Donate

Volunteer
Program

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the RHS!

Every day, volunteers make an enormous difference in the lives of homeless animals who find themselves at the Humane Society. If you love animals and want to help improve lives, become a Regina Humane Society volunteer!

Volunteer Opportunities:

 

Dog Walking

Shelter dogs are always eager for a good walk! However, it’s important to note that many of our shelter dogs are large breeds who are very excited to be outside! This means that walking them can sometimes be physically demanding. It can be quite an adventure, but with patience, love, and a bit of strength, you’ll quickly become our dogs’ best friend!

Read and Relax

Dogs also appreciate calm, low-energy interactions! Sometimes, they just want to sit quietly with you and enjoy your company. Research shows that animals love being spoken to, and at RHS, we encourage this bonding. Feel free to read to our dogs in their suites, or simply sit with them and share your thoughts—whether it’s about your upcoming exams, work challenges, or the latest family drama. They’re great listeners and will never spill your secrets. All they ask in return is a little snuggle!

By sitting quietly with a dog, you will also help prepare them for “downtime” after they are adopted. Adoptable dogs will learn to enjoy the presence of a human without having to be the centre of attention and develop exercise needs that are more manageable for adopters, both key elements for ensuring success in a new home.

Tailblazers

Enjoy a tail-waggin’ good time walking adoptable dogs in the scenic park areas of Harbour Landing! Volunteers aged 18 and older with over 5 hours of dog walking experience at RHS can take eligible dogs along the Harbour Landing Pathway. This extra exercise and socialization enhance the dogs’ behavior, helping them shine during adoption viewings. To participate, volunteers must read, sign, and submit the Tailblazers orientation handout.

Doggy Dates

*Recruited for on an as-needed basis*

Volunteers aged 18 and older with over 5 hours of dog walking experience at RHS can take eligible dogs out for a day-long adventure (between 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.), giving the dogs a chance to decompress from the shelter environment. To participate, volunteers must complete additional training materials and sign a waiver.

.

Cat Socialization

Cats at the RHS are always happy to see their volunteer friends! Whether that time is spent playing, cuddling, getting brushed or even being read or spoken to.

Play allows our cats to release their pent-up energy, and get some much-needed exercise. Play is an excellent way to help reduce stress in a shelter cat. Whereas, brushing, reading, cuddling or even being spoken too offers much-needed comfort to the cats. The shelter often feels very overwhelming for our feline friends, so having low-energy, comforting interactions are very impactful for their overall well-being!

Small Animal Socialization

Small animals frequently come through our shelter, including species such as guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and more. These animals need love and attention just like our canine and feline friends. It’s crucial to handle them properly, as they can become fearful if mishandled. While previous experience with these animals is ideal for volunteers, our team is happy to provide support and guidance to ensure the best care possible.

You can be a superhero and save lives by providing a temporary home for animals in need! Fostering is one of the most impactful ways you can help save the lives of animals.

What does a foster family do?

  • Provides a temporary home for kittens and puppies too young to be adopted
  • Provides care for animals recovering from injuries, illness or surgery
  • Socializes shy or fearful animals
  • Provides a safe place for shelter animals in times of overcrowding
  • Ensures foster animals are brought to the shelter for their scheduled medical treatments

What are the requirements to be a foster family?

  • Must reside within a 30-minute drive to the Regina Humane Society (for emergency purposes)
  • Must be over 18 years of age
  • Must provide a satisfactory criminal record check from Regina Police Service or the RCMP
  • Any other animals within the household must be up to date on vaccinations (a vaccination certificate must provided for each pet)
  • All approved foster applicants must complete a Foster Orientation and read the Foster Manual
  • After Foster Orientation is completed, a phone interview with the RHS Enrichment Coordinator will be arranged to finalize the applicant as a registered foster

Foster volunteers are provided with:

  • Basic training
  • All animal care supplies
  • Medical care for the animal and access to someone to answer all your questions

How will I know which animals require foster care?

Most communication within the Foster Program is done through email. When an animal needs fostering, the Enrichment Coordinator will send an email out to registered fosters in hopes of finding an available foster family for that particular animal. If a foster person is interested, they simply reply to the email and then arrange a time for pick-up. Whoever responds to the foster call-out first will receive the animal as a foster!

You can complete a Foster application here.

 

Does your child love to read? Does he or she struggle at times with reading? Either way – the Kitty Readers Program may be perfect for your family!

Kitty Readers is a program designed to help children ages 7-11 years improve their reading skills while helping cats at the Regina Humane Society. Volunteers, along with a parent or guardian, read to adoptable shelter cats either silently or aloud in one of our cat adoption rooms. A calm voice and the presence of a child help relax the cats and improve their socialization. *Note: Both the child and the guardian are required to fill out separate volunteer applications, but only one volunteer administration fee needs to be paid.

*Recruited for on as-needed basis*

Help us look our best! Keeping our facility and grounds looking great creates a welcoming environment for everyone who visits the Regina Humane Society. Volunteers are periodically asked to assist with yard work, landscaping and general upkeep of the shelter. Activities may include raking leaves, washing windows, painting and assisting with light building maintenance. If you have a special skill that you are willing to share, we need your help!

