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Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are an essential part of Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter’s lifesaving mission. Whether you’re spending time with our animals, helping at events, or supporting our daily operations, your time and dedication help provide homeless pets with the care they deserve.

Volunteer opportunities are available for individuals 14 years of age and older, with additional opportunities available for volunteers 18 years of age and older.

Volunteer Opportunities (Ages 14+)

Volunteers ages 14 and older can participate in a variety of meaningful opportunities throughout the shelter, including:

Cat Socializing

Spend time with our cats by playing, petting, and helping them become more comfortable with people. Socialization reduces stress and helps prepare cats for adoption.

Shelter Support

Assist with light housekeeping tasks that help keep the shelter clean, organized, and running smoothly, including laundry, dishes, and other daily operational needs.

Kennel Attendant

Help staff with cleaning and preparing cat and dog housing areas. Training is provided before volunteers begin in this role.

Outreach & Events

Support fundraising events, adoption events, and community outreach by assisting with setup, breakdown, greeting visitors, and sharing information about the shelter.

Donation Transport

Volunteers with a valid driver’s license can help transport donated supplies to our rescue partners, allowing us to extend the generosity of our community to other shelters in need.

Volunteer Opportunities (Ages 18+)

In addition to all volunteer opportunities available to those ages 14+, volunteers ages 18 and older may also participate in:

Dog Walking & Socialization

Exercise, enrich, and socialize our shelter dogs. Volunteers receive training before working directly with the dogs to ensure safe handling and positive experiences for both the animals and volunteers.

Advanced Cat Socialization

Work more closely with cats who benefit from additional one-on-one interaction and enrichment. This opportunity requires additional training.

Other Ways You Can Help

Not able to volunteer at the shelter? There are still many ways to make a difference!

  • Host an adoption event at your business.
  • Organize a donation drive through your school, workplace, or community group.
  • Partner with us on fundraising or community awareness events.
  • Share our adoptable animals and mission with your friends and family.

Every act of kindness helps provide homeless animals with a second chance.

Ready to Get Started?

We’d love to welcome you to the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter volunteer team!

Register as a volunteer to learn more about each opportunity, complete the required training, and begin making a difference in the lives of homeless animals. We can’t wait to meet you! 

 
 

Volunteers must be 14 + older to volunteer onsite at the shelter.

Individuals looking to volunteer must FIRST complete our online Fear Free training and will need to provide a copy of their completed training certificate to be accepted for our program.

To complete your training:

1. Go to https://fearfreeshelters.com/register/

2. Enter your personal information and click NEXT.

3. Add Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, 194 Route 10, East Hanover NJ 07936, as the volunteer organization.

4. Click the “Download the volunteer form” button on the left-hand side of the screen to fill in the volunteer verification form. You may edit this electronically or print it out to fill it in.

5. Write “0” for the average number of volunteer hours. You can leave the signature field blank.

6. Where it asks for your proof of volunteer document, attach this Verification Form you filled out and click NEXT.

7. Under “what you do” check VOLUNTEER.

8. Under “how did you hear about us” choose SHELTER and click SIGN UP.

9. Complete all the modules and download your certificate as a PDF.

10. Go HERE to register an account on our volunteer portal, Vome, and click “Get involved” to fully complete your application.