“I look forward to volunteering at the DCHS Thrift Store,” says Kay Smith. “The staff members are great to work for, the customers are patient and grateful for the wonderful deals they get, and I'm helping all of the animals and wildlife at the shelter by being there every week.”

Dane County Humane Society’s Thrift Store opened its doors in January 2019, and it has performed beyond our wildest expectations since. Because of the store’s initial success, we needed to move to a larger location. We closed temporarily for the move and then due to the pandemic, but our new location opened to shoppers in June 2020, and sales and donations skyrocketed. Thanks to our generous community, this past year was no different!

But with success comes a lot of work. DCHS’s Thrift Store is mostly run by volunteers like Kay, who help sort and price the unique items we receive, run the cash register, entertain four-legged customers, and so much more. We rely heavily on the help of volunteers to manage these tasks, asking them to commit to a weekly shift lasting 2-3 hours. We have many amazing people who show up for us, but we’re in need of a few more.

“I didn't think I would like volunteering at the Thrift Store,” explains Kay, who started her volunteer tenure at DCHS working with dogs at the Main Shelter. “I added that volunteer assignment because they needed help.” But what Kay thought would be a short-lived stint of just a few months has turned into over a year of putting priced items out in the store and working the checkout counter.

“For animal and wildlife lovers who find it hard emotionally to work directly with homeless animals or injured or abandoned wildlife, volunteering at the DCHS Thrift Store is a perfect way to help,” Kay says. “I plan to continue as long as I can because I enjoy it so much!”

Visit DCHS’s Thrift Store at 6904 Watts Road or learn more here!

Laurie Ringquist is the Director of Customer Service at DCHS.

Want to join a fun team of staff and volunteers who help save the lives of animals by showing up every day? All profits from the store support DCHS’s mission, so you can feel good knowing that your work helps animals in need.

View job openings here!

If volunteering is your preference, then check out some of the tasks you could help us with below. If any of these volunteer opportunities sound like a fit for you, apply here!