Give your time

Note: We are temporarily closing the volunteer application while we process a large number of applicants. We are grateful for the interest that the community has shown in helping the animals in our care. Please check back in summer 2024. 

We rely on adult volunteers to help feed, exercise, play with, train and clean up after the animals in our shelter. Teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 can volunteer with parent or guardian approval.

Volunteers must agree to

• Commit to a minimum of four hours a month for six months or longer. 
• Work at the shelter during these hours:
  • 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday - Friday
  • 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday - Sunday
• Work a shift. Most shifts are two hours. 

Screen process for volunteers

• Submit an online application.
• Attend a volunteer orientation session (about two hours).
• Attend one or more classes for your specific volunteer position (one to two hours per class).
• Attend hands-on training with a current volunteer (one to four hours).
• Get a volunteer ID badge.

Give money or supplies

Gifts of money

More than 4,000 animals come through our doors each year. Your tax deductible gift helps us:

• Maintain our operations
• Expand our programs
• Improve the lives of more local animals

No gift is too small. 

Make a donation

Gifts of toys and supplies 

You can shop our wish lists and have our most needed items shipped directly to the shelter.

See our Amazon Wish List

See our Target Wish List

Looking to drop a donation off at the shelter? We can typically use:

• Unopened and unexpired food and treats
• Nylabones
• Durable plastic toys that can be sanitized, such as Kongs and plastic balls
• Unopened and unexpired topical flea treatment
• Elizabethan collars
• Tennis balls
• Bleach and towels

You can drop donations off during our public shelter hours. The shelter has limited storage space, and we may turn down a donation if we're fully stocked on that item. Please call 311 to check on our current needs.

Reference on this website to any specific commercial products or services, or the use of any corporation name, is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the City of Minneapolis.