Community service projects for the Animal Humane Society

Thanks for your interest in helping the animals at the Animal Humane Society. While we do not offer any short-term volunteering projects in our shelters, there are many other ways for groups and individuals to help us serve animals. Some project ideas include:

Hold a fundraiser to benefit the Animal Humane Society

Financial donations allow us to use your donation where it is most needed, whether it is to provide emergency medical treatment to an injured animal, buy supplies for our mobile surgical suites, or take in homeless animals from overcrowded out-of-state shelters. Some groups have held book and bake sales, car washes, carnivals, and talent shows for our benefit, but the possibilities are endless. Be creative and see what your group can do!

Organize a supply drive to collect the things we need most

Our shelters are always in need of certain supplies. View our “wish list” of items.

Make blankets to keep cats cozy

Cut out a piece of double-sided fleece that is 24 inches square. If you want, you can cut fringes on the sides. For a thicker blanket, stack two squares of fleece and sew the edges or tie the fringes together. (Please note: do not add catnip! While catnip can be a fun treat for cats in homes, the hyper behavior it produces is not a good thing for cats in a shelter environment.)

Make toys to entertain cats

Decorate emtpy plastic eggs or ping pong balls with permanent makers. These simple rolling toys are popular entertainment for shelter cats!

Make chew toys for rabbits and guinea pigs

Stuff empty toilet paper tubes with Timothy hay (available at pet stores). Our rabbits and guinea pigs enjoy these tasty chewing treats.

Recycle things in your home to help the animals!

• Organize a newspaper drive. Newspapers are used to line the bottom of animal cages. Please remove glossy circulars and stack the newspapers neatly in paper grocery bags. Please do not shred newspaper.
• Collect shredded office paper, which is used to make puppy and small animal cages more comfortable. (Please note that we can’t use cross-cut shredded paper, only the kind with larger strips.)
• Save empty cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towels. They make good chew toys for rabbits and guinea pigs, and shelters for little critters like gerbils and hamsters.
• Keep clean plastic shopping bags to be used by our dog walkers for cleanup outdoors.
• Bring us your old blankets and towels. We can put them to use for cat beds, grooming and cleaning up after shelter animals.

Donated items can be brought to the customer service counter at any AHS location during regular business hours; no appointment is necessary. Groups are also welcome to schedule a tour of one of our facilities at the time they bring in their donations.  (Tours last approximately one hour; there is a $1 per person fee for tours, with a minimum of $10 for smaller groups.  Click here for more information about tours.)

For more information about service projects, or to schedule a tour, please call the education department at (763) 489-2220, or reach Education online.

Click here to download a printable pdf of this page.

Girl Scouts from Troop 10170 with some of the items they
collected in a donations drive to earn their Bronze Award