Volunteer Information
Without our volunteers, Greenhill could not provide its current high level of service to the animals and people of our community!
Current Volunteers
New Volunteers
Find out what it's like to volunteer with us...
What our volunteers are saying...
- Volunteers are asked to make a regular commitment to coming out for a shift weekly.
- Shifts are scheduled in advance and being on a set schedule is highly encouraged.
- Most shifts are 2 hours in length and available 7 days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (depending on what area).
- Depending on what area you are volunteering, you may need to be able to be on your feet most of your shift, bend, lift, work around cleaning products, provide great customer service and/or get a little dirty.
- Reliable transportation to the Greenhill Road shelter location is necessary.
- Volunteers 12-15 years in age can join the team with a parent/guardian see our Youth Volunteers tab for details.
- Ages 16+ are welcome to come out on their own.
We have many different volunteer opportunities at the shelter including helping in animal care and administrative spaces.
To see a list of our volunteer team positions with descriptions, click here!
The Youth Volunteer Program provides 12 – 15 year olds a long-term volunteer opportunity at Greenhill Humane Society. While at the shelter youth volunteers must be under the supervision of a parent or guardian over the age of 18 at all times, no exceptions.
Children can be great supporters of the animals and the work we do at Greenhill Humane Society. Because of staffing concerns and safety issues, we are unable to offer volunteer positions to people under 12 years of age; but there are many ways to help without actually being at the center. For Volunteering under the age of 12 – please see the Cubs Corner tab.
Volunteer Requirements:
• Supervision of a parent or guardian who is willing to participate in the activity of choice
• Able to commit to volunteering for two hours a week for six months
To learn more about available volunteer positions, please click here.
If you would like more information about volunteering with Greenhill, please call 541-735-9339 or email volunteer@green-hill.org.
If you are 12 years old or under please consider some of the ways you can help and/or make a contribution:
We understand that many young people would love nothing more than to visit with our animals all day and perform a community service for the shelter. However, safety guidelines prohibit children under the age of 16 from volunteering on their own at Greenhill without direct adult supervision. Children ages 12 through 15 must volunteer with a parent or guardian. Volunteers 16 and older can volunteer on their own.
Here are some other ways you can help:
- Participate in our on-site Read to Cats program! Children ages 6-12 years are welcome to sign up to read to the cats in our cattery.
- Make colorful bandanas for dogs and drop them off at the shelter.
- Make dog and cat toys and drop them off at the shelter. Check our kids craft guide for ideas!
- Fundraise for the animals by hosting a lemonade stand, yard sale, or bake sale in your neighborhood!
- Collect bottles or cans that have a CRV and donate through BottleDrop or pick up a blue fundraising bag from us at Greenhill.
- Raise funds at school: get creative and think of fun or unique things/items to sell to raise money for the shelter.
- Organize a food or supply drive. Greenhill can provide you with a “Buddy Barrel” to collect items or pet food. You and your classmates can decorate the barrel however you like.
- Birthday parties: Ask friends/family to bring presents, gift cards, or donate money in your name for the animals. You can bring items to the shelter and give them to the animals yourself!
We are happy to help you by providing brochures, a Greenhill banner, or any other materials you request to help your fundraiser or project. We can also provide you and/or your family or friends with a personalized tour of the shelter and the kennel, cattery and small animal room. Please contact our Community Outreach Department by calling (541) 689-1503 ext 134 if you have questions regarding fund raising and food/supply drives. Items you make or collect can be brought to the shelter during open hours.
Locations and Hours of Operation
Become a Foster Family!
Sometimes we receive animals that are too young or too sick to be adopted. Your family can foster these animals in your home where they can get well and grow. You return them to the shelter after a specified time of care (depending on the animal’s needs) and then we find a loving home for them! Learn more here.
Court Mandated Community Service
A person wanting to volunteer to fulfill court mandated community service can apply at this link. A minimum of 10 service hours is required. There is a one time program fee of $50 to participate in the Greenhill Court Mandated Community Service Program. This fee is required and is not able to be waived.
Program Rules & Requirements
Greenhill Humane Society does not accept those convicted of violent crimes or animal neglect/abuse crimes into this program.
We are not able to bring in any volunteers with the following charges on record:
- Crimes against minors or other vulnerable populations
- Charges of theft or assault within the last 7 years
- Felonies from any time period
- Instances of animal abuse / cruelty from any time period
- *Others are subject to review case by case
Student Volunteer Community Service
A student wanting to volunteer to fulfill school required service hours can apply at this link. We are not able to sign off on any paperwork documenting service until at least 10 hours have been completed doing volunteer shifts. The first 20 hours of service must be completed in a cleaning role.
Program Rules and Requirements
All student volunteers must be 12 or over. Student volunteers ages 12 through 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Students 16 and over must be able to provide photo identification. Parent / guardian signatures are required for anyone under 18.
Volunteer time may be spent performing the following duties:
• Laundry• Washing dishes/litter pans• Washing/disinfecting animal crates• Cleaning/sweeping in kennel
Shifts are available throughout the day and are generally 2 hours in length.
Greenhill Humane Society provides a unique opportunity for groups to spend time together serving the community and contributing to the welfare of shelter animals. A Group Volunteer Project is a great way for organizations to support their staff giving back!
Check back soon for more information about Group Volunteering Projects!
Volunteer Spotlight
October 2026
Merry
Meet Merry, our Volunteer of the Month for October! Merry has volunteered with Greenhill since February 2025 and has already given more than 140 hours of her time to the animals. She holds recurring shifts as a Front Office Assistant and in the cattery as a Cattery Matchmaker to help connect potential adopters with cats who may be a good match for their lifestyle.
Merry grew up in the Midwest with stints in both Michigan and Illinois before moving to Eugene in 1978. In her own words, she “needed to get out of the Midwest before another winter came around!” These days, she shares her home with three cats: Thunder Monkey (adopted in 2015), Thor (a February 2026 Greenhill graduate), and Loki, formerly known as Hemlock (a kitten adopted this past July).
Over the course of her career, Merry worked in a wide variety of fields, but her degree is in ceramics/pottery and she most strongly associates her career with the time she spent working in that field. She retired from Georgies Ceramics and Clay in December 2024 after 15 years with the company and is taking a break from working with clay for the time being. During her “clay break,” she’s filling her days with a number of hobbies she enjoys: gardening, landscaping, walking, reading, and puzzling.
As she prepared for retirement, one of the biggest things Merry was excited about was being able to volunteer at Greenhill. The Fear Free and Jackson Galaxy trainings she’s completed for her volunteer work have taught her a lot about interacting with cats and dogs, and her favorite part of volunteering with us is meeting all the amazing cats and humans of Greenhill. She says, “Giving something back to this entity that does so much for the animals and people in our community means a lot to me. I find a sense of purpose and some structure in participating as a volunteer.”