Paws and Claws Humane Society of Rochester MN, strives to promote and provide humane protection and shelter for abandoned or lost companion animals, and seek adoptive homes for companion animals under their protective care.

Becoming a Volunteer

The first step to becoming a PCHS volunteer is to attend a general orientation session:

• Orientation will be held the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm and the third Saturday of each month at 4:30pm. Space is limited so please call ahead to reserve your spot.
• The orientation will give you a general overview of what PCHS is all about as a humane society, what volunteer opportunities are available, age guidelines, where the animals in our care come from, adoption and euthanasia policies, and training required.
• Minimum age for volunteering at PCHS is 12 years old. All volunteers 12 through 17 must be accompanied at the orientation session by a parent or legal guardian. Volunteers aged 16 and 17 may train and volunteer without a parent present, but the parent still must attend the orientation session with the volunteer. Volunteers aged 12 through 15 must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian while volunteering.
• Weather Policy: If the Rochester Public Schools or other major Rochester events are cancelled due to weather then the volunteer orientation will also be cancelled. In the event that this happens you will need to sign up for a future orientation session. There will not be any "make up" sessions.
• If you have questions about the orientation or volunteering in general, please contact us.

PCHS is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization. Volunteers are a vital and valued part of the PCHS organization. There are many areas we can use help even if you would rather not work directly with the animals. Fundraising is always vital. Office work, cleaning rooms, and groundskeeping are some other areas where help is appreciated at both shelters.

Volunteering with the animals: We always have plenty of opportunities for dedicated, committed volunteers at our cat and dog shelters. We invite all new volunteers to become PCHS members (PCHS receives no goverment funds and is supported almost entirely through inidividual donations). 100% of your donated membership fee is used to provide care for the animals in our shelter. By joining the over 900 other PCHS members, you can show our community how important it is to support the activities at PCHS. We also require a commitment of at least 3 hours per month of hands-on time with the animals. Persons agreeing to these criteria will participate in a 1-hour, hands-on training class if volunteering with the cats, or a 2- to 3-hour, hands-on training class if volunteering with the dogs. We realize not everyone is able to commit to these criteria, but there are many other areas within PCHS which could benefit from your help, so please feel free to ask where you might lend a hand.

Dog Volunteer Handbook (Green Level)

Dog Volunteer Handbook (Purple Level)