Volunteer
Your Guide to Making a Difference With Us
Come down to Detroit Animal Care & Control (DACC) any day of the week, and you'll witness our dedicated volunteers in action. From walking dogs and socializing cats to handling laundry and dishes, our volunteers are an essential part of #TeamDACC.
At Friends of Detroit Animal Care & Control (FoDACC), we believe that every helping hand and compassionate heart can change lives. There are numerous ways for you to get involved and be a part of our mission to provide a better life for animals in need. No matter your level of commitment, there's a place for you on #TeamDACC.
Subscribe to the FoDACC Volunteer Newsletter
Stay up to date with all the latest volunteer opportunities and events by subscribing to our new newsletter, just for volunteer activities!
New Volunteer Orientation
We’re grateful for the contributions of all of our volunteers—whether you like to walk dogs, help with adoption counseling, do laundry, wash dishes, assist at offsite adoption events, etc. There are so many ways you can help make a difference to the animals at the shelter.
If you’d like to join our volunteer team, show up for our regular, monthly orientation or send an email to volunteer@friendsofdacc.org.
We also have other scheduled orientations for which sign-up is required. Please see our Events page for these other scheduled orientations.
In-Shelter Volunteers
Join us in the shelter and directly impact the lives of our animals. Tasks include dog walking, adoption counseling, cat room assistance, laundry, dishes, creating enrichment activities, and preparing goody bags for adopters and fosters. In-shelter volunteer hours are generally from 9:00am to 4:00pm, any day of the week.
Orientations are held on the first Saturday of every month, so mark your calendar and be a part of something special.
Off-Site Volunteers
If you prefer off-site activities, you can assist with adoption events and other events throughout the Metro Detroit area by helping to set up and break down equipment, helping at information tables, providing adoption counseling, transporting animals to partner shelters and rescues, or even taking shelter dogs to events. Some events involve info booth setups or educational programming, allowing you to engage with the community and shelter dogs in meaningful ways.
Remote Volunteers
Not able to help in person? No problem! Remote volunteering opportunities include managing our social media, responding to emails, welcoming and supporting dog adopters and fosters, and conducting fundraising and donation outreach. Your virtual efforts are just as valuable in helping our animals find loving homes.
Sharing Works!
One of the easiest ways to make a difference is to join our Adoptable Animals at DACC Facebook group. From here, you can share adoptable animals and adoption events, add positive comments, and help them get adopted. Also, the pictures are so cute!
Supporters Community
Connect with us on our Detroit Animal Care & Control Supporters Group on Facebook. This is a great way to keep up-to-date on upcoming volunteer opportunities, donation requests, transportation requests, and foster requests.
Tomorrow’s Rescuers
Do you have kids in your life who want to make a difference for DACC’s shelter pets? We have lots of ways for youth volunteers to help—whether it be on their own, in the classroom, with a girl scout or boy scout troop, an honor society, or within their own community of friends!
Digital Volunteer Orientation
This digital volunteer orientation is a useful reference and a preview of what you’ll learn during your in-person orientation. However, it is not a replacement for the in-person orientation, where you will learn your way around the shelter and receive hands-on training. The in-person orientation is required for volunteering at the shelter and working with the animals.
Also available for you is this FoDACC Volunteer Handbook.