Shelters and rescues cannot do their work alone — and they were never meant to. Volunteers and foster caregivers are the backbone of animal welfare, giving animals the exercise, socialization, comfort, and second chances that overworked staff simply cannot provide on their own. If you have ever wanted to help animals but were not sure how, this is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to start.
What Shelters Actually Need
Helping does not always mean cleaning kennels (though that help is genuinely appreciated). Shelters rely on volunteers for a wide range of roles:
- Dog walkers and cat socializers who give animals exercise and gentle human contact.
- Foster caregivers who open their homes to animals who need extra time to heal or grow.
- Event and fundraising helpers for adoption events, drives, and community outreach.
- Transport volunteers who drive animals to vet appointments or to rescues with more space.
- Skilled volunteers — photographers, writers, groomers, handypeople, and administrative helpers — whose everyday talents make a real difference.
Fostering: A Home in Between
Fostering means temporarily caring for a shelter animal in your home — a newborn litter that needs bottle-feeding, a dog recovering from surgery, a shy cat learning to trust, or simply an animal who does better away from the stress of a kennel. The shelter typically provides supplies and covers medical care; you provide the couch, the routine, and the love. Fostering saves lives directly: it frees up shelter space, prepares animals for adoption, and gives staff crucial insight into an animal's true personality.
Many people worry they will get too attached to let go. It is bittersweet — but every animal you foster and send on to a permanent home makes room for you to save the next one. Foster "failures," where a caregiver adopts their foster, are simply happy endings by another name.
Getting Started
Most organizations ask new volunteers to complete an application and a short orientation so everyone stays safe and the animals are handled consistently. Age minimums and time commitments vary, and there is almost always a role that fits your schedule — even an hour a week helps. Reach out to shelters and rescues in the Grand Forks and Red River Valley area to ask what they need most right now. National groups such as the ASPCA and Humane World for Animals offer helpful primers on getting involved.
Every Bit Helps
If you cannot volunteer or foster right now, you can still make a difference: donate supplies from a shelter's wish list, share adoptable pets on social media, sponsor a spay/neuter, or teach the next generation through humane education. Animal welfare is a community effort, and there is a place in it for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to clean kennels to help?
Not at all. Shelters need dog walkers, cat socializers, foster homes, event and transport help, and skilled volunteers like photographers and writers. There is almost always a role that fits your schedule.
What does fostering involve?
You temporarily care for a shelter animal in your home — a recovering dog, a shy cat, or a young litter. The shelter typically provides supplies and covers medical care; you provide the routine and love.
Won't I get too attached to a foster pet?
It is bittersweet, but every animal you foster and send to a permanent home makes room to save the next one. And 'foster failures,' where you adopt your foster, are simply happy endings.