Thank you for your interest in Volunteering at the Wisconsin Humane Society
Milwaukee Campus!
Your next steps and what to expect:
Review available volunteer positions and shifts:
Fill out the application:
After you submit:
Age guidelines (under 18):
For any questions or assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for considering volunteering with the Wisconsin Humane Society
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Jackie Kammers (she/her) Volunteer Coordinator, Milwaukee Campus Wisconsin Humane Society 414-431-6216 | jkammers@wihumane.org |
Animal Care Volunteer (ACV) – Cats
Animal Care Volunteers help with cleaning and sanitizing cat kennels/suites and deep cleaning empty kennels in preparation for another animal. ACVs will typically compete daily cleaning for an entire ward in either our adoption or lodging areas. ACVs will also assist with feeding cats’ daily diets.
Duties
Open Shift Times:
Skills Needed
Volunteers must be detailed-oriented and committed to reducing the chances of disease transmission. This is a physical position, and volunteers must be comfortable walking, bending, squatting, scrubbing and moving cleaning equipment from one area to another for the duration of the shift. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff and other volunteers. Volunteers in this role will need to feel comfortable handling cats and reading cat body language.
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 16 years or older to volunteer solo, 13–15-year olds can volunteer with an adult.
Animal Care Volunteer (ACV) – Dogs
Animal Care Volunteers help with cleaning and sanitizing dog kennels/suites and deep cleaning empty kennels in preparation for another animal. ACVs will typically compete daily cleaning for an entire ward in either our adoption or lodging areas. ACVs will also assist with feeding dogs’ daily diets.
Duties
Open Shift Times:
Skills Needed
Volunteers must be detailed-oriented and committed to reducing the chances of disease transmission. This is a physical position and volunteers must be comfortable walking, bending, squatting, scrubbing and moving cleaning equipment from one area to another for the duration of the shift. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff and other volunteers. Volunteers in this role will need to feel comfortable handling dogs and reading dog body language.
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 16 years or older to volunteer solo, 13–15-year olds can volunteer with an adult.
Client Engagement Volunteer (CEV) (Must be 16 years old or older)
The Client Engagement Volunteer (CEV) will provide support to clients entering our building and serve as a greeter at our front desk during open adoption hours. This is a client focused position.
Objective
Assist visitors at the Wisconsin Humane Society and manage all tasks at our front desk.
Duties
Open Shift Times:
Skills Needed
Volunteers must understand and be onboard with our client centered philosophy and approach; this includes approaching clients and situations without judgement. Volunteers must be committed to providing a welcoming environment for all visitors and be capable of reading people and appropriately responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication to ensure a comfortable client experience for all. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, outgoing and detailed-oriented. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers and clients. The physical demands for this job include the following: standing, walking, writing, lifting, grasping, talking and hearing. It is also imperative that volunteers are computers savvy, as they will be using Waitwhile to sign in clients to meet with counselors, will assist clients in using the software to complete online adoption profiles and utilize our retail system.
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 16 years old or older.
MKE Volunteer Adoption Counselor (VAC) – Cats & Dogs
- Must be 16 years old or older.
Volunteers in this position will directly support our community, staff, and animals by performing cat and dog adoptions from start to finish. To be able to volunteer in this capacity, you will need to complete a brief interview during your meet & greet with your Volunteer Coordinator, to ensure that this volunteer role would be a good fit for your skillset. It does require exceptional attention to detail, the ability to provide clear communication about animal behavior and savvy computer skills to utilize multiple databases.
Skills Needed
Volunteers must understand and be onboard with our client centered philosophy and approach; this includes approaching clients and situations without judgement. Volunteers must be committed to providing a welcoming environment for all visitors and be capable of reading people and appropriately responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication to ensure a comfortable client experience for all. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, outgoing and detailed-oriented. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers and clients. The physical demands for this job include the following: standing, walking, bending, stooping, writing, lifting, grasping, reading, talking and hearing. It is also imperative that volunteers are computers savvy, as they will be using our computers, database systems, copier and retail POS system. Volunteers in this role need to enjoy working with people and be able to engage in conversation with clients, comfortable handling cats and reading cat body language, computer savvy, and have good time management skills while feeling comfortable working in a busy environment. Volunteer also need to be open-minded and have a compassion for wanting to help people find their furry companion. During training, staff and volunteer trainers will coach the new volunteer and provide feedback on their skills to make sure this position is the right fit for them. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
Objective
Assist potential adopters at the Wisconsin Humane Society and provide support to our Operations Staff.
Duties
Open Shift Times:
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 16 years old or older.
Spay & Neuter Clinic – Kennel Cleaner
Kennel Cleaner Volunteers clean and sanitize the animal kennels after the animal has been picked up by their family and prepare the kennels for use the following day.
Objective
Assist Operations Staff at the Wisconsin Humane Society with cleaning and effectively sanitizing kennels.
