Volunteer with MARS
Volunteers are a vital part of the MARS community. From helping welcome new arrivals on intake day to supporting adoption events, volunteers help make it possible for us to serve both pets and people.
If you're passionate about animals and want to make a meaningful difference, we'd love to connect with you.
Because MARS is a foster-based rescue with a small team, our volunteer opportunities are focused on areas where help is most needed. Volunteering with MARS often involves hands-on support roles such as intake days, events, laundry, and helping keep our spaces clean and organized.
Where Volunteers Help Most
Intake Day Support
Help welcome new rescue pets when they arrive.
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Volunteers assist with unloading transport vans, organizing crates and supplies, and helping create a calm, safe environment for incoming animals.
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While many of the pets we welcome are from right here in Minnesota, MARS also partners with rescue organizations in areas with very limited resources. Through these partnerships, volunteers help extend the impact of our work far beyond our local community.
Adoption Center Support
Help keep our Adoption Center clean, organized, and welcoming.
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Tasks may include laundry, cleaning, restocking supplies, and helping prepare the space for adopters and pets.
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Volunteers may also help facilitate meet-and-greets between adopters and pets — the start of many of the “new beginnings” we celebrate at MARS.
Adoption and Community Events
Represent MARS at adoption events and community fundraisers.
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Volunteers help with event setup and breakdown, greeting visitors, and introducing adoptable pets.
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MARS participates in a wide range of events throughout the year — from adoption events and informational tables to restaurant fundraisers, puppy cuddle events, and other community gatherings.
Volunteers help create welcoming spaces where people can learn about our mission, meet adoptable pets, and become part of the MARS community.
Laundry Volunteers
One of our most helpful and flexible roles.
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Volunteers take laundry home, wash it, and return it to the Adoption Center.
Transport Volunteers
Drivers help move pets safely between locations such as foster homes, veterinary appointments, or partner organizations.
Transports may be short local trips or longer drives depending on the need and volunteer availability. Volunteers may also help pick up donated supplies from community partners and supporters.
This role works well for volunteers with flexible schedules.
Specialized Volunteer Skills
Some volunteers support MARS with professional or specialized skills.
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Examples include fundraising support, event coordination, legal expertise, marketing or communications, and photography or videography.
These opportunities are typically project-based or occasional depending on current needs.
How to Get Started
Step 1
Complete the volunteer application below.
Step 2
Our volunteer team will follow up with next steps and training opportunities.
Step 3
Once approved, you can begin signing up for opportunities that match your schedule.
Because we maintain a capped volunteer program to ensure a meaningful experience for everyone involved, some roles may have limited openings at times.
Looking for Short-Term Volunteer Opportunities?
If you need volunteer hours for a school project, community service requirement, or another short-term commitment, please email us at volunteer@midwestanimalrescue.org instead of submitting the volunteer application.
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Our standard volunteer program is designed for ongoing volunteers, and our team will help connect short-term volunteers with appropriate opportunities.
Volunteer Requirements
To ensure the safety of our animals, volunteers, and community, the following guidelines apply.
Age Requirements
Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
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Volunteers ages 16–17 may volunteer independently but require a parent or guardian signature on their waiver.
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Volunteers 18 and older complete a standard volunteer waiver.
Individual Volunteer Profiles
Each volunteer must have their own volunteer profile in our system.
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For example:
1 parent and 1 child = 2 volunteer profiles.
Participation Expectations
Our volunteer program is capped at 250 active volunteers so we can provide meaningful opportunities and support for everyone involved.
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To remain active, volunteers must participate at least once every six months.
Track Your Volunteer Hours
Volunteers can log and track their hours through our volunteer system.
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Tracking hours helps MARS in several important ways. Volunteer hours help demonstrate community impact, strengthen grant applications, and show the true scale of the work being done.
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Some employers also offer volunteer grant programs where companies donate to nonprofits based on employee volunteer hours.
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Logging your hours can help unlock additional support for rescue pets.
Our Impact
Volunteers are an essential part of the MARS community.
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From welcoming new arrivals on intake day to supporting adoption events, transporting pets, and helping behind the scenes, volunteers make it possible for more animals to find safe homes.
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Their time, compassion, and dedication help create new beginnings for pets who need them most.
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See the difference the MARS community is making.
Hear From Our Volunteers
Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Hear directly from members of the MARS community about why they choose to give their time.
Shelley shares how she got involved with MARS and why she continues to volunteer.
Questions?
Send us an email! We'd love to connect with you.