Empowering people and dogs, together for good.

Save to Favorites

UPDATE re COVID-19: During this period of school closures/distance learning, we are continuing to provide essential services to vulnerable members of our community through our Pets' Landing project, which provides free veterinary services and pet & people supplies to persons experiencing homelessness (PEH).

For the time being, we are looking for volunteers to assist with Pets' Landing clinics in Skid Row (quarterly) and on the Westside (biannually); join our foster, dog walking, and pet transport volunteer team (We need cat fosters, too!); and collect donations of pet items to be distributed as needed to our Pets' Landing community. The foster/walking/transport application is available on our website: https://www.k9connection.org/wanted-part-time-pet-lovers/. If you'd like to be involved in another capacity please send us an email!

Stay tuned and feel free to reach out to us for updates! We're all in this together!
If you're able to, please consider making a donation on our website: https://www.k9connection.org/donate/.

Not familiar with k9 connection? Please read below for a general description of our programs.

In addition to our Pets' Landing program, we typically offer five, three-week programs at various continuation high schools each semester, plus one summer program hosted by the Santa Monica Teen Center. Please contact us if you’re interested in volunteering and we’ll follow up with specific locations, dates and times once programming resumes.

k9 connection’s year-round programs in continuation high schools offer teens the opportunity to break through learning and life barriers by training and bonding with homeless dogs. Experiential learning enables the teens to find self esteem, self determination and empathy while they in turn enable shelter dogs to develop the skills to be adopted into permanent loving homes. Visit our website at: www.k9connection.org for details and a video overview of the program.

With only two full-time staff, k9 connection relies on the generosity of volunteers to effectively serve these two vulnerable populations - teens and shelter dogs. We are looking for creative, passionate, empathic individuals to partner with the k9 staff in mentoring, educating and inspiring our students.

During any of our 11 three-week programs, the minimum volunteer commitment is three days per week for two hours each day. Consistent attendance is required in order to form a bond with the students and gain their trust. While it is not essential to have dog training expertise or group facilitation experience, a comfort level around dogs is necessary as is an enthusiasm to engage in group discussions using active listening and sharing. Each day consists of an hour of dog training led by an experienced dog trainer followed by an hour in the classroom.

If interested, you can download an application from our website: https://www.k9connection.org/volunteer/ or, if you prefer, you can send us an email at: mwinn@k9connection.org. Thanks!