Become a KC Pet Project Volunteer

Thank you for thinking of KC Pet Project as the place to donate your time. We know that you have endless opportunities to volunteer within the Greater Kansas City area and we are thrilled that you are interested in supporting our organization and the lifesaving work we do.

We care for 15,000+ animals each year through our 14 locations in Missouri and Kansas to adopt out pets. While we work hard to find adoptable animals their next home, we also focus on progressive programs to help people keep their pets through lost and found services, our Keep ‘Em Together, KC program, and pet safety initiatives like microchipping, pet identification, and more.

With your commitment and assistance we will work together to make the organization successful in promoting animal welfare, promoting pet retention, providing public education, and giving shelter animals some much needed love and attention!

Volunteer Requirements & Qualifications

Volunteers are essential to our lifesaving mission. In order for you to get the most out of your experience at KC Pet Project, there are a few requirements we ask volunteers to meet:

• An active email address is required
• Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, or between the ages of 7-15 years accompanied with a parent or legal guardian
• Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age to handle animals.
• Volunteers must have a passion for both pets and people, and be supportive of KC Pet Project’s mission and philosophy.
• A mature, compassionate, and respectful attitude is required.
• Volunteers must be able to safely and independently perform all role requirements in training as assigned by role and/or service assignment.
• Volunteers must meet the Essential Capabilities of Volunteers requirements

Volunteer Benefits/Perks

While being a part of progressive lifesaving comes with plenty of rewards, there are many other reasons to volunteer with us:

• 10% discount on KC Pet Project retail (including special merchandise just for volunteers!)
• 10% discount at The Roasterie located at the KC Campus for Animal Care
• 50% discount for one (1) adoption at KC Pet Project
• Specialized discounts for KC Pet Project sponsored events
• Quarterly Meet n’ Mingles
• Continuing Education opportunities
• Lifetime Service Milestone awards
• Volunteer recognition events
• Become part of a network and community of other KC Pet Project volunteers
• Endless love and adoration from thousands of pets and pet families!

Want to Learn More?

For information about the volunteer program including the onboarding process, and other Frequently Asked Questions, please click the button below:

How to Get Started

Ongoing Volunteer Service Opportunities

Volunteers (16 years of age or older)

Qualifications for volunteers 16 years of age of older:

• An active email address is required
• Volunteers must be at least 16 years old
• Volunteers aged 16-17 years of age must have written consent from a parent/legal guardian
• Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age to handle animals
• Volunteers must meet all KC Pet Project volunteer requirements.
• Volunteers meet the Essential Capabilities of Volunteers requirements
• Volunteers must attend a volunteer orientation

Junior Volunteers (7-15 years of age)

We love our Junior Volunteers! Our Junior Volunteers are able to assist with watering, enrichment, and various operational and sanitation tasks needed around the shelter. Our Junior Volunteers are not able to physically handle animals themselves, but they are able to assist their parent/legal guardian in doing so.

Qualifications for junior volunteers 7-15 years of age:

• Junior Volunteers must be 7-15 years of age. KC Pet Project does not accept volunteers 6 years of age or younger.
• All Junior Volunteers must be accompanied by their parent/legal guardian at all times.
• The adult to child ratio for Junior Volunteers must be 1:1 (one adult to one child).
• Volunteers must meet all KC Pet Project volunteer requirements.
• The parent/legal guardian is responsible for attending all required animal-handling training with and/or on behalf of (as applicable) the Junior Volunteer.
• The parent/legal guardian is responsible for following all policies and procedures, and ensuring the Junior Volunteer is following the rules set forth by the organization.
• All volunteer onboarding, and paperwork, must be completed and signed by the parent/legal guardian of the Junior Volunteer.
• The parent/legal guardian must meet the Essential Capabilities of Volunteers requirements
• The parent/legal guardian must attend a volunteer orientation
• The parent/legal guardian must successfully complete a Volunteer Release of Liability

Specialized Volunteer Service Opportunities

We have several specialized volunteer programs in addition to our ongoing shelter and community engagement opportunities:

Court-Ordered Community Service

KC Pet Project offers court-ordered Community Service opportunities at the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care. Community Service volunteers are able to assist with watering, enrichment, and various administrative, operational, and sanitation-related tasks needed around the shelter. Community Service volunteers are not able to work directly with animals.

Qualifications for Community Service Program:

• An active email address is required.
• Court-ordered community service volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.
• Documentation of related-charges is required. Violent offenses (including animal abuse), sex and child abuse offenses, and certain drug offenses will not be permitted into the program.
• Documentation of mandated court-ordered community service is also required.
• Court-ordered community service volunteers must adhere to the policies and procedures of the Community Service Program and KC Pet Project at all times.
• If approved, community service volunteers must attend a specialized orientation within 14-days of acceptance into the program

If you are interested in doing community service work for your school/college/university, religious affiliation or employer, we encourage you to sign up and become a KC Pet Project volunteer. We also offer volunteer group opportunities for non-court-ordered community service projects. If you would like to support our work alongside your colleagues, fraternity members or friends, consider signing up to schedule a group volunteer activity.

One-time Volunteer Opportunities (episodic)

Unable to volunteer on a regular basis but still want to support KC Pet Project’s lifesaving mission? Whether you have a few hours during the week or a free afternoon on the weekend, episodic opportunities are a great way to give back without long-term commitment. Caring for over 15,000 animals each year means that there is always something to do. From creating daily enrichment, folding laundry, sanitizing food/water dishes, stocking supplies around the shelter, to helping keep the grounds clean and clear from debris and the shelter in tip-top shape, there is always a need for a few extra hands!

While there is always a need for direct animal care, for the safety of our animals and our team, ongoing training is required prior to volunteering in those areas. Episodic volunteers are not allowed to work directly with animals, but the roles that are supported by our episodic and one-time volunteers help make sure the animals are well cared for, healthy, and happy.

Episodic or one-time volunteer opportunities are great for service projects requiring a minimum of 3 hours of service to a maximum of 6 hours of service. Service projects requiring more than 6 hours of service are better-suited for ongoing volunteer roles.

Qualifications for Approved Episodic/One-Time Volunteers:

• An active email address is required
• Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, or between the ages of 7-15 years accompanied with a parent or legal guardian
• Volunteers meet the Essential Capabilities of Volunteers requirements
• Volunteers must successfully complete a Volunteer Release of Liability (included in the One-time/Episodic Volunteer Application)
• Volunteers must schedule their episodic/one-time service hours in advance with the Volunteer Department Team. Same-day episodic/one-time opportunities are not available at this time.

If you are interested in doing ongoing community service work for your school/college/university, religious affiliation or employer, we encourage you to sign up and become a KC Pet Project volunteer.

We also offer volunteer group opportunities for non-court-ordered community service projects. If you would like to support our work alongside your colleagues, fraternity members or friends, consider signing up to schedule a group volunteer activity.

Group Service Projects

We also offer volunteer group opportunities for non-court-ordered community service projects. If you would like to support our work alongside your colleagues, fraternity members or friends, consider signing up to schedule a group volunteer activity.

Looking for other group projects and opportunities?