Volunteers of all ages are welcome at the Sanctuary. However, a parent or guardian must always accompany a volunteer under 14 years. All volunteers must have signed waivers on file before any tour or Care Shift at the Sanctuary. 

You do not need previous experience with large animals to volunteer. Our team provides essential training and animal safety to Care Shift volunteers. Care Shifts may require volunteers to lift up to 40 lbs. (water buckets, muck buckets, feed bags, etc.). 

Volunteers are assigned roles based on their comfort level, physical abilities, and experience. Everyone has a role at the Sanctuary!

To volunteer, you must complete the following forms: 

• Solstice Sanctuary Waiver Form 

• Better Impact Volunteer Application

Please wear weather-appropriate attire. We recommend sturdy, closed-toed shoes for volunteering around animals and work gloves if you have sensitive hands. Please bring plenty of water during the summer and warm layers in the winter.

Note your shoes and jackets will become dirty from farm work!

There are five primary animal care volunteer shifts available Monday - Sunday. 

SS1: Mini horses/donkeys, filling hay bags and pigs - AM & PM 

SS2: Draft, horses, and minis - AM & PM

SS3: Goats and Cattle AM & PM 

SSA: Create daily feed and supplement bags - flexible 

SSB: Maintain Sanctuary materials (washing buckets/pans/bags, organizing supplies) - flexible 

For morning Care Shifts, we ask volunteers to arrive by 8 AM. 

For afternoon Care Shifts, we ask volunteers to arrive by 5:30 PM during the summer and between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM in the winter.

We ask our AM and PM care shift volunteers to commit to one shift a week on an ongoing basis. This ensures the animals receive the highest quality and most consistent care. We offer group volunteer opportunities every few months if you cannot commit to weekly shifts. 

Many factors determine the length of time it takes to complete a Care Shift. However, you can anticipate a shift taking an hour to two hours. We encourage our volunteers to spend extra time with the Sanctuary residents once the tasks are completed!

All volunteers must first "shadow" train Care Shifts before volunteering independently. During these shifts, volunteers will learn about the tasks involved in caring for the animals and the basics of animal safety. They will receive both paper and video guides for reference. In addition, Solstice Sanctuary offers Horsemanship and other workshops for volunteers who want to enhance their skills and knowledge about our four-legged friends.

We encourage all volunteers to be on our Sanctuary Signal Chat for the latest updates and information about the Sanctuary. Signal is a free downloadable app. All volunteers must also have a Better Impact profile to manage their Care Shift schedule.

We understand that emergencies happen! We ask for at least 24 hours' notice for missed shifts. For planned vacations or travel, we ask to be notified as soon as possible so we can work to fill the Care Shift. Before the beginning of each month, a schedule is published with all the shifts.