Volunteering with Animals: What Are the Options?
"I love animals — how can I help?" It's one of the most common reasons people start volunteering, and one of the least understood. Many assume you need to be a vet, or that it all comes down to walking dogs on weekends. The reality is far richer: between shelters, wildlife protection, foster homes and animal-assisted therapy, there's a mission for almost every interest and every schedule.
Here are the main options, what they actually involve, and how to find yours.
The main types of mission
| Type of mission | What you do | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Shelters and welfare associations (SPA, local shelters) | Daily care, walks, socialising dogs and cats, cleaning, welcoming visitors | The most accessible — no experience needed |
| Foster homes | Temporarily housing an animal awaiting adoption or recovering | People with space and time at home |
| Wildlife protection | Rescue centres (birds, hedgehogs…), counts, monitoring, awareness (LPO and local groups) | Nature lovers, patient and careful |
| Sanctuaries and farm refuges | Upkeep, feeding, basic care for rescued farm animals | Those who enjoy physical outdoor work |
| Animal-assisted therapy | Bringing animals to visit the elderly, hospital patients or people with disabilities | As much about people skills as animals |
| Skills-based volunteering | Accounting, communications, website, fundraising, transport, adoption photos | Those who want to help off the field |
That last point is worth stressing: you can help an animal association without ever touching an animal. Shelters are desperately short of hands for admin, communications and transport — perfect missions for anyone who loves the cause but can't (or would rather not) work directly with the animals. That's skills-based volunteering.
What these missions require (and don't)
Good news: most require no experience at all. A shelter is looking above all for reliable, regular, gentle people. For more technical missions — caring for wildlife, handling injured animals — short training is almost always provided by the association.
A few things to know before you start:
- Regularity matters. Animals need familiar faces; shelters value volunteers who come back, even once a week, over one-off visits.
- It's physical. Cleaning, lifting, time spent outdoors in all weather. Nothing insurmountable, but worth knowing.
- It can be emotionally demanding. You'll meet mistreated or abandoned animals. Experienced volunteers agree: that's also what makes every successful adoption so deeply rewarding.
- Some missions have a minimum age (often 16 or 18 to handle certain animals), for insurance and safety reasons.
Who is this volunteering for?
Far more people than you'd think:
- Active retirees, who find here a rhythm, fresh air and a presence that's genuinely awaited — see Volunteering in Retirement.
- Students and teenagers, for a first hands-on commitment during holidays or weekends (see Summer Volunteering).
- Families, through fostering, which teaches children to care for living beings.
- Those looking to connect — a shelter is also a team and new encounters. On that: Building Human Connections Through Volunteering.
A cause that overlaps with the environment
Protecting animals often means protecting a whole ecosystem. Many wildlife missions are also about protecting nature: preserving habitats, fighting pollution, raising public awareness. If that's the angle that speaks to you, explore environmental volunteering too.
How to find a mission near you
- Spot local organisations: shelter, SPA, rescue centre, welfare association. There are far more than you'd imagine, including in rural areas.
- Search benevole.com for animal-related missions, filterable by city and cause.
- Start small: a half-day to try it out before committing to a regular slot.
- Reach out: an email or a call is enough. Animal associations, often short of volunteers, welcome willing hands with open arms.
If you're not sure where to begin, our guide How to Find a Volunteering Mission walks through each step.
Find a volunteering mission with animals →
Conclusion
Volunteering with animals covers a far wider spectrum than dog-walking alone: care, fostering, wildlife protection, therapy, or quiet behind-the-scenes support. Whatever your free time, age or fitness, there's a mission — and an association right near you — waiting for a hand.
The first step commits you to nothing: a visit, a question, a half-day. Often, that's all it takes to want to come back.