Teen Program

The Humane Society of Sarasota County’s Teen Program is an excellent way for teens to help animals and to contribute to their community. Due to COVID-19, the Teen Program is limited to 20 registrants per session. All interested applicants should carefully review the program requirements and dates (below) to ensure the program works with their schedules.  There is a one-time $35 membership fee.

Teen Program not the right fit for you? Stay tuned as we’re working to expand opportunities for teens looking for volunteering hours. Also, check out our Humane Education Program. 

Please contact Ginny Armington at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions.

Teen Program Overview

Teen Program is ideal for animal-loving teens, ages 12-16, who have an interest and passion for helping animals. This fun and informative program focuses on developing teens to become responsible pet owners and future volunteers at the Humane Society of Sarasota County. Teens will not only learn the basics of handling dogs and cats, they'll also learn about enrichment and humane education. Sessions will be held in-person at HSSC. Along the way, teens will work on activities that complement what they learn in class, like making toys and treats for shelter cats and dogs. Teens will be assigned a capstone project to showcase what they've learned in the program. Once teens complete the program, they can volunteer at the shelter with the same rights and responsibilities as individual adult volunteers (except for handling Black and Purple Dot dogs). They can earn community service hours for their time. Courses will be taught by HSSC staff members using materials provided by nationally recognized animal behaviorist Kelley Bollen.

Curriculum

• All About HSSC & Volunteering
• Humane Education & Responsible Pet Ownership
• Canine Companion 101 (including canine body language and safe handling)
• Feline Friend 101 (including feline body language and safe handling)
• Canine & Feline Enrichment
• Hands-on Dog Training

Goals and Objectives

• To develop leadership skills and a service ethic in a nonprofit environment.
• To celebrate and explore the power of animal companionship, including the importance and benefits of the human/animal bond.
• To learn current best practices in companion animal care and training.
• To learn the tools to help animals in our community.
• To enrich the lives of animals.
• To receive training and preparation for volunteer service opportunities at the Humane Society of Sarasota County.

There are two sessions of Teen Program each year. You must attend all 4 months in your session to graduate from Teen Program. 

With COVID-19 and variant cases on the rise, teens will be encouraged to wear a mask.

If you have questions about Teen Program, please contact Ginny Armington at 941.955.4131 x114. 

Current Teen Program Members

Can’t Access VolunteerHub?

If you go 60 days without logging in to VolunteerHub, your account will be suspended due to inactivity. If you still want to be a volunteer, contact Erin Jordan, at 941.955.4131 x105 to have your account reactivated.

Volunteer Perks

We are proud to offer our active volunteers a 20% discount on services and flea/tick and heartworm preventives at our Animal Clinic, and a 10% discount on retail purchases at both the Animal Clinic and our Adoptions Retail Center. To claim your discount, please let staff know at the time of scheduling or purchase. New volunteers must have contributed at least 15 hours before they are eligible for discounts. Training time counts towards those 15 hours. You must be a client at the Animal Clinic and have your pet examined by one of our veterinarians in order to purchase flea/tick and heartworm medications.