Volunteering
Getting Involved Section
We are always in need of animal lovers who can volunteer their time to bathe, groom, walk and socialize with our furry companions. However, we also need volunteers to help in other ways as well; including groundwork, administrative work, off-site events, photography, laundry and much, much more. Volunteers enable us to give our animals the care and attention they need and deserve. We could not do it without their help!
If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the
Volunteer Application and submit it to ACS by emailing it to
Volunteer Coordinator, faxing it to 207-6673, or mailing it to 4710 Highway 151, San Antonio, TX 78227. As soon as your application is received, the Volunteer Coordinator will call you for a short interview and set your orientation date. In order to ensure we have volunteers to match our needs at ACS, you must have a reservation to attend orientation.
Please click on Events Calendar for Upcoming Volunteer / Foster Training Sessions.
RSVP for orientations by contacting the Volunteer Coordinator at 207-6644 or by email.
There are two ways to volunteer at ACS - our Off-Site Community Action Team (C.A.T.) or our On-Site Volunteer Team:
| C.A.T. - Community Action Team | Onsite Volunteer |
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Orientations and training sessions are conducted in the Annex Building at our shelter (4710 State Highway 151).
Community Service Volunteering
We require all court-appointed community service volunteers to meet with our Volunteer Coordinator, prior to beginning their service hours. Community Service Volunteers are asked to fill out a Community Service Volunteer Agreement, submit to a background check, and abide by Community Service Protocols outlined. To set up a meeting, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 207-6644 or email us.
Community Service Protocols:
All community service workers must be pre-approved by the Volunteer Coordinator, Live Release Manager, Assistant Director, or Director.
Animal Care Services allows court-appointed volunteers who are 16 years of age or older. Special cases can be approved by the Director or Assistant Director.
The following offenses will not be allowed to perform community service as Animal Care Services:
- Any offense relating to theft, burglary, fraud, arson, or breaking and entering
- Any drug-related offense
- Any violent offense, including, but not limited to:
- Animal Cruelty
- Assault and Battery
- Household Assault
- Injury to a Child
- Domestic Violence
Group Volunteer Activities and Tours:
If you have a group that would like a tour of our facility or that would like to volunteer for a one-time community project, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 207-6644. A minimum of one week advance notice or more is usually required to schedule a group. We try to accommodate groups of any size. Be advised that, because of safety issues with our pets and your group, there may be little to no interaction with animals for large scale group projects.
Foster Program
The ACS Foster Program needs you!
ACS needs your heart and your home to care for one of our shelter’s orphaned animals. Your generosity will provide young and old, injured and sick,
abused and under socialized animals a chance to grow or heal before finding forever homes. Every Foster makes a difference in the lives of our shelter pets!
Being a Foster helps us to create space in the shelter to accommodate other homeless animals. Animals in the Foster Program provide companionship
and purpose- your act of kindness is repaid in rewards that are beyond words.
Click on link for a Foster
application.
Animals needing a temporary home and a Foster include:
- Animals that require more socialization than available at the shelter
- Neglected or abused animals that need tender loving care
- Any healthy, non aggressive animal that is brought into Animal Care Services
Donations
Can’t fit another volunteer assignment into your schedule? The City of San Antonio Animal Care Services’ Facility and Adoption Center accepts donations to help care for our impounded animals.
Sponsorship
There is a great need for individual and corporate sponsorships (financial or in-kind) for advertising through mediums such as billboards, marquees, bus ads, newspaper/magazine ads, television/radio ads, and movie theatre ads. Ads on items such as store receipts, soda bottles/cans, and convenience store displays also would be of great benefit.
Sponsorships for marketing items that would create "walking message billboards" also are highly encouraged. Dog/cat collars, leashes, collapsible water bowls, and t-shirts for both the four-legged and two-legged persuasion are also desired!
If you or your company would like to help make San Antonio a more pet-friendly community, call our Adoptions Manager at 207-6644 or email us.