Your Time Changes Lives
Whether you open your home, lend your hands, or bring your expertise, there's a place for you in this mission.
Open Your Home, Save a Life
Fostering is the bridge between the street and a forever home. We work with a network of trusted rescue partners on Oʻahu to place dogs in loving foster homes while they wait for their forever families.
All supplies, food, and veterinary care are provided — you just bring the love. Learn more about how it works, meet dogs waiting for a foster, and apply.
Show Up for the Animals
Our outreach runs on volunteer power. Whether you can give one Saturday a month or want to take on a regular role, there's meaningful work waiting for you.
Volunteer roles include:
- Monthly outreach team: food distribution and wellness checks
- Transport: driving animals to and from vet appointments
- Event support: fundraisers, adoption events, community clinics
- Administrative: social media, data entry, donor outreach
Bring Your Skills or Your Business
Visiting Veterinarian
If you're a veterinarian or vet tech visiting Hawaiʻi, we'd love to connect. Our community clinics always need skilled hands for spay/neuter surgeries, wellness exams, and emergency care. Even a single day of your time can change dozens of lives.
Partner With Us
Local businesses, veterinary clinics, and organizations can make a direct, visible impact by partnering with AAO. Whether you sponsor a clinic, donate supplies, or lend your voice, your support goes straight to the field. Every partnership is recognized and every dollar is tax-deductible.
Can't Volunteer? You Can Still Help.
A monthly gift of $30 feeds a dog for a month. Your $100 funds a spay or neuter surgery. Every dollar makes a difference.
Donate NowFrequently Asked Questions
Where does AAO's funding go?
Every dollar goes directly to the animals. AAO is 100% volunteer-run with no paid staff, which means your donation funds food, vaccines, flea prevention, spay/neuter surgeries, and emergency vet care — nothing else.
Do I need experience to foster or volunteer?
Not at all. We provide full training and ongoing mentorship for every foster and volunteer. All you need is compassion and a willingness to show up.
What if I already have pets at home?
Many of our fosters have resident pets. We carefully match foster dogs with homes where they'll thrive, and we always do a temperament assessment first.
How much time does volunteering take?
Totally up to you. Our outreach events are typically 3 to 4 hours on a weekend morning. Transport and admin tasks can be as flexible as your schedule allows.
Can I volunteer if I don't live on Oʻahu?
Yes! Remote volunteers help with social media, fundraising, grant writing, and donor communications. We also welcome visiting volunteers who are on island temporarily.
Is there a minimum commitment for fostering?
Most foster placements last 2 to 8 weeks, but we're flexible. We also offer short-term "sleepover" fosters for dogs who just need a break from the shelter environment.