If you're interested in joining ACC's team of wonderful volunteers, sign up for one of our upcoming virtual orientations!
If you have a passion for animals and are looking to make a difference, Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) needs your help! We have various volunteer opportunities at our Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and upcoming Queens Care Center, including: dog walking (experienced only), rabbit & guinea pig companions, building enrichment toys, teaching cats to high five, assisting our operations team, and more!
Thank you for your interest in the Volunteer Program of Animal Care Centers of NYC. Volunteers are a vital part of our organization, and play a huge role in caring for the animals in the shelters. If you are interested in volunteering please check back when March orientation will be posted.
If you are currently a volunteer, click here to sign-in to VICNET.
Our volunteers work in several areas of our operations.
- Primarily, they interact with our shelter pets to provide them with exercise, attention, comfort and socialization to reduce stress, improve their health, strengthen trust with humans, and increase their adoptability factor.
- Secondarily, they help maintain kennels, take photographs, write bios, assist in adoption counseling, attend off-site events, provide administrative assistance and join outreach programs, all with the end-objective of helping to get our animals adopted, or of preventing animals from ending up at the shelters.
- Depending on the need of the care center and the applicant’s previous experience with animals, most applicants will start with Operational Forces.
Volunteers are asked to make a commitment to our program of at least six months, with a minimum of six hours in each month.
Volunteer Opportunities
By Program
ACC currently has three volunteer programs within the organization:
- Companion volunteers
- Support Programs volunteers
- Fosters
Companion volunteers interact with our animals at the care center or at offsite events. There are four kinds of companion programs you can train for and are assigned to:
- Dog Volunteers
- Cat Volunteers
- Rabbit Volunteers
- Guinea Pig Volunteers
For Dog and Cat Volunteers, there are several levels according to which areas you can work in.
- Level 1: Adoption Rooms and Offsite Events
- Level 2: Holding
- Level 2: Isolation
- Level 2: Kitten Nursery (Cat Volunteers only)
Additional training is required to qualify for each room. All applicants who successfully complete training are Level 1, and work first in the Adoption Wards. Level 2 is by invitation only. We will identify volunteers who have shown good handling skills, ability to follow instructions and consistency in service and reach out to them to train for Level 2.
At any point during your service, when you feel that you are comfortable, you can discuss with a Volunteer staff member about adding any of these assignments to your service:
- Adoption Facilitator
- Corporate Volunteer Day Facilitator
- Pet Photography
- Bio Writing
- Mobile Adoption Events
- Community Pets Programs
Volunteer Opportunities are available at the following full-service shelters:
- Manhattan Animal Care Center
326 East 110th Street (between 1st and 2nd Aves.)
New York, NY 10029 - Brooklyn Animal Care Center
2336 Linden Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11208 - Staten Island Animal Care Center
3139 Veterans Road West
Staten Island, NY 10309
Support Programs Volunteers
- These types of volunteers assist other departments, and may or may not involve interacting with animals.
- Outreach Programs
Groomers
- These volunteers work with cats, dogs, and rabbits. All volunteer groomers must be experienced and licensed, and must go through the same orienting process as companion volunteers. Groomers work with the Medical Department.
Adoption Follow-Ups
- These volunteers are an integral part of ensuring that adoptions are followed through accordingly. Volunteers contact adopters 48-72 hours after an adoption to see how the companion animal has acclimated to its new home. These volunteers may answer general questions related to pet care, while referring more complicated questions to the adoption supervisor for review. This volunteer opportunity is done remotely from home, and volunteers work with the Adoptions Department.
Community Pets Program
- Our Community Pets Program is a compassionate outreach program which helps keep pets in their homes and out of the shelter by providing free resources to pet owners in need. Volunteers fill crucial roles at our free pet vaccination and microchip clinics in the Bronx and Queens, help transport needed supplies to homebound pet owners, and volunteer at other events as needed. If you are interested in only volunteering in this program and not the other roles discussed above, email us at CommunityPets@nycacc.org.
We expect our volunteers to comply with all of ACC’s Volunteer Program Policies and Procedures in order to maintain a high standard of volunteer service, create a safe environment for the animals and clients we serve, and provide you with a positive experience. Click here to learn more.
All prospective volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and must go through the Volunteer Application Process in order to learn about our organization and our Volunteer Program. Click here to see the process.
ACC is excited to launch a new corporate volunteering initiative. If your organization is interested in participating in a corporate volunteer event, please click here to see additional information.