The Santa Barbara Humane Society relies heavily on volunteer help. We have a wonderful group of people who dedicate numerous hours of their time for the sake of the shelter animals. Volunteers perform many vital tasks, the most visible of which is the work they do directly with the adoption animals. They provide the dogs and cats with companionship and exercise, which helps to keep the animals temperamentally sound, socialized, and adoptable.

Volunteers also work in the administrative office helping to send mailings to thousands of members. There are usually six mailings per year, which involve more folding, stuffing, and stapling than the staff could accomplish without volunteer help. Some volunteers not only offer their time throughout the year, but also help us on the first Sunday in May with our annual Open House. Additionally, we have a very dedicated group of horse rescue volunteers who are ready to respond any time a horse is in need of assistance.

We honor all of our volunteers at a luncheon held each April during National Volunteer Appreciation Week. It is our hope that by hosting the luncheon, we are able to give our volunteers the recognition they deserve and show them how much we appreciate them.

If you are 18 years of age or older and have at least an hour or two each month to devote to enhancing the life of our adoption animals, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 964-4777 x17 to request an application and to get the date of the next group orientation. To print a volunteer application, click here. If you would like to work directly with either the dogs or the cats, you will then be given individual training, on a separate day, with the animals of your choice.