Boston's Best Volunteer Opportunities For Animal Lovers

One of the best and sometimes only things an animal lover can do for domestic and wild animals is volunteer time. This can mean helping at an animal shelter, becoming an activist, lobbying for animal rights issues or keeping dangerous materials out of wildlife habitats. In cities like Boston, most of the needed help is in rescue shelters, but there is still plenty that can be done elsewhere. There are volunteer opportunities all over the city.

MSPCA-Angell Boston
350 S. Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 522-7282
www.mspca.org

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is one of the oldest humane societies in the country. Animal lovers who are 16 or older can fill out an application to volunteer with the society for a number of roles. Volunteering at the adoption center means taking care of animals much like a person would take care of their own pets, doing things like cleaning cages, bathing, walking and playing. Individuals who want to do something more community oriented or cannot really be around animals can choose to be advocacy volunteers who work to raise awareness for animals in need.

Boston Animal Control And Adoption Center
26 Mahler Road
Roslindale, MA 02131
(617) 635-1800
www.cityofboston.gov/animalcontrol

Animal Control is Boston's official animal control and adoption center. Volunteers help the city government handle animal control issues, including taking care of abused animals and making them adoptable. Most of the work is caring for animals, but some of it includes putting together paperwork for adoptions and similar administrative work that helps the center operate and ensure animals are going to good homes. Volunteers ages 16 to 18 need parental consent to work with Animal Control.

Related: Boston's Best Volunteer Opportunities For Kids

Animal Rescue League of Boston
Dedham Shelter
55 Anna's Place
Dedham, MA 02026
(781) 326-0729
www.arlboston.org

There are three animal centers run by the Animal Rescue League of Boston. The organization requires volunteers to keep all three up and running. Volunteer positions include laundry, animal companions, animal walkers and administrative assistants. The Animal Rescue League gets a high volume of applications for volunteers, so animal lovers have an easier time volunteering here if they can commit to two hours a week and/or have experience in veterinary and animal care fields.

Alliance for Animals
232 Silver St.
South Boston, MA 02127
(617) 268-7800
www.afaboston.org

The Alliance for Animals is exactly what it sounds like. This organization is about more than just crisis control and animal adoption. Volunteers help spread knowledge about issues like the mistreatment of pit bulls, feral cat populations, spaying, neutering and animal fostering. As such, there are a lot of volunteer opportunities for everything from artists for campaigns to volunteer drivers who can transport animals. There are also more traditional animal care and cleaning positions.

Related: Boston's Best Places To Adopt Puppies And Kittens

New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 973-5200
www.neaq.org

The New England Aquarium is a great volunteer opportunity for individuals who are interested in aquatic life. The aquarium needs volunteers for a number of things from taking pictures at events to feeding the animals. This means hands-on experience with penguins and seals. It even takes feeders for the new Giant Ocean Tank. Opportunities are broken up into categories, which include but are not limited to animal husbandry, research and conservation, animal health and museum administration/operations.