To allow our organization to accomplish our mission, we work to give Athens and surrounding communities tools to be responsible stewards of animals.  Volunteers are an integral part of this work.

Volunteer opportunities vary depending on one's talents and interests.

 

To sign up:
Schedule a time to come for an orientation between our normal operating hours Monday-Saturday 12-5 pm and Sunday 1-5 pm. You can schedule this appointment by phone: 706-353-2287 or e-mail: info@athenshumanesociety.com 

 

-- When you come for your orientation, we will provide you
with a tour and show you the needed paperwork for volunteer work. At that time, you will be able to sign up for hours you are eligible to work, so bring your scheduler along!  It is ideal if we know a week ahead of time how many workers we can depend on, so we appreciate dedication and plenty of notice if cancellation of hours is needed.

 

Following are a few ways individuals can help out:

 

Animal Care-Include assisting staff in cleaning cages and feeding the animals.  These duties generally happen before the shelter opens to the public (8-11 am Mon-Sat, 9-12 Sun).  These are very rewarding jobs to do as volunteers receive hands-on training in learning about animal health and cleaning procedures to ensure the animal's health. There are more animal care duties that take place after the AAHS opens to the public (between 11 am-5 pm Mon-Saturday and 1 pm-5 pm Sun) and generally consist of grooming, nail trimming, socializing, basic medical care (with assistance from trained staff), etc.

Recycling-For those individuals with trucks or trailers, the AAHS could use assistance with transportation for our aluminum cans to the recycling center approximately 5 miles from our facility.  Eligible volunteers must have a reliable vehicle safe for transporting bags of cans, and a clean driving record. Also, if you are interested in starting a recycling program to raise money for the animals of the Humane Society, please contact us for more information.

Spay/Neuter Appointment Transportation to Local Veterinarians-The cats and other small animals need transportation to their appointments generally within the Athens Clarke County city limits.  Drop off at these veterinary clinics is between 7:30 am and 9:00 am weekdays. Volunteers will come to the shelter to pick up the animal in a cardboard or plastic carrier and transport animal to the clinic.  We also need volunteers to pick up animals at the clinics when their surgery is over, and transport them back to the shelter.  Eligible volunteers must have a reliable vehicle, clean driving record and be very dependable.

 

Data entry, answering phones, and taking digital photos of adoptable animals, are all valuable volunteer opportunities.  If you have talents in any of these or are interested in learning about them, please let us discuss these with you.

All shelter care duties involve maintaining a clean, safe, environment for the animals and community.  There are also many more duties that must be done 7 days a week to ensure the best care for these animals awaiting their forever homes: sweeping, dusting, mopping, laundering
animal's towels, washing dishes, organizing cabinets, drawers, etc.

 

The mission of the Athens Area Humane Society is to end animal neglect, cruelty and suffering, to promote responsible pet ownership, to provide safe shelter, and to locate loving homes for homeless and abandoned animals.