Get Involved

Volunteering & Fostering

 The mission of the Volunteer Program at the Central Missouri Humane Society is to provide a fulfilling experience to the volunteer and provide necessary assistance where needed at CMHS. CMHS is a private, nonprofit organization, dependent almost entirely on generous donations of time and money from caring people like you.  You are one of our most valuable resources, and with your commitment and assistance we will work together to make the organization successful in promoting animal welfare, providing public education on the proper care and treatment of animals and giving shelter animals some much needed love and attention.

If you need community service hours you must go through our front desk, our volunteer program is completely seperate than court ordered community service. Please stop in during regular business hours or call for more information : 573-443-7387 ext. 0

If you are interested in volunteering at the shelter you must fit the below requirements:

• At least 18 or older or supervised by supervisor/guardian
• Have a working email account
• Will commit to weekly 1-2 hour shifts for a consecutive 3 months
• Must have interest in helping animals become successful pets
• Mature and respectful attitude is required while at shelter at all times
• Support the CMHS mission

*We cannot accommodate volunteers with criminal records that include felonies, any charges involved with theft, abuse, or cruelty to animals.

 *February 2012 CMHS will be adding fresh faces to volunteering on site at the shelter.  Please read below if you are interested in assisting staff and helping animals become succesful pets.

*All current “Special Event Volunteers” will have priority seating at the next orientation date,  please include that information when you submit an email inquiry.

To Volunteer at CMHS

Step 1 – Inquire about volunteering by email, phone, or in person.  Please email full name, phone number, and email address. Subject line Volunteer Orientation to volunteer@cmhspets.org .

Step 2 -  Attend orientation (dates will be given after inquiry) must confirm which date you can attend, orientations will have limited space.

Step 3 - Sign up for a training session for Cat 100 or Dog 100

Step 4 – Attend training session and sign up for weekly 1-2 hour shift    

Step 5 - Volunteer and make a difference in a pets life       

Please contact Destiny Hritz if you have any questions at:

volunteer@cmhspets.org or (573)443-7387 ext. 211

Individual Volunteers

• Special Events – MU sporting events, fundraising, and PR events
• Donation Drives – Collecting funds and goods for the shelter and animals 
• Adoption Event Help – Assist staff with adoption events at various local businesses
• Donation Pickups - Collect and pick up donations at various places  
• Office Assistance – Help with paperwork and misc. office work 
• Foster parent/family – You can become a foster family for a pet from CMHS, please check out the information below or on the foster tab.  Fostering is full time volunteering!
• Miscellaneous – What are your talents? What can you offer CMHS?  Please tell us, we are always looking for individulas with special talents who can help with various projects.  Let us know!
• Dog and Cat Socializer - Socialize with pets to reduce their stress, keep them company, and show them love that they need while in the shelter. Socialize, train, and excercise furry residents of the shelter.

Group Projects

We get several requests from groups wanting to volunteer.  Unfortunately, our facility does not lend itself to large groups very well! If you have a group that is interested in volunteering there are a few things to keep in mind:

• We encourage off-site events for larger groups!  There are more options like hosting donation drives, charity sporting events, car washes, bake sales and more. This is a fantastic way for groups to get involved and make a difference in the animals’ lives outside of the space constraints at the shelter. 
• Large groups can also be utilized for large-scale cleaning or organizational projects but these happen rarely.  These projects also generally occur in the spring and fall when weather is most cooperative.
• Large groups take planning.  We need to know at least 2 weeks in advance and we cannot guarantee we will have an on-site project for you, but we will see if our needs match your group’s interests.
• Some companies also offer donations on top of volunteer hours when documented and submitted.  Please check into this, or let us know if you think this is an option for you and your group. Our animals would really appreciate it!
• If you have any questions or need help with hosting an event,  please feel free to contact us.

Foster Families

A shelter is no place to recover from a minor illness or a surgery. A shelter is also not the ideal place to gain self-confidence and learn how to love and be loved! Our foster care program asks community members to open their doors to our animals for illness or socialization.  Love taking care of kittens or puppies, but don’t have the space to adopt them all?  Fostering can help with that too!  You can take litters of babies into your home and bring them back once they are old enough to be adopted.  By providing our temporary residents shelter for just a small amount of time helps save lives  In return we will provide all food, crates, bowls, toys, vet care. . . you name it.  All you need to give is love!  Filling out an application is required prior to becoming a CMHS foster home.  Download Foster Care Application  

 For more information on our foster care program, please e-mail our dog foster coordinator at kennel@cmhspets.org or our cat foster care coordinator at fostercare@cmhspets.org or give them a call at 573-443-7387 x 210.  They would be happy to talk with you! 

If you are an employee for a company that offers hours for donations, find out from your place of work how to accomplish this, or ask us for help!