Volunteer or Foster
HSWC Volunteer Program:
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the Humane Society of Warren County. You will find a downloadable volunteer application on this page. You can print the application and turn it in at our shelter located at 1245 Progress Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 or fax it to 540-635-0262. Once your application is received, you will be contacted by our Community Outreach Coordinator, to attend a New Volunteer Orientation. New Volunteer Orientations are held monthly. Following completion of the 2 hour orientation you will be invited to begin volunteering. Volunteers are vital to the successful operation of HSWC and a variety of volunteer opportunities are available:
HSWC Volunteer Positions (age 16 and over)
Dog Walking/Good Buddy ~ Volunteers are needed Thursday – Tuesday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to walk dogs. Let staff help you select a dog that’s right for you. You can take the pooch outside walk around the property or even play off leash in the dog play yard. Regular exericise helps kennelled pets release energy and learn good leah skills which make them more adoptable.
Good Buddy Program (advanced commitment and additional training required)~ When we find volunteers that are great at walking dogs and ready to increase their volunteer commitment, they are invited to become Good Buddies. These are special volunteers who teach shelter dogs manners to increase their adoptability and ultimately save their life. Good Buddies choose a dog to work with and they commit to working with that one dog for a minimum of 45 munutes two times per week. During those sessions, the Good Buddy utilizes training techniques from the My Dog Has Class Program to assist their canine buddy in earning a BA degree. In addition to the 45 minute sessions, Good Buddy’s also attend regular meetings and canine training sessions.
Customer Service ~ Greet and assist potential adopters in pet selection, explain adoption policies, answer questions, remove pets from kennels and allow potential adopters to interact with the animals. The shelter is the busiest between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and you can be of the most assistance during that time frame.
Cat Kennels ~(additional training provided) ~ As a Petco Adoption Partner, we are able to showcase six of our adoptable kitties at the Petco retail store located in Front Royal. It is our responsibility to care for the cats housed at this location and we rely on our volunteer force to get the job done. Hundreds of lives are saved each year due to our ability to utilize this retail space. Volunteers are needed to clean the six kennels and provide food and water for the cats every day of the week starting at 8:30 a.m. It takes between 1 and 2 hours to clean the six kennels. In the afternoons, volunteers are needed to spot clean.
Kitty Socialization ~ Volunteers with kitty experience or those willing to learn are invited to become special friends to the kitties and help the staff socialize and provide human contact to semi-feral cats.
TNR Volunteers ~ (advanced commitment and training required) ~ Volunteers are needed to work with the HSWC TNR Coordinators and property owners who have colonies of feral cats to Trap Neuter and Return those cats back to the location to end unwanted litters and reduce feral cat relinquishment to the shelter. TNR training is conducted once a year in preparation for kitten season.
HSWC Junior Volunteer Program & Positions (ages 10 -15)
HSWC Jr. Volunteer Program & Positions: Anyone under age 18 must have a parent or legal guardian attend the New Volunteer Orientation with them and is responsible for signing all waivers. Any Jr. Volunteer between the ages of 10 and 15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while working in the shelter. Jr. Volunteers ages 16 & 17 may work independently and are trained as adult volunteers. Children under 10 are not able to volunteer.
Paws to Read ~ Jr. Volunteers who are able to read at any level may come to the shelter to read to the cats or dogs during assigned times. Programs similar to Paws to Read have been implemented in animal shelters across the country. Cats and dogs find the rhythmic sound of a voice very comforting and soothing. This is a much needed distraction from the chaos of the shelter.
Toy and Treat Making ~ Jr. Volunteers will be invited to come to the shelter for special project nights where they can make toys and treats for cats and dogs and share their creations with the shelter pets.
Raising Funds can be Fun ~ We’ve found that Jr. Volunteers are often very effective fundraisers. Many of our Jr. Volunteers have held birthday parties to collect donations for HSWC. Some are great at selling raffle tickets. Others have set up donation boxes around town to help collect pet food and supplies and even newspapers for our recycling bin. If you are a Jr. Volunteer with a desire to raise money for the homeless animals of Warren County, don’t hesitate to contact the Executive Director with your ideas.
If you have questions, please contact our Community Outreach Coordinator at or by calling 540-635-4734 ext. 227.
Click here to download our Volunteer Application
HSWC Foster Care Program:
Thank you for your interest in fostering for the Humane Society of Warren County. You will find a downloadable foster parent application on this page. You can print the application and turn it in at our shelter located at 1245 Progress Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 or fax it to 540-635-0262. Once your application is received, you will be contacted about foster opportunities.
At the Humane Society of Warren County, we wish for every animal brought to us to have a chance for a long and happy life. Due to our limited resources, it is often difficult to care for the many sick, injured, and young animals that come through our doors. The Foster Program plays an important role in helping us serve the needs of these animals before they are placed for adoption. Foster care allows some of the young ones a chance to grow and the sick and injured to heal. The Foster Care Program brings caring individuals and needy animals together, providing special care in a home setting until the animals are ready for adoption. Thank you for considering opening your home and hearts to help care for these wonderful animals. Click here to download our Foster Parent application.