Duties
Open Shifts:
Mondays - 3:00pm-5:00pm
Tuesdays - 3:00pm-5:00pm (Highest Need)
Wednesdays - 3:00pm-5:00pm (Highest Need)
Thursdays - 3:00pm-5:00pm (Highest Need)
Fridays - 3:00pm-5:00pm
Skills Needed
Volunteers must be detailed-oriented and committed to reducing the chances of disease transmission. This is a physical position and volunteers must be comfortable bending, squatting, and moving cleaning equipment from one area to another. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers and clients.
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 16 years old or older.
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Dog Walker
Dog Walkers will provide support with ensuring our dogs get a potty break, exercise, and learn lifelong behavior skills.
Objective
Provide exercise, potty breaks, and support behavior skills by utilizing positive reinforcement.
Duties
Open Shift(s):
Skills Needed
This is a physical position. Volunteers must possess strong dog handling skills and always be observant and aware of their surroundings. Volunteers must be comfortable utilizing only positive reinforcement to encourage wanted behavior. Volunteers must be comfortable with all sizes and all potential breeds of dogs. Volunteers need to be comfortable bending and squatting when leashing dogs. Volunteers must be comfortable applying WHS skills and techniques. Volunteers must be comfortable with preventing unwanted behaviors such as jumping and barrier reactivity. Volunteers must be comfortable modifying behaviors such as mouthing and pulling. For more information about the behaviors we work with and some techniques we utilize, please visit: https://www.wihumane.org/behavior/ask-the-experts/dogs
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
HIGH NEED - Vaccine Clinic Onsite Volunteer - Greeter – Position for anyone 18 years and older.
Our Vaccine Clinic Onsite Greeter Volunteers provide support during our public Vaccine Clinics. This is a client focused position that supports our community and their beloved pets by ensuring they get the low-cost vaccination services they need. Volunteers in this position are asked to volunteer at our Milwaukee Campus at 4500 W West Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee, WI 53208.
Duties
Shift Time/Location:
Skills Needed
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 18 years old or older.
Vaccine Clinic - Remote Volunteer
Our Vaccine Clinic Remote Volunteers assist members of our community seeking services at our vaccine clinics by reviewing and confirming appointment requests. This is a remote, client focused position that supports our community and their beloved pets from the comfort of your own home.
Objective
Assist clients seeking appointments for vaccination services at the Wisconsin Humane Society’s public vaccination clinics.
Duties
Shift Time/Location:
Skills Needed
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 18 years old or older.
Animal Antics – Retail Volunteer
The Animal Antics Retail Volunteer will be responsible for assisting clients with purchase of retail items in the shelter.
Skills Needed
Volunteers must understand and be onboard with our client centered philosophy and approach; this includes approaching clients and situations without judgement. Volunteers must be committed to providing a welcoming environment for all visitors and be capable of reading people and appropriately responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication to ensure a comfortable client experience for all. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, outgoing and detailed-oriented. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers and clients. The physical demands for this job include the following: standing, walking, writing, reading, lifting, grasping, talking and hearing. It is also imperative that volunteers are computers savvy, as they will be using Clover, our retail POS system, to complete purchases at our register.
Duties
Open Shift Times:
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
This volunteer position is for anyone 13 years and older. Volunteers aged 13-15 years old must volunteer with an adult. Volunteers who are 16 years and older can volunteer on their own.
HIGH NEED - Switchboard Volunteer - Position for those 16 years of age and older.
Our Switchboard Volunteer provides support to CSR staff with calls and voicemail messages. Tasks will also include printing, filing, copying, scanning, and data entry. Volunteers must be detail-oriented and computer savvy.
Duties
Skills Needed
Volunteers must understand and be onboard with our client centered philosophy and approach; this includes approaching clients and situations without judgement. Volunteers must be committed to providing a welcoming environment for all clients and be capable of reading people and appropriately responding to verbal communication to ensure a comfortable client experience for all. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, outgoing and detailed-oriented. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers and clients. It is also imperative that volunteers are computers and phone savvy, as they will be using our computers, databases, and phone system. Volunteers will be privy to private, confidential client and animal information, and they must hold this information in confidence as appropriate. The physical demands for this job include the following: sitting, writing, typing, grasping, talking, reading and hearing.
Open Shift Time(s):
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment.
Must be 16 years old or older.
Website Assistant - This volunteer position is for anyone 13 years and older. Volunteers aged 13-15 years old must volunteer with an adult. Volunteers who are 16 years and older can volunteer on their own.
Website Assistant Volunteers help take beautiful pictures of our adoptable animals to display on our website. They have great patience to make sure they get the right picture. Volunteers use a click and point camera or a smart phone, some volunteers use their own phones. Smart phones work great for editing and cropping. After pictures are taken, volunteers will upload them to our website. There are times we may ask our website assistants to help with bathing pictures which take place in the morning. This position is a big job and some volunteers work together in teams. This is a great position if you have a friend or family member who wants to volunteer with you. Volunteers must be 18 years and older.
