The Animal Protective Association of Missouri, founded in 1922, is a private, not for profit charitable organization. We provide shelter and a second chance for over 6,000 lost and unwanted animals each year. We are committed to building a more humane community through adoption, education, and outreach partnerships.
SLU Community Partners Database
Below is a searchable database of the non-profit agencies that are seeking volunteers. You may search based on the population category the organization works with and services they provide.
Each menu allows you to click on a specific agency and bring up their profile. Profiles include contact information, a link to their website, a brief description of their mission and objectives, service opportunities, any requirements and directions. Please note that some agencies may be listed in multiple menus.
Too many to choose from? Not sure where to start? Fill out a Service Interest Form and let us find a site that matches your interests and availability.
If you are a community organization and would like your agency's profile included in the database, please complete our Community Organization Survey.
Remote Opportunities: Agencies under each category that are marked with a * indicate that remote opportunities are available.
Opportunities for Animals are available at:
Select any category for details
- Maria Sage
- 314-645-4610, ext. 122
- volunteer@apamo.org; maria@apamo.org
- https://www.apamo.org
Duties can range from support and public interaction at events, to cleaning and general shelter duties, to customer service and facilitating the adoption of pets, to single or regular group projects that range from maintenance to event preparation.
Shelter hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- Application
- 1 hr. training session
The mission of the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is to foster a greater understanding of plant and animal relationships in the environment in order to promote the conservation and restoration of natural habitats.
- Interpretation Volunteers: Assist by sharing knowledge about our butterflies, invertebrates, and plants. These volunteers are trained on how to interact with guests of all ages, about the importance of these animals in our environment.
- Private Event & Birthday Party Volunteers: Support Butterfly House staff in creating special memories. Volunteers help assist with setting up and facilitation of events such as weddings and children's birthday parties..
- Special Event Volunteers: Support crafts, games, and other fun activities at family friendly events. These events are held throughout the year which includes Fancy Tea, Supper with Santa, and more!
- Interpretation Volunteers: Tuesdays through Sundays, anytime 10am-4pm
- Events Volunteers: Days and times vary.
- Application
- Orientation Session
- Beth Greco
- 314-997-2325
- bgreco@duodogs.org
- https://duodogs.org/
Duo is a national not-for-profit organization providing highly skilled service dogs to individuals with disabilities and uniquely trained therapy teams in the community, offering dignity, hope, and independence to those we serve.
- Kennel Enrichment: Volunteers provide leisure time and enrichment to dogs in their final stages of training.
- Kennel Enrichment: Days and times vary - up to schedule of volunteer.
- Application
- Orientation
- Kelsey Rumley
- 636-938-5900
- info@endangeredwolfcenter.org
- https://www.endangeredwolfcenter.org
To preserve and protect Mexican gray wolves, red wolves and other wild canid species, with purpose and passion, through carefully managed breeding, reintroduction and inspiring education programs.
- Evening Events: At least once a week during the summer months, and multiple times a week throughout the fall and winter months, we have evening events at the Center. We several volunteers at each of these events to help run the event. We need people to let people in the Center's gate, to serve the
food/drinks, to talk with the public and to host the events.
- Tour Guides: We need volunteers to help us lead tours at the Center.Office Work: We need volunteers in the office to help with mailings, answer phones and help with any other tasks that arise during the week.
- Evening Events: Days and Times Vary
- Tour Guides: Friday and Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.Office Work: Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m..
- Application
- Orientation Session
- Katie Anderson
- (618) 687-8007 ext. 5
- volunteer@gatewaypets.org
- https://gatewaypets.org/
Gateway Pet Guardians is a 501(c)3 nonprofit animal shelter whose passionate and dedicated staff and volunteers care for animals on the streets of East St. Louis, Illinois and surrounding areas. Our mission is to end homelessness for animals in the Metro East through rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, community outreach and education. We believe education is the key to reducing the homeless animal problem in our community.
Shelter Volunteer: Assist with the general care of our cats and dogs, including playing, walking, cleaning, etc. Also help organize donations and other administrative support.
Shelter Volunteer: Tuesdays thru Fridays from 2pm-6pm; Saturdays from 9am-Noon.
- Application
- Brandy Vincent
- 314-951-1521
- bvincent@hsmo.org
- https://www.hsmo.org/volunteer
Since 1870, the Humane Society of Missouri is dedicated to second chances. We provide a safe and caring haven to all animals in need - large and small - that have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Our mission is to end the cycle of abuse and pet overpopulation through our rescue and investigation efforts, spay/neuter programs and educational classes. We are committed to creating lasting relationships between people and animals through our adoption programs. We further support that bond by making available world-class veterinary care, and outstanding pet obedience and behavior programs.
- Dog Walker: Our volunteer dog walkers ensure that all dogs at HSMO receive two walks a day. Not only are these walks important for their health, they provide our dogs with some one on one attention and reassurance and a chance to stretch their legs and explore the world. We need walkers who are ready to learn how to safely walk our dogs and committed to making each dog feel comforted and reassured during their walk.
- Shelter Support: Our shelter support volunteers help us keep our shelters running smoothly! They help out with daily tasks such as laundry, dishes, sanitizing toys, sorting donations, and other chores that must take place every day to keep the shelter clean and hygienic. Our shelter support volunteers help ensure that all animals staying with us have clean, warm beds as well as plenty of clean dishes for their meals and clean toys to play with.
- Greeter: Our volunteer greeters are the first friendly face you see when you enter the shelter. They help members of the public find what they are looking for and help explain the adoption process.
- Dog Walker: Any day of the week from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and again from 2 p.m.-6 p.m..
