Volunteer Management: Leading Change at Your Shelter
Changes to a volunteer program require thoughtful and deliberate planning and action. A common mistake is to rush into making multiple changes without laying the groundwork to ensure success. Here’s how to avoid that error by moving forward in stages. More...

Volunteer Management: Building a Successful Volunteer Program
Animal shelters are often so desperate for volunteers to offset their small budgets that their volunteer programs are developed quickly, with very little structure or planning. A more successful approach is to step back, slow down, and plan a volunteer program in a series of building blocks, in order to prevent major problems and support healthy growth. More...

Volunteer Management: During Tough Times, “Fund” What’s Free
In this new department, two experienced volunteer managers make the case that, during tough economic times, a well-managed team of shelter volunteers is more important than ever. More...

Please Curb Your Volunteer
Problem volunteers can create a major challenge for shelter managers seeking to channel their work into productive, progressive operations. Learn some strategies to build and maintain a strong volunteer program. More...

Will Your Response be a Natural Disaster?
A mock shelter evacuation illuminates the good, the bad, and the potentially lethal during crisis response. More...

Off Leash: A Whole New Ball Game
NFL player Jarrod Cooper has played ball with Dolphins, Rams, Eagles, and Panthers … but now Oakland’s shelter pooches are getting a turn, too. More...

A Little Help for a Lot of Territory
Faced with serving an area that covers more than 3,800 square miles, the animal control department of New Mexico’s Doña Ana County is using volunteers for tasks that don’t require specialized training. More...

People Power: Bobbie Thompson
Nearly 25 years ago, Bobbie Thompson read an article in the Milledgeville, Ga., newspaper about the need for volunteers at the beleaguered local humane society. Decades later, as president and board chairman of Animal Rescue Foundation Inc. (ARF), she still works for the organization without pay. More...

Off Leash: Extreme Makeover
The volunteer room in a California shelter gets a makeover—and an appearance on local TV. More...

The Behavior Department: The Basics of Shelter Dog Training
Mychelle Blake discusses the benefits of training and socialization for shelter dogs and outlines the training methods that have worked best in her sessions with volunteers. More...

Developing Good Staff-Volunteer Relationships
These guidelines will help you change the negative outlooks and feelings of distrust that hinder staff-volunteer relationships at many organizations. More...

Giving Pooches the Runaround
Faced with out-of-shape humans and shelter dogs in need of outdoor exercise, the city of Lubbock, Texas, finds a way to solve two problems with one leash.  More...

How to Host a Volunteer Orientation
Planning in advance will not only help you develop a great volunteer orientation, it can also head off potential tensions between staff and the volunteers you decide to take on. More...

Unforgettable—That's What You Are
While the media can be a powerful tool for getting the word out, there’s nothing like taking your services and action-inspiring messages directly to the people. More...

The Cat Whisperer
Greenhill Humane Society volunteer Johnnie Hillsbery doesn’t shy away from shy cats; in fact, he specializes in helping the most frightened of felines. More...

Why Generation Y?
As more schools integrate service-learning programs into their curricula, animal protection organizations have become a popular choice for young people seeking volunteer opportunities. More...

From Lemons to Lemonade
The eight agencies featured here started out with the same bag of lemons that most other organizations do—little time, scarce funds, lots of animals, not enough people—and squeezed them into tall glasses of tangy lemonade. More...

Paying Homage to Will and Grace
At a volunteer recognition dinner, the organization’s treasurer, Cynthia Bostwick of the St. Clair County Humane Society in Port Huron, Michigan, paid tribute to their efforts with this speech.  More...

Euthanasia Decisions
Helping board members and volunteers understand the difficulty of making euthanasia decisions. More...

10 Ways to Become a Successful Foster Parent (Reproducible)
Designed as a handout for people interested inbecoming foster caregivers for needy animals. More...

Should Your Shelter Accept Convicted Animal Abusers for Community-Service Work?
Unless your shelter has the staffing and policies in place to do it right, you should say “No” to this controversial approach to rehabilitation. More...

Everyone Ready
In partnership with Energize, Inc., this free cutting-edge staff development training plan is designed to support you in your work with volunteers. More...

Shelter Volunteer Management Discussion Group
This is a group for managers of volunteers (both paid and volunteer) who work with animal shelters, breed placement groups, and other animal welfare organizations. Join us in exploring issues related to staff-volunteer relations, volunteer recruitment, training, retention, and supervision. This is a great opportunity to share ideas and improve the experience for volunteers as well as discuss the benefits they provide to our organizations. More...

Volunteer Management
The Humane Society of the United States has a wealth of programs and services to help you in your work with volunteers. More...

Volunteer Management for Animal Care Organizations
Explore proven techniques for effective program design, recruitment, volunteer retention, and much more. More...

Put It In Writing: Creating Volunteer Management Materials
The volunteer manual is one of the most important pieces of a successful volunteer program. The manual serves as an invaluable resource that volunteers can refer to time and again during their service with your organization.  More...

Humane Career Toolbox
Humane Society University's Humane Career Toolbox will be of interest to people of all ages who seek to professionally assist animals. The toolbox contains resources for both beginning and enhancing a career helping animals. More...

Job Descriptions and Fact Sheets from Humane Society University
The essential purposes, duties, tasks, responsibilities, and salary information for a variety of animal care and control positions. More...

Rebels with a Cause: Reaching Teens through Service-Learning
Teens care, and this self-paced online course will show participants how young people can contribute to humane organizations in ways that don't have to involve handling animals or working at shelters. This online course will focus on service-learning, a component of school reform that mingles community service with academics. Part of the Certified Humane Education Specialist (CHES) program. More...