Skills Needed
Shift Time:
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 16 years old or older.
Behavior Department Enrichment Volunteer - Dogs
Position for anyone 13 years and older. 13-15 years old needs to volunteer with an adult. 16 years and older can volunteer on their own.
Behavior Department Enrichment Volunteers will provide support to the animal behavior department by making and handing out enrichment to the animals. This is an animal handling position. We would need a volunteer to arrive in the mornings and evenings to distribute enrichment already made enrichment and create new enrichment for the following shift.
Objective
Assist the Wisconsin Humane Society behavior department staff by making and handing out enrichment to dogs and puppies.
Open Shifts:
Duties - Making enrichment:
Additional Duties:
Training:
Spay & Neuter Clinic – Volunteer Office Assistant
Spay/Neuter Clinic Volunteer Office Assistants are the first smiling face our clients see during the check in process for spay or neuter surgery. After check-in is complete, these volunteers also assist with filing, light cleaning, and administrative duties as needed.
Objective
Assist clients at the Wisconsin Humane Society and provide support to our Operations Staff.
Duties
Open Shift Time(s):
Skills Needed
Volunteers must understand and be onboard with our client centered philosophy and approach; this includes approaching clients and situations without judgement. Volunteers must be committed to providing a welcoming environment for all clients and be capable of reading people and appropriately responding to both verbal and non-verbal communication to ensure a comfortable client experience for all. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, outgoing and detailed-oriented. Volunteers must have the ability to follow directions, read, write and effectively communicate with staff, volunteers and clients. The physical demands for this job include the following: standing, walking, writing, lifting, grasping, talking and hearing.
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 18 years old or older.
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Shelter Crew (Position for anyone 13 years and older.)
Shelter Crew Volunteers will provide support to our Operations and Animal Care Teams doing various tasks around the shelter.
Objective
Helping with laundry (washing, drying, and folding). We also have volunteers help with cleaning around the shelter. Cleaning includes: dusting, polishing stainless steel, cleaning cabinets, windows, and cutting hotdogs for the dogs.
Duties
Shift Time/Location:
Skills Needed
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Vet Prep - Position for anyone 18 years and older.
These volunteers assist the vet staff in prepping and cleaning up after surgeries. Some duties include, restocking, cleaning instruments, making scrub and alcohol gauze, drawing up vaccines, cleaning cages, vacuuming, and mopping. This is very fast paced position, and volunteers must be comfortable observing medical procedures. Individuals must have strong communication skills and are able to work independently. This is a physical position, and you will need to be able to stand for long periods of time.
Open Shifts:
Required Training:
Youth programs volunteer - Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Racine Campuses
The Wisconsin Humane Society offers fun and engaging youth programs for kids ages 4-18. There are many opportunities to get involved in youth programs and the work we do every day to engage young people in our mission. Lead youth on tours, engage children in fun activities about animals, or help facilitate animal interactions during programs.
Reports to: Youth Programs Coordinator in Milwaukee; Youth Programs Specialist in Ozaukee; Youth Programs Specialist in Racine
Scope of position: Volunteers work alongside staff to help lead activities, crafts and games during youth programs.
Programs and schedule:
Responsibilities:
Qualifications and requirements:
On-boarding process and training:
Foster parents open their homes and hearts to animals who need them now more than ever. These compassionate people play a vital role in the life of that animal and are a critical component to the success of the Wisconsin Humane Society’s mission as a whole. Foster parents provide a home environment for healing and growth that a shelter cannot duplicate. Simply put: foster parents save lives.
Vaccine Clinic Onsite Volunteer Greeter– Position for anyone 18 years and older.
Our Vaccine Clinic Onsite Greeter Volunteers provide support during our public Vaccine Clinics. This is a client focused position that supports our community and their beloved pets by ensuring they get the low-cost vaccination services they need. Volunteers in this position are asked to volunteer at both our Milwaukee Campus at 4500 W West Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee, WI 53208 for training AND at our Spay & Neuter Clinic at 9400 W Lincoln Ave Milwaukee, WI 53227.
Duties
Shift Time/Location:
Skills Needed
Required Training
Commitment/Age Requirement
Minimum of a 6 month commitment required.
Must be 18 years old or older.
Mission Statement: To make a difference for animals and the people who love them.
People-Centered Philosophy Statement: We believe that people want the best for animals. We partner with people to fulfill our mission using a welcoming, supportive, and non-judgmental approach. Together we’re able to identify barriers and help bridge gaps that may exist for animals in our community.
Core Values: Compassion, Respect, Kindness, Positive Approach, Innovation, Professionalism, and Equity
Position Statements: WHS Position Statements
