Get involved
However you found us, there's a place for you here — whether you walk dogs, foster kittens, drive to a vet appointment, or drop off a bag of cat food.
Lend a hand at the shelter
Volunteer applications are accepted and processed year-round so we can schedule orientations and training. Every application is screened to see whether your interests and availability fit our current openings.
Our general volunteer roster is currently full — applications are accepted and processed year-round, so check back often! We'll re-activate the application when we have openings.
- Must be 16 or older to volunteer independently.
- Ages 10–15 may volunteer when accompanied one-to-one with an adult (21+).
- We are not able to accept volunteers under age 10.
- Volunteers must commit to 3 months minimum.
- We cannot accept short-term community-service volunteers or clinician-accompanied youth/adults.
- Groups are accommodated as staffing permits.
In-shelter volunteer roles
Read the role description for each opportunity before you apply:
Questions about volunteering? Email volunteer@homewardboundanimals.org or call (802) 388-1100 ext. 106.
Open your home for a little while
Foster homes extend our capacity by nearly 30% each year — making room for animals who simply can't thrive in the shelter yet.
Fosters care for our most vulnerable animals: the very young, the sick or injured, and those who are under-socialized and need patience and time before they're ready for adoption.
Questions? Email volunteer@homewardboundanimals.org.
Get our animals where they need to go
We are in occasional need of volunteers willing to use their personal vehicles to drive shelter animals to medical appointments.
If you have a reliable vehicle and some flexibility in your schedule, transport driving is a wonderful, low-commitment way to help.
Download and complete the application below, then submit it to volunteer@homewardboundanimals.org — or mail it to 236 Boardman Street, Middlebury, VT 05753, ATTN: Volunteer Coordinator.
Big or small, every bit counts
Not able to volunteer right now? There are plenty of other ways to support the animals — many of them while you go about your everyday life.
Staff member Raina has a gift for needle felting and is taking custom orders. She donates a portion of all sales to Homeward Bound.
Each year we raise approximately $10,000 from this effort. It's true… every penny counts!
Donate your bottle & can deposits at two participating locations:
Middlebury Discount Beverage
Mon–Fri 8:30am–6:00pm · Sat 8:30am–5:00pm · Sun 9:00am–2:00pm
Bristol Discount Beverage
Mon–Sat 9:00am–6:00pm · Sun 10:00am–3:00pm
Just pennies a day adds up… and don't worry, you can put a cap on your monthly contribution.
Donate unwanted items through Neat Repeats — the sales commission is directed to Homeward Bound.
List an item on eBay and make Homeward Bound the beneficiary of the sale.
Want to plan an event to benefit the shelter? Contact Hannah Manley, our development director, in advance for guidance.
hmanley@homewardboundanimals.org · ext. 101
Twin-size handmade quilts are available — each takes 6–7 months to make, is 90% hand-pieced and 100% hand-quilted. Contact Hannah Manley.
hmanley@homewardboundanimals.org · ext. 101
Donate the supplies we use every day
Donations of new or gently used items from our wish list are accepted Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00am–3:30pm at the reception desk.
Prefer to shop online? All of our wish list items are available for purchase on GiftDrive and will be shipped directly to the shelter. Order from our GiftDrive wish list →
On-going shelter needs
Kitten season wish list
- Liquid KMR in cans
- Wet kitten food (turkey or chicken)
- Baby food: chicken or turkey
- Baby blankets
- Bottles
- Stuffed toys that make purring or soothing noises
- Pee pads
- Non-clay litter
- Small humidifiers
- Churu (high calorie food paste) - chicken is best
Bring your class or group to the shelter
We believe providing humane education is an important part of accomplishing our mission, and we're happy to work with your group. The shelter is a busy place, so a few guidelines keep the visit positive for everyone — animals included.
- Please notify us at least 2 weeks before you'd like to visit so we can schedule staff to host you.
- Due to the nature of our work with the animals, we are not able to accommodate short-notice groups.
- Groups are asked to make a contribution to the animals at the time of the tour — see our Wish List for items we always need, or children may raise money through lemonade stands, bottle drives, bake sales, or other enterprises.
- To schedule, email volunteer@homewardboundanimals.org or call (802) 388-1100 ext. 106.
Ready to make a difference?
Whether you give, adopt, or simply come meet the animals, you're part of the reason every one of them finds a way home.