Pittsburgh animal shelters: Adoption, volunteer opportunities

Bringing a dog or cat home to become a part of your family is a special experience. There are plenty of pets in need of good homes in the Pittsburgh area, and Pittsburgh animal shelters offer adoptions, animal care services and volunteer opportunities.

To help get your pet search started, here are three of the top Pittsburgh animal shelters with both adoption and volunteer opportunities available.

Animal Friends
562 Camp Horne Road
412-847-7000
Hours: Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Animal Friends shelter offers a lot more that just pet adoptions. The shelter has services that include a pet wellness program, pet therapy and behavior classes. Their website is easy to use and allows potential owners to search adoptable pets online, with the lists of animals available broken into categories including dogs, cats and rabbits.

Animal Friends typically has around 250 pets on-site that are up for adoption, with many more in foster homes. The facility's adoption process can take up to an hour or longer, and can be done online or in person at one of its locations.

Adoption fees vary depending on the type of animal, breed and age. For a list of adoption requirements, visit ThinkOutsideTheCage.org.

Along with pets to adopt, there are also several volunteer opportunities that offer flexible hours at Animal Friends, including animal care assistance, foster caring and clinic services. To get started, potential volunteers must fill out an online application and enroll in a mandatory orientation. (Volunteers must be over 13 years of age.)

Humane Animal Rescue
East End Animal Resource Center
6926 Hamilton Ave.
412-345-7300

North Side Shelter and Clinic
1101 Western Ave.
412-321-4625

Adoption hours: Tuesday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Intake/surrender hours: Tuesday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Veterinary clinic hours: Tuesday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The two Humane Animal Rescue locations offer a range of services that include animal adoption, volunteer opportunities, a veterinary clinic and behavior and training classes.

The facility's website is updated daily with animals looking for a good home. A few of the adoption requirements include being at least 21 years of age and having all household members present at the adoption. You also must have a copy of your lease stating that pets are allowed, or have proof of home ownership. For the full list of requirements visit HumaneAnimalRescue.org.

Adoption fees can range from $100 to $250. Each adoptable pet at Humane Animal Rescue has already been spayed/neutered, microchipped, treated for worms and fleas, and are up-to-date on all vaccinations. Thirty days of pet insurance is also included with adoptions.

Volunteer opportunities include walking, grooming, fostering and/or showcasing pets at special adoption events. Volunteers must be 18 years or older.

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