*Recruited for on an as-needed basis*

Be an ambassador for the Regina Humane Society! Help make our adoption, fundraising and community events a success by joining the Special Events team. You will represent the Regina Humane Society in the community and educate the public on the Society’s important lifesaving work. Activities may include registering event participants, accepting donations, caring for animals, answering phones, and questions, and much more!

Whether it is an adoption event, the Telethon, or Pet Pictures with Santa, you could be involved in fun events throughout the year. Once you get started attending events, you’ll be hooked!

Coming Soon!

Humane education programs aim to educate our community about animal welfare issues, focusing primarily on school-aged children but open to all ages. Volunteers can assist with children’s camps, help create and deliver educational materials, and more.

Participation in these programs requires volunteers to undergo a vulnerable sector check.

*Recruited for on an as-needed basis*

Animal outreach programs in a shelter are initiatives designed to extend the shelter’s services and education into the Regina community. These programs often aim to promote animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and the humane treatment of animals.

Some previous outreach events have included: pop-up microchip clinics, events in underserved communities distributing pet supplies and providing education on the services and programs the RHS provides, and providing pet food and pet supplies to the community fridges throughout the city.

Available soon!

Caring for thousands of homeless animals each year means one thing – lots and lots of laundry! Each and every day we do countless loads of laundry in multiple sets of washers and dryers. Laundry Support volunteers keep cats, dogs and little critters warm and healthy by assisting with this very important task.

*Recruited for on as-needed basis*

There is a lot happening behind the scenes at a shelter that people don’t see. From stuffing envelopes to calling adopters to follow up and check-in, the office work never stops! Office support volunteers will work closely with various departments on selected office and administrative tasks. Activities may include data entry, card writing, filing and other clerical duties.

*Recruited for on an as-needed basis*

Kitty Cab Drivers help pets find their forever homes by transporting adoptable animals (mostly felines) to our Satellite Adoption Centres, located at various pet retail stores in the area. Transports happen on weekdays as needed to fill Satellite Centre spaces. The use of the volunteer’s personal vehicle would be required.

Please note the following age restrictions for youth volunteers:

  • Aged 7–11 years: Volunteers can participate in the Kitty Readers Program, designed to help children improve their reading skills while helping cats at the Regina Humane Society. Must be supervised by a parent or guardian, or a person aged 18+.
  • Aged 12–13 years: Are restricted to working with adoptable cats only. Must be supervised by a parent or guardian, or a person aged 18+. All adults volunteering with children must have completed the volunteer orientation, and their own set of waiver forms and submitted a Criminal Record Check. There should be one child per adult so that full assistance can be provided to the child.
  • Aged 14–15 years: May volunteer unsupervised. Restricted to working with adoptable cats only. A parent or guardian must co-sign the volunteer waiver forms.
  • Aged 16–17 years: May volunteer unsupervised. Eligible to work with adoptable dogs, cats and small critters. A parent or guardian must co-sign the volunteer waiver forms.
Before you get started, please review our application process below:

Step 1:$30.00 non-refundable administration fee is required with each Volunteer application. Once your application fee has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email that will provide instructions on completing the remainder of your application.

*There is no additional fee for children aged 7-13 who are volunteering with a parent or guardian (as required). If you are a parent, pay the administrative fee under your name, and a link included for children to apply will be included in the email you will receive after you’ve paid your administration fee.

Is the Administration Fee a Barrier to Your Volunteering with RHS?

We want everyone to be able to experience the joy of volunteering. While our administration fee is important to cover the cost of the RHS volunteer program, we do not want it to be a barrier to anyone wishing to volunteer with the Regina Humane Society. If the administration fee is a barrier to you becoming a volunteer with RHS, please contact the Community Engagement Coordinator at volunteer@reginahumane.ca or (306) 543-6363 ext. 336.

Step 2: Before completing your online application form, you will need a Criminal Record Check that is attached to your submission:

  • All volunteers 18 years of age and older, including guardians accompanying youth volunteers,
    must submit a criminal record check (CRC) – more information on completing this can be found here: https://reginapolice.ca/resources/criminal-record-check/  Note that this will be at your expense (the cost for volunteers is $10). If you’ve completed a CRC within the 12 months prior to your application date, a copy of that is acceptable.

Step 3: Click the applicable link in your confirmation email to complete your application form. You will be asked to create a  “My Impact” account which is the online application used for our Volunteer Program. Once your application form is complete, you will be directed to your My Impact main page and you will be able to begin the online orientation process, including viewing our Orientation Video. Remember to retain your login credentials, as you will need them for orientation and to sign up for volunteer activities.

Step 4: Once you have reviewed the Orientation Video, you will be asked to complete a quiz.  After successfully completing the quiz, your application will be submitted to our staff to verify that your documents and application are in order.

Once approved, you will be a new RHS Volunteer!

During your first volunteer shift, an RHS staff member will provide a brief tour to show you around the shelter and can answer any questions you may have.

If you have your CRC, signed Code of Ethics and Waiver documents, and are ready to volunteer, please submit your Administration Fee below, and let’s get started!

  • Administration Fee

  • $ 0.00 CAD
  • MasterCard
    Visa
    Supported Credit Cards: MasterCard, Visa
     
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.