Next Steps

We are so excited to welcome you to our volunteer team – thank you again for your interest in and support for Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh! Our organization could not function without the generosity, skill, and dedication of our volunteers, so we are glad you are here.

Clearances for All Volunteers

As you have learned from the orientation, there are a few background checks and/or certifications that you will need before beginning training for your specific area of interest. To make things as easy as possible, we have created instructions on how to sign up for and obtain your clearances, which you can find here: How to Get Act 34 Clearance

East and North (Domestic) Shelter Volunteers:

Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh is a Fear Free® Shelter; all our domestic staff and volunteers must go through a specialized training program which aims to improve the experiences of animals by educating shelter, rescue, and animal welfare employees and volunteers like you about their emotional needs. We aim to empower you to apply key strategies and techniques designed to reduce the negative emotional states that are commonly experienced by shelter and rescue animals—including fear, anxiety, stress (FAS), and frustration—and increase their enrichment opportunities.

As a volunteer at Humane Animal Rescue, you will need to have your Fear Free Certificate. Fear Free certification is free for all; you can sign up for the course modules here: https://fearfreeshelters.com/register/

Certification is self-paced, and will take about 6 hours to complete. While you are registering, you will be prompted to submit a form from the shelter. For your convenience, we have linked to the Shelter Program Verification Form, which should be filled out with your own personal information.

Wildlife Center Volunteers:

For everyone’s safety on the Wild Side, we do require all volunteers and employees to provide proof of a Tetanus vaccination within the past ten years.

Please note: due to the volume of animals we treat at the Wildlife Center over the summer, we train new volunteers at the Center October through May. Most volunteer opportunities take place between April and October. However, you may still submit your application at any time!

You’re almost there!

Finally, you’ll need to review the HARP Volunteer Manual, which is linked below. Please take your time going over this document as there is a wealth of very important organizational and safety information contained within. When you come in for hands-on training, we will have a waiver regarding the volunteer manual that you will need to sign.

When you have all of your clearances ready, and or your certification complete, please email those documents to volunteer@humaneanimalrescue.org and we will get you rolling on training!

Welcome aboard!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – however you will need to be able to commit to a regular shift at each location where you volunteer. Due to the complexity of the daily schedules at the shelters, we can neither accommodate “Drop-in” volunteering, nor a schedule where you would fulfil your weekly shift at one location on one week, and another the next. You would need to have the flexibility to provide separate weekly shifts at each location. Also, due to differences in the layouts and capacities of each building, additional training will be required (in various capacities) per location. We ask that you choose one shift to start, and get settled in before adding more.

Yes – however you will need to be able to commit to a regular shift with each species that you choose. Due to the complexity of the daily schedules at the shelters, we e can neither accommodate “Drop-in” volunteering, nor a schedule where you would fulfil your weekly shift with one species one week, and another the next. You would need to have the flexibility to provide separate weekly shifts per species. Also, due to differences in what volunteering entails per species, additional training will be required. We ask that you choose one shift to start, and get settled in before adding more.

To a degree! We cannot guarantee shift-availability for any individual tasks and times; we have a specific number of volunteer slots for each task, and availability fluctuates. If you do not have flexibility in when you would be able to volunteer, please let us know prior to beginning your background checks – we can see if there is at least availability at that time, or is likely to be when you’re ready. Beyond that constraint, we will work with you to choose an available shift that suits your schedule, and that time and day will be your ongoing commitment.

Most likely! We do allow for flexibility in our volunteer schedules for most roles at the domestic shelters; however, we still ask for at least 3-4 shifts per month, even if you aren’t able to come in for the same day each week. If you’re still unsure if our schedules will work together, please feel free to send us an email and ask: Volunter@HumaneAnimalRescue.org

It may – each position has its own physical requirements that are outlined. If you are unable to meet these requirements with your preferred task, we may look at alternative methods of volunteering or other tasks. Our requirements are to ensure the safety of our animals and our humans. Please be honest and forthcoming with us about any limitations that you have, and if we can make reasonable accommodations, we will.

In order to independently volunteer, we require applicants to be at least 18 years of age. 16- and 17-year olds may volunteer alongside an over-18 parent or guardian – both individuals must apply separately and complete their own clearances and certifications

For the safety of our volunteers and the animals in our care, our volunteers must be at least 16 years old. While we do not have volunteer opportunities for children under 16 years of age – even with an accompanying parent or guardian – we do have Humane Education Programming and Events that are often geared towards them. We heartily encourage you to explore those options!

Perhaps! We may have tasks that can be completed with your paraprofessional. Both you and your paraprofessional will need to apply and complete clearances and certifications separately. Please be honest and forthcoming with us about any limitations that you have, if we can make reasonable accommodations, we will – however, we may need to pivot to non-animal handling tasks. This can be discussed on an individual basis – please reach out prior to beginning your background checks.

We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months of service, and one two hour shift a week, which is unlikely to suit any of those needs. We do offer a variety of non-animal handling opportunities, for these purposes, which we invite you to explore here.

DONATE

Make a Difference!

Your gift today will help save an animal’s life. We rely on donations from friends like you to rescue, shelter, and find homes for pets. Please be as generous as you can to help us give them the care they need and the love they deserve.

ADOPT

Care They Need.
Love They Deserve.

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