Volunteer With Animals at AWA

Volunteering at the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees gives you the opportunity to make a noticeable impact on the lives on homeless animals in South Jersey and beyond. 

It’s people like you dedicating their time, talents and energy that ensures AWA is able to continue our mission.

Learn more about the ways you can volunteer with us below.

Access Volunteer Portal

Together, We Can

- Save Lives

- Foster Hope

- Do More

Volunteer Opportunities

Our volunteers help in three main program areas of the organization: on-site in our pet shelter and clinic, within our community through outreach programs and special events, and by becoming a foster parent.

Female volunteer holding yellow dog at Animal Welfare Association.

Adoption Center

Volunteers assist in both animal handling and clerical roles, including

  • Dog walking
  • Cat socialization
  • Small animal socialization
  • making enrichment toys
  • Animal care assistance
  • and more!
Three volunteers and employee outside for Animal Welfare Association outreach event at Deterding's grocery store.

Community Outreach

Volunteers assist both prepping and executing our community events, including:

2 volunteers standing at table at AWA Paws & Feet 2022.

Special Events

These events are often planned on weekends. Volunteers will assist in various aspects of AWA’s large events, including:

Group wearing red shirt for corporate volunteer day at Animal Welfare Association.

Corporate Groups

Does your employer have a day of service? Want to get the team out of the office to do some good?

Corporate volunteer groups can give back at AWA by helping out around the shelter, creating animal enrichment, staffing events and more!

Student Volunteering

Doing required service hours for school doesn't have to be a chore. AWA is the perfect place for animal lovers to put in volunteer hours in a unique setting helping pets in need.

Students 16 and up can email volunteers@awanj.org to get started making a difference today!

Interested in Fostering?

AWA's Foster Program gives animal champions like you the opportunity to care for homeless animals in their most important times of need.

Become a Foster

Who Can Volunteer?

AWA accepts volunteers ages 16+ with all levels of abilities and experience. With so many opportunities to give back, there’s something for almost every animal lover to join our mission. 

Have a young one who wants to tag along? Our Jr. Volunteer program welcomes ages 12-15 to volunteer.

You can review the essential capabilities required of Animal Welfare Association volunteers for animal handling and non-animal handling tasks. If you do not meet these, but are still interested in volunteering, please contact volunteers@awanj.org.

PLEASE NOTE: All volunteers who have been inactive for more than 1 year must complete a new application and attend a Volunteer Orientation in order to resume volunteering.

** Court Ordered Community Service Volunteers will now be tracked through the volunteer program. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator for more.

Apply to Volunteer

Complete your volunteer application by choosing the correct form based on your age. After you apply, our volunteer coordinator will reach out with next steps.

  • Adult Volunteer Application for 18 years and older
  • Junior Volunteer Application for 12-17 years old 
    • Junior volunteers between the ages of 12yrs to 15yrs old, MUST be accompanied by a parent/legal caretaker while volunteering. Junior volunteers 16yrs and older, can volunteer on their own.
How do I become an AWA Volunteer?

Simply complete a volunteer application! After you submit your application, our volunteer coordinator will be in contact with you within two weeks to schedule orientation. They will provide you with the necessary information about attending our volunteer orientation.

For children 12 to 15 years of age, an application must be submitted for both the child and parent/legal guardian and they will both need to complete orientation. After orientation, the parent must be with the child at ALL TIMES while volunteering at AWA.

If you are 16 or 17, you may complete and submit an application, and you will be given a release form that must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

What training is involved before I can start to volunteer?

After our volunteer coordinator receives your application, you will be invited to attend an orientation. When you are contacted, you will receive more information about specific dates.

Following Orientation, you can begin to volunteer as a Daily Operations Volunteer or you can decide to attend additional training to handle our animals. Daily Operations Volunteers assist with tasks such as laundry, filing and office work, landscaping and trail maintenance and attending outreach events. There is no animal handling involved for these volunteers. If interested in handling our animals, you will learn about the training necessary for that during Volunteer Orientation.

What volunteer opportunities are there at AWA?

There is truly something for everyone who wants to volunteer at AWA! Volunteers are always needed for our education, outreach and events, as well as administrative help. There are also opportunities caring for our animals and becoming involved in our foster program.

How often do I need to volunteer?

If you are not interested in handling our animals, you can give as much time as you are able. We rely on volunteer support so we appreciate the volunteer service you can provide!

If you do not volunteer within 90 days of orientation or are inactive for 1 year, you will no longer be in our volunteer database. If this happens, you will have to re-submit the application, attend orientation, and begin training.

What if I only want to do specific volunteer work? (ex. only dogs, etc.)

Depending on what volunteer work you would like to be involved in, you will need to complete different levels of training. AWA asks all volunteers to help in different areas when help is needed.

What age can children volunteer?

AWA is proud to allow children as young as 12 to volunteer, but children ages 12 to 15 must volunteer WITH A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN. Ages 16 and 17 may volunteer with written parental consent.

Children ages 5+ can apply for the Tales with Tails reading program where young volunteers can read to dogs and cats outside of their kennel as a way to de-stress and engage the shelter pet.

Are there restrictions on what children can do?

Yes. For the safety of our volunteers, staff and animals, there are some restrictions. For example, junior volunteers (12 to 15) will not be allowed to walk dogs – a parent or legal guardian will have to hold the leash. More rules will be covered in the volunteer handbook.