- Shelter Support: Any day of the week, 8 a.m.-5 p.m..
- Greeter: Thursday - Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m..
- Application
- Training Session (2 hrs.)
- Kyle Luzynski
- 314-740-0436
- kyle.luzynski@gmail.com
- https://www.projectanimalfreedom.org/
At Project Animal Freedom, we strive to build a fully vegan world by 2056 through a series of innovative outreach initiatives, from our College Outreach Program to our Compassionate Cities Campaign. We exist, first and foremost, for the animals with a relentless focus on their rights, lives, and well-being, and we embrace nonviolent direct action as a guiding principle, organizing social, educational, and outreach events at an increasingly ferocious pace. We strive to save as many lives, reduce as much suffering, and do as much good as possible by addressing the leading cause of unnecessary nonhuman animal suffering, vast swathes of human animal suffering, and immense oceans of environmental devastation: modern animal agriculture. Guided by these core values, we are unstoppable!
- College Outreach Intern: We strive to build thriving coalitions for animal rights at every major college, reaching over 100,000 students in the St. Louis region alone. As part of our campus internship program, high-achieving and high-potential interns will learn effective tabling, leafleting, and community-building skills, in addition to receiving continual, one-on-one advice on building a movement for the animals on their campus. By pursuing high-impact advocacy, each of these interns can save thousands of lives per semester while honing their skills as lifelong activists.
- Compassionate Cities Intern: Using our Compassionate Campuses Campaign as a touchstone, we inspire activists across the Midwest to build thriving movements for the animals in their communities through our revolutionary Compassionate Cities internship program. We will empower each of these activists to build an animal rights community in their hometown, starting in cities with a population over 100,000 yet almost no animal rights activism.
- Other Internships: Marketing, Graphic Design, and Event Planning
All internships are up to day and time of students.
- Application
- Orientation Session
- Katie Emerick
- 314-781-0900, ext. 4670
- volunteerservices@stlzoo.org
- https://stlzoo.org/
To conserve animals and their habitats through animal management, research, recreation, and educational programs that encourage the support and enrich the experience of the public.
See https://stlzoo.org/give/volunteer/ for details.
Days and times vary - up to schedule of volunteer
- Application
- Training
- Grant Exell
- 314-771-6121, ext. 222
- grant@strayrescue.org
- https://www.strayrescue.org
To be a no-kill animal shelter, working primarily with strays from the streets to help them through the transition process from street life to living in a home. Providing resources for new pet owners and foster parents such as free training and healthcare for a year and free healthcare for pre-existing conditions. To provide community outreach to the neighborhoods with high numbers of strays including services like free spaying and neutering.
Whether as an individual or group, volunteers can make a difference by taking care of our dogs, walking them, playing with them, cleaning, feeding, etc.
7 Days a week, either 9 a.m.-Noon or 5 p.m.-9 p.m.. Very flexible!
- Application
- Lauren Frosch
- 636-332-4940
- volunteer@thstl.org
- https://www.thstl.org
To improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families through therapy, recreation, education, and exploration.
- Therapy Program Volunteers: Assist licensed therapists or certified riding instructors by sidewalking with clients during a session.
- Therapy Program Volunteers: Weekdays anytime 2:00m - 8 p.m.; Saturdays anytime 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Application
- Background (no cost)
- Training
- Denise White
- 314-426-6400
- wbr.schedulehelp@gmail.com
- https://www.wildbirdrehab.org
To ensure survival of native songbirds through professional medical care and education regarding their value and needs.
Remote opportunities include:
- Hotline Volunteer: Answer hotline calls from rescuers. Help determine needs and outcomes of individual situations.
In-person opportunities include:
- Animal care specialist: Feeding, cleaning and administering treatments to injured, ill and orphaned songbirds.
- Animal care specialist: 7 days a week, anytime 8am - 8pm
- Application
- Background (no cost)
- Training
- Aileen Abbott
- (314) 568-1032
- aabbott@worldbirdsanctuary.org
- https://www.worldbirdsanctuary.org
The World Bird Sanctuary’s mission is to preserve the earth’s biological diversity and to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments. We work to fulfill that mission through education, propagation, field studies and rehabilitation.
- Naturalist Work at the Office of Wildlife: Learning with our Education staff helping present education programs to the public and assisting in maintenance of all education animals. Help maintain exhibits and displays and answer questions from the public. You will handle animals in this position.
- Animal Care Technician: Work with our Animal Management staff at the Education Training Center assisting with the husbandry and care of this departments animals. Duties include but are not limited to food preparation, feeding, cleaning facilities, and general maintenance. You will handle birds in this position.
- Rehabilitation Technician: Assist our rehabilitation team with the care, treatment, feeding, cleaning and medicating of birds undergoing rehabilitation at the WBS rehabilitation hospital. You will handle birds in this position.
- Propagation Technician: Work directly with our senior staff in our breeding department with the daily care and husbandry of our breeding birds. Assist with food preparation, cleaning
and feeding of all our breeding birds. As well as assist with the care of support animal colonies. You will handle birds in this position.
- Field Studies Technician: Assist the field studies department with the ongoing study of our wild bird populations on the World Bird Sanctuary property. This includes both visual and auditory census, mist netting songbirds and nest box studies. This position is for one day a week.
- Docent Assist with staffing our Visitor's Information Center and Nature Center. Talk with visitors about the amazing encounters that await them, help them navigate easily around the property with a site map, assist them in selecting a special souvenir to remember their visit with all of World Bird Sanctuary's critters. You do not need to handle birds in this position.
Any day of the week, Mondays-Sundays, anytime between 8 a.m.-6 p.m..
- Application