Wish List 

We are always seeking donations to help care for the animals at our St. Charles facility. If you would like to help, below are some of the items we're wishing for.

For Dogs

• Blankets or towels (new or used) for bedding
• Dog or puppy food (dry/wet)
• Leashes/collars
• Pooper scoopers
• Toys
• Dog treats (small/large - no raw hides)

For Cats

• Small blankets or towels (new or used) for bedding
• Collars
• Double sided cat feeding dish
• Food (wet/dry)
• Cat or kitten food
• Shoe boxes (the cats love to snuggle in them)
• Toys
• Cat treats

For the Shelter

• Bleach or general cleaning products
• Brooms/dust pans
• Dawn® dish soap
• hE laundry detergent
• Full-sheet newspaper (no ads, no shredded)
• Paper towels
• Shovels
• Window cleaner

Special Items

• Call to see what special items we might be wishing for today.
• If you would like to donate a dog bed, please visit the Kuranda website.

All of your donations are greatly appreciated. Our furry friends thank you!

Volunteering

Animal Control, a division of the St. Charles Police Department, is always seeking willing volunteers to help run the City's Animal Shelter located at 2835 W. Randolph St., St. Charles, MO 63301. If you are interested in volunteering after reading the information below, please print, complete and return the necessary paperwork; you'll find links to these documents located at the bottom of this page.

General Duties

Volunteers will assist when the Animal Shelter is open to the public. Volunteers will report to the Lead Animal Control Officer.

Hours of Service

Volunteers will schedule their hours of service with the Lead Animal Control Officer. A written copy of the agreed upon schedule will be furnished to the volunteer. Actual hours of voluntary service will be recorded on sign-in/sign-out maintained at the shelter. If a volunteer cannot report on a scheduled day they need to contact the Lead Animal Control Officer as soon as possible.

Essential Functions

• Answer telephones and provide information and route non-routine calls
• Bathe and groom approved animals
• Clean animal cages
• Clean animal dishes
• General cleaning of shelter
• Other similar duties as assigned
• Provide visitors with general information
• Show animals available for adoption
• Sweep and mop floors

Work Standards

• Ability and willingness to follow oral and written instructions
• Ability to establish effective working relationship with staff and public
• Ability to perform moderate manual labor or common office duties
• Ability to perform while being exposed to the shelter environment (i.e. constant noise/ barking, animal hair and dander, cleaning chemical odors, etc.
• Ability to safely and efficiently operate assigned equipment after appropriate instruction
• Regular attendance as scheduled

Minimum Requirements

• Must be 18 years old
• Must be able to accept that not all animals at the shelter will be adopted and may be humanely euthanized
• Must be gentle and compassionate with animals
• Must enjoy working with animals and people

Equipment Used (Depending on Assignment)

• Broom, mop, water hose, high pressure washer, etc.
• Computer
• Disinfectant
• Pooper scooper
• Telephone

Work Guidelines

Volunteering at the shelter can be extremely rewarding. However, there are inherent dangers including the risk of injury from slips and falls and the possibility of an animal bite or scratch. For this reason, the guidelines below must be followed.

• Volunteers will be allowed to handle only certain designated animals. Volunteers will never handle animals involved in bite cases.
• Volunteers shall dress appropriately in long pants, slip resistant shoes/ boots.
• Volunteers should immediately report any injury to the Lead Animal Control Officer or Animal Control Officer on duty.
• Volunteers shall wash their hands before coming on duty and between handling of each animal because dirty hands spread disease and viruses which can be cross transmitted from animal to man and man to animal. There is a hand sink, soap, and paper towels in each room.
• Volunteers will be provided proper safety equipment for some tasks. When this is the case the volunteer is required to utilize said equipment.
• Volunteers should report any abnormal behavior seen in the animals to staff.
• Volunteers should immediately report any suspicious behavior observed in visitors to staff.