short Term or Group Volunteer Opportunities

Are you looking for a one-time volunteer opportunity or do you have a group of people who would like to volunteer? We offer events throughout the year where we welcome one-time individual or adult volunteer groups, as well as special opportunities for student community service groups.

See the drop-downs to the right for descriptions of the opportunities we offer to short-term or group volunteers, the dates of upcoming events and group requirements. Contact our Volunteer Team to sign up for yourself or your group.

Don’t see a date that works for you in the available options? We also host other special projects throughout the year that require volunteer assistance. Please contact our Volunteer Team for more options.

Areas of Need

The below opportunities are available for groups or individual volunteers wishing to participate in one-time volunteering.

  • Pet Health Fairs are held multiple times every year and offer free vaccinations, microchips, pet care resources and additional information and support to targeted neighborhoods throughout Albuquerque. Volunteers are needed for a variety of jobs, including assisting fair attendees with paperwork, directing the flow of attendees and providing direction to fairgoers. These events appropriate for volunteers ages 16 and up, and for large or small groups or individuals.
  • Gardening Day is held in the spring and fall. Volunteers join us at Animal Humane’s Main Campus to help with tidying up our beautifully landscaped shelter to prepare it for the upcoming season. A fun day outside for green thumbs!
  • Doggie Dash and Dawdle, held the first Sunday in November, is our biggest event of the year. We need literally hundreds of volunteers to ensure the success of the event. Large and small groups are welcome and people of most ages may assist at Doggie Dash.
2022 Group Volunteer Event Dates
  • Pet Health Fairs
    • Event dates pending. Please email our Volunteer Team with your group’s information if you are interested in receiving follow-up communication about Pet Health Fair Volunteer opportunities.
  • Gardening Day
    • 2023 Fall Date Coming Soon!
  • Doggie Dash & Dawdle
    • November 4 & 5, 2023
    • We will need lots of community volunteer help on both November 5 (set up) and November 6 (Dash Day). Please email the Volunteer Team if you are interested in volunteering for this annual event.
  • Pet Food Bank
    • Flexible dates, contact the Volunteer Manager for details.
Student Community Service

If you have a student group interested in volunteering to help homeless pets, Animal Humane offers opportunities for youth to learn more about animal welfare and help out at the same time!

Requirements for student groups wishing to volunteering on our campus can be found on the below PDF. Please review carefully to see if a Student Community Service opportunity is right for your group.

Volunteer Requirements
  • All members of the group must complete a waiver (if any volunteers in your group are under the age of 18, the waiver must also be signed by a parent or guardian).