Work with Sick and Injured Animals
When animals come to us, whether as homeless pets or for spay/neuter, they need compassionate care.
Those coming to us in the Medical Center often need extensive medical care before they can become adoption-ready. Those coming in for spay/neuter are facing a simple procedure, but they’re still scared.
You do not need to have a medical background to help in many of these roles. All that is needed is a desire to help those animals most in need.
Volunteer Opportunities
Overview
Our Medical Center is the first stop for all animals coming to PAWS Chicago. Some require just a couple days before being cleared for adoption. But others need extensive medical care, surgery, isolation or fostering before being ready to move to one of our Adoption Centers or adoption events.
As a Medical Center Volunteer, your work may include:
- Providing sick and injured animals with much-needed socialization
- Supporting our veterinary teams during exams and while administering medicine or hand-feeding
- Assisting the animal care team with cleaning isolation suites
- Helping our foster team recruit and place pets into foster homes
Helpful Skills
Our Medical Center is a fast-paced, hospital environment. Volunteers must:
- Be able to follow precise directions
- Be comfortable in a medical environment with sick animals
- Have experience with animals (which can be learned at our Adoption Centers)
Helpful Skills include:
- An understanding of disease
- Veterinary or medical experience
Location and Hours
Volunteers are needed 365 days a year to help with care for our sick and injured pets.
Medical Center
3516 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL 60623
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Training
- Medical Center Level 1 Training
- Shadowing an experienced volunteer or staff member
Advanced Training Opportunities
- Veterinary Support Volunteer
Overview
The Lurie Clinic is the largest free and low-cost spay/neuter clinic in the Chicago area and one of the largest in the country. As a fast-paced surgical clinic, we are always in need of help monitoring our patients through their recovery.
As a Spay/Neuter Clinic Recovery Volunteer, you will support Clinic staff by helping with operational duties and assisting in the post-surgery recovery room. That includes:
- Caring for the animals recovering from surgery
- Preparing medical supplies
- Helping clean all areas of the Clinic
Helpful Skills
- Comfort around medical procedures and/or bodily fluids
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work closely in collaboration with staff
- Ability to speak Spanish
Location and Hours
Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic
3516 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL 60623
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Training
- New Volunteer Orientation
Advanced Volunteer Opportunities
- Veterinary Support Volunteer
Overview
Do you have medical training you want to put to good use? Our shelter medicine veterinarians and veterinary technicians would love your help!
You can gain valuable experience in the growing veterinary specialty of shelter medicine while helping save lives. By becoming a Veterinary Support Volunteer, you will help treat and socialize our more critical animals and support our veterinary teams in day-to-day and advanced treatment.
Our Veterinary Support Volunteers start by shadowing our veterinary teams on their rounds, learning about PAWS Chicago’s shelter medicine program first-hand.
Depending on your level of experience, our team will train you to:
- Medicate, feed and care for the pets at our Medical Center
- Support our veterinarians with taking notes, procuring supplies and handling animals
- Help with surgical prep, surgical support, treatment and medication administration of our more critical animals
In addition, volunteer veterinarians are welcome to assist with surgery, medical checks and a variety of other veterinary needs.
Requirements and Helpful Skills
Our Medical Center is a fast-paced, hospital environment. Volunteers must:
- Have medical training or experience (human or veterinary)
- Be able to understand and follow precise instruction
- Be comfortable in a medical environment with sick animals
- Be comfortable handling animals (which can be learned at our Adoption Centers)
- Be able to work cooperatively in a team environment
- Are reliable
Helpful Skills include:
- An understanding of disease
Location and Hours
Our veterinary team is on site 365 days a year to care for and treat our sick and injured pets.
Medical Center
3516 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL 60623
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Training
- Medical Center Level 1 Training
- Shadowing an experienced shelter medicine team member