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Animal Care  /  How You Can Help  /  Volunteer - Get Involved

Donations

Can’t fit another volunteer assignment into your schedule? The City of San Antonio Animal Care Services’ Facility and Pet Pantry accepts donations to help care for our impounded animals.

Foster Program

The ACS Foster Program needs you! ACS needs your heart and your home to care for one of our shelter’s orphaned animals. Your generosity will provide young and old, injured and sick, abused and under socialized animals a chance to grow or heal before finding forever homes. Every Foster makes a difference in the lives of our shelter pets!

Being a Foster helps us to create space in the shelter to accommodate other homeless animals. Animals in the Foster Program provide companionship and purpose- your act of kindness is repaid in rewards that are beyond words. Did you find some kittens and are unsure what to do with them? Watch this video here for more info!

Animals needing a temporary home and a Foster include:

  • Animals that require more socialization than available at the shelter
  • Neglected or abused animals that need tender loving care
  • Any healthy, non aggressive animal that is brought into Animal Care Services

Volunteer - Get Involved!

Volunteer Family

We are always in need of animal lovers who can volunteer their time to bathe, groom, walk and socialize with our furry companions. However, we also need volunteers to help in other ways as well; including groundwork, administrative work, off-site events, photography, laundry and much, much more. Volunteers enable us to give our animals the care and attention they need and deserve. We could not do it without their help!

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Volunteer Application. When you application is received, the Volunteer Coordinator will contact you by email with the upcoming orientation dates. Orientations last approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Offsite VolunteerAll onsite volunteers must complete a background check. The following offenses will exclude you from our volunteer program:

  • Any offense relating to theft, burglary, fraud, arson, or breaking and entering
  • Any drug-related offense
  • Any violent offense, including, but not limited to:
    • Animal Cruelty
    • Assault and Battery
    • Household Assault
    • Injury to a Child
    • Domestic ViolenceVolunteer

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      Already an ACS Volunteer? Please login to Get Connected to log hours, view shifts and respond to volunteer needs: https://sanantonio.galaxydigital.com/user/login/
     
    VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
    • Volunteer positions available in most areas of the on-site as well as off-site events (Off-Site Adoption Events, ACS Mascots, Satellite Cat Adoption Centers, Community Education Events, etc.)
    • Upcoming orientation dates are sent by e-mail; RSVP is required to attend. 
    • Volunteers ages 10-11 can volunteer at off-site events except for *blockwalks which require volunteers 15 and up. Volunteers of 15-16 years of age can blockwalk with an accompanying parent or guardian. 
    • Minimum age to volunteer on-site is 12 years old.
    • Volunteers ages 12-15 must have a parent volunteer with them.
    • Volunteers age 16-17 can volunteer on their own with parental consent. 
    • Extra training provided for certain tasks. 
    • $10 suggested donation covers T-shirt, nametag, ACS lanyard, etc.

    Community Service Volunteering

    We do not currently have a separate community service program at ACS. However, if you are able to commit to the minimum time requirements for regular volunteering (3 months minimum, 3 times a month), you may sign up to become an onsite volunteer and, if approved, your volunteer time will count toward your community service hours.

    Group Volunteer Activities and Tours

    • Blockwalks: Volunteers at blockwalks pass out flyers to residents of San Antonio in need of free or low-cost services. Great opportunity for school, church, community groups to make a difference! Please contact the ACS Education & Outreach Team for upcoming dates & times. *Please see age guidelines above for ACS blockwalks. Owned pets, bicycles, strollers, infants in carriers or any children under 15 are NOT allowed on blockwalks in any circumstances. 
    • Comfort for Critters: Volunteers make blankets and toys for pets in foster care. Held the 1st Sunday of every month. Please RSVP with the Volunteer Coordinator if planning to attend.
    • Group Tours/One-Time Group Projects: If you have a group that would like a tour of our facility or that would like to volunteer for a one-time community project, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at acsvolunteer@sanantonio.gov along with a completed Group Volunteer Application. A minimum of one week advance notice or more is usually required to schedule a group. We can accommodate most groups with 12 volunteers or fewer, although we may have special projects available for larger groups onsite or offsite from time to time. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator for more information. Be advised that, because of safety issues with our pets and your group, there may be little to no interaction with animals for large scale group projects.

    Sponsorship

    There is a great need for individual and corporate sponsorships (financial or in-kind) for advertising through mediums such as billboards, marquees, bus ads, newspaper/magazine ads, television/radio ads, and movie theater ads. Ads on items such as store receipts, soda bottles/cans, and convenience store displays also would be of great benefit. Sponsorships for marketing items that would create "walking message billboards" also are highly encouraged. Dog/cat collars, leashes, collapsible water bowls, and t-shirts for both the four-legged and two-legged persuasion are also desired! If you or your company would like to help make San Antonio a more pet-friendly community, call our Public Relations & Outreach Manager at 210.207.6665 or email us.

    Shelter Paws Program

    Our Shelter Paws program lets you take a dog for the day - or even a few hours - in the hopes of making that dog more friendly and adoptable, and giving the dog a break from the shelter! Take a walk in the park, go for a hike or a run, watch a movie at home, or get a puppuccino! To participate, you must:
    • Be 18 years old
    • Have a photo ID
    • Have a reliable vehicle
    • Be dog friendly!
    To sign up, click this link: Sign up here! If you have questions, please email: acsshelterpaws@sanantonio.gov.