Volunteer
Please note: HSWC is excited to once again begin accepting new volunteers! Orientation sessions for new volunteers are limited. Please read the below information prior to signing-up for orientation.
Become a Volunteer
Thank you for thinking of the Humane Society of Washington County as the place to donate your time. We are always accepting new volunteers! The success of our Volunteer Program is not only measured by the dedication of time given by our remarkable volunteers, but by the selfless acts they contribute to make life better for homeless companion animals.
You will find getting involved with the Humane Society of Washington County to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. One information session is offered each month, excluding December, and they are offered twice a month from May through September. We are able to accommodate up to 20 new applicants in each session. We prefer a two-hour weekly commitment for our regular volunteer program for at least three months. This provides the consistency our animals and volunteers need to succeed.
You must be at least 10 years old to volunteer and until you reach the age of 16, you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 21 each time you volunteer.
Pending a background check, you will be sent an invitation to attend the session you signed up for. If you do not receive an invitation and have questions please email Krista Hart at khart@hswcmd.org.
Please note: You must be 18 or older to sign up for an informational session. Children ages 10 through 15 must have a parent or guardian sign up for the session with their child as a secondary attendee. Please put the name and age of your child or children in the comments section.
Once you have attended an informational session and you are positive you are able to give back to the animals in our community, you will be given a link to submit an application.
Student Service Learning Hours
We currently participate in Junior National Honor Society, but not 7th grade SSL hours. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We truly want the teenagers 16 years or older who are interested in the field of Animal Welfare, so any teen desiring to volunteer, we ask that they have a written reference from someone who is not a friend or family member (teacher, guidance counselor, pastor, etc.)
Any students applying with less than four months before hours are due will not be considered for the program.
Please submit all information to:
Krista Hart
13011 Maugansville Road
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Did you know?
Another way to earn SSL hours (or even regular volunteer hours!) is by fostering kittens! Fostering kittens will give you 2 SSL hours a week. You will be fostering neonatal kittens, which are kittens under 8 weeks of age. Kittens cannot go up for adoption until they are spayed or neutered, which can happen at 8 weeks of age and at least 2 pounds. Kittens, depending on how severe a winter we have, can start coming into the shelter from mid-March to early April and they do not stop coming in until at least late October! The shelter will do its very best to provide you with any needed supplies.
Your parent or legal guardian will need to sign up for you. You and your parent/guardian will need to watch a video, submit an application (must be 21 or older to do the application) and then follow the instructions on how to sign up to get your first fosters (again, we will not start seeing kitten intake until mid to late March/early April). Once your parent/guardian signs up, please email KHart@hswcmd.org that you are signed up to foster kittens for SSL hours.
The link to watch the video and submit the application is https://www.hswcmd.org/foster
What our younger animal lovers can do to help shelter animals
Children not old enough to volunteer or who do not have a parent or guardian able to volunteer with them can still help our animals! Here are some suggestions on things they can do to help:
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Host a lemonade stand or bake sale to benefit the shelter
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Hold a donation drive in your community or school and ask people to bring in food, toys, litter, etc. for the animals at the shelter
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If someone you know is thinking about getting a new pet, encourage them to come to our shelter! We always have dogs and cats and often have small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets or birds
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If you are planning a tour for a group of young animal welfare advocates, please email Krista Hart at khart@hswcmd.org. She will assist you in your scheduling needs!