Animal Care & Therapy
Your dog is your best friend and you're not embarrassed to say it. You stop to pet every dog on the sidewalk. You've rescued an animal, fostered a kitten, or just been the person who feeds the stray cat in the parking lot. Animals heal people in ways that medicine and therapy can't always reach. If you have an animal and a willingness to share them, you have a gift that unlocks hearts.
If Any of This Sounds Like You...
Read through these. If you're nodding your head, you're in the right place.
Common questions
The questions volunteers ask most often.
What does animal care volunteering with Lifes a Gambol look like?
Helping with adoption events, fostering, transporting animals to vet appointments, walking dogs at shelters, socializing cats, and supporting the partner rescues we work with in South Florida. If you have animal experience — training, grooming, vet tech background — we'll find ways to use it. If you just love being around animals, that's enough too.
Can I help with animals if I have my own pets at home?
Yes — most of our animal volunteers do. Fostering is the one role where it matters: some animals need homes without other pets, others do better with companions. We'll match you with situations that work for your household.
Do I need any special training to help with animals?
No formal training required. The shelters and rescues we partner with provide orientation for hands-on work. If you want to take it further — therapy animal certification, fostering with medical needs — we can connect you with the people who do that.
Do I need experience or credentials to volunteer with Lifes a Gambol?
No. We don't ask for resumes, certifications, or background checks for most roles. The only thing we care about is whether you actually want to show up and help. If a particular activity later requires a credential (working directly with kids, for example), we'll let you know and walk you through it together.
How much time do I need to commit?
Whatever you can give. Some volunteers help once a year at a single event. Others are around every week. There's no minimum, no quota, no contract. When you sign up, you tell us your real availability — weekends, evenings, one-time only, remote, whatever — and we match opportunities accordingly. Pledging your name doesn't lock you into anything.
Is this a paid role or volunteer?
Volunteer. Lifes a Gambol is community-driven, and 10% of every dollar that comes in via the brand goes to S.O.G. Helping out is unpaid — but real meals, real friends, and a real sense that you helped someone are all part of the deal.
What happens after I submit the form?
A real human reviews your pledge — usually within a day or two — and reaches out by email or text to say hello, learn a bit more about what you'd want to help with, and let you know about upcoming opportunities that fit. No spam, no automated drip campaigns. We're a small community, and we treat every pledge like it matters, because it does.
Pledge Your Gifts ☘
No contract. No commitment. Just tell us who you are and what you love doing.