Care Days – Volunteer Work at the Animal Shelter

All helping hands are welcome! That said, if you have any of the following skills, you'd be an especially valuable part of the team:

• Veterinarian
• Veterinary technician
• Veterinary student
• Dog groomer
• Animal care worker (including those currently in training)
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Animal trainer

Volunteers without specialized training are also very welcome and just as important for tasks such as:

• Bringing animals from their kennels to the vets and groomers
• Spending quality time with the animals: petting them, playing with them, or taking them for a walk
• Returning animals to their kennels after their check-ups
• And of course: handing out treats!

We're also always grateful for volunteers willing to help transport donated supplies from Austria – whether you have a car, a van, or just a willingness to help pack and move items.

We're happy to have volunteers starting at age 14 – though for safety reasons, we can only accept anyone under 18 to Care Day when a legal guardian is present.

Thanks to a partnership with students from the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine – VetMed Students 4 ACA – we've built something that truly works for everyone.

Students travel to the shelter on university-provided buses to gain hands-on experience working with animals, always supported by the vets of our VetMed mentoring program. And those who participate in multiple Care Days can apply for the Animal Care Austria Scholarship. A genuine win-win for students and shelter animals alike.

Plan on spending a full day to attend Care Day, including travel time. The actual work at the shelter – from setting up the tents in the morning to taking them down at the end of the day – typically runs about 7 to 8 hours, starting at 9:30 a.m. If you're driving yourself, you can head home early if you need to. That said, we're always grateful for anyone who can stay until the very end. 

If you have your own car, you're welcome to drive yourself. For those who need a ride, we organize carpools ahead of each event. Please note that volunteers are responsible for covering their own costs related to traveling to and from Care Days.

Since space at the shelter is limited, we can only accommodate a set number of volunteers per Care Day. If we receive more registrations than we have spots available, we'll put together the team based on the skills that are most needed that day, so we can make the biggest difference possible for the animals.

Care Days are a full day outdoors, so come prepared:

Plenty of water for the day

Food that doesn't need to be refrigerated or cooked

Sunscreen and a hat for warm days

Sturdy, weather-appropriate clothing

Closed-toe shoes

If you'd rather not drive home covered in mud and pet hair, pack a change of clothes. A pack of wet wipes is great for freshening up throughout the day.

Please DON'T bring your own treats or food to share with the animals. ACA provides plenty of snacks (dry food) – we do this to prevent upset stomachs and digestive issues in the animals. Instead, we'd really appreciate a small donation to help cover costs. Thanks!

Donate money

Every Care Day comes with real costs, even though the ACA team and all volunteers give their time for free. Medications, bandaging supplies, food, and keeping our van on the road all add up – and as a fully donation-funded organization, these expenses are critical. A donation of just €10 covers all the medications one animal needs for the day, including deworming treatments, flea prevention, heartworm medication, and more. You can donate through our online form or send a bank transfer with the reference "Care Day."

DONATE NOW!

Donate supplies

Care Days are also a great opportunity to bring much-needed supplies directly to the shelters. We're always looking for dog and cat food, medical supplies, toys, and transport boxes, as well as towels, blankets, and other essentials for the animals. If you'd like to donate supplies, please reach out to our president Carol Byers via phone or email.

Spread the word on social media

Our Instagram and Facebook have become important channels for sharing our work and raising awareness for animal welfare topics. We rely on these platforms to get the word out about upcoming Care Days and find volunteers. Every time you share, like, or comment on our Care Day posts, you're doing more than you probably realize.

However you're able to support our Care Days – your help is important and appreciated because real change is only possible when we work together.

Thank you!