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We are able to provide our "guests" with a high quality of life due in large part to the efforts of many dedicated volunteers. Because most of the dogs who come through our doors are strays—and we have no history on them—safety is our number one priority. From our housekeeping team to working with dogs or helping out in the offices, we want to make the most of your unique skills! The habits our volunteers teach the dogs are critical skills that help them get adopted and then stay in their new home—truly life-saving work.
To volunteer at Dog Services, you must:
- pass a background check
- be prepared to volunteer at least 8 hours per month for 6 months
- attend orientation/training classes and follow instructions
- commit to regularly scheduled volunteer times
- be able to squat, bend, twist, lift and stand for long periods of time when working directly with animal care
- work well with people—all volunteer positions work directly with staff, other volunteers and the public
- comply with Clackamas County ordinances
Age requirements:
- 8–15-year-olds can volunteer with a parent present (no dog contact allowed)
- 16–17-year-olds may volunteer with parent approval (no dog contact allowed)
- You must be at least 18 years old to handle dogs.
Limited volunteer opportunities are currently available!
- We are looking to add 10-15 skilled potty walkers with previous large dog experience to our volunteer team. As a county shelter our dogs come in as strays with unknown histories. These dogs come into us with little to no training, and can present challenging behaviors such as, pulling strongly on leash, dog reactivity, jumping up into your space and making abrupt direction changes. Why is this important? We want you to stay safe and be able to make informed decision about volunteering. You must be 18 years or older to apply.
- We are looking for 7-10 individuals interested in joining our house keeping team. Duties will include doing dishes and laundry. Monday through Sunday 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. One volunteer per shift. This program is appropriate for anyone 8 years old and up. Youth ages 8-15 may volunteer with a parent/guardian but cannot have contact with dogs (must be with parent/guardian at all times). 16-17 may volunteer with parental consent but cannot have contact with dogs until the age of 18.
Please read the information below and email tmoxon@clackamas.us stating which program you are interested in and to receive a link when the next ZOOM information session is held.
Volunteer Programs
Our volunteer programs are designed for long-term partnerships (some on an individual level). At this time, we are unable to accommodate community service projects, short-term high school projects, job shadowing, etc. that would require direct staff oversight. For short-term assistance, we can offer instructions for craft projects to supply enrichment options for our dogs that could be done offsite in a group setting, such as creating fleece snuffle mats and suggestions for donation events. Thank you for your interest in supporting dogs at our shelter.
Volunteer categories are listed below. Not all positions are available at all times. When openings are available, they will be listed at the top of this page.
