Youth Opportunities
While our age requirement is 16 to volunteer on campus there are opportunities available for those under 16. Our Humane Education program also periodically hosts programs that offer volunteer hours.
iFoster: Ages 8-17
The iFoster program is available to kids between the ages of 8 years old and 17 years old. This is an opportunity for the youth to accrue community service hours while also helping the community and animals in need. This program allows youth volunteers to foster with the supervision of an adult guardian. iFoster volunteers accrue 2 hours per day for each foster animal. Proof of hours will be awarded once you’ve finished fostering and the animal(s) return to the shelter.
Responsibilities
- Temporarily house an animal for either age, space, or medical reasons.
- Provide basic care for the foster animal(s) by feeding, socializing, cleaning, and playing with them
- Administer routine flea prevention, deworming, and/or any prescribed medication
- Attend scheduled follow-up appointments and routine checks
- Be the animal’s advocate by marketing them on social media
Requirements
The iFoster’s legal guardian is required to review our on-line orientation with their child and accompany their child to the League to pick-up the foster assignment. The purpose of the program is for children to foster with the guidance of a parent/guardian.
Commitment
The length of time you foster varies depending on the individual animal. We ask that you at least commit to a minimum of 2 weeks, although fostering generally lasts longer than two weeks.
- Kittens must be fostered until they’re big enough (2 pounds) to return to the shelter for spay/neuter surgery (1 to 10-week commitment)
- Puppies must be fostered until they’re big enough (usually 2 months of age) to return for spay/neuter surgery (1 to 10-week commitment)
