Spotlight on Iredell County Animal Services
Learn how a local animal shelter uses SignUp to coordinate its volunteer calendars
Last Updated March 9, 2026
We’re big fans of the incredible work happening at Iredell County Animal Services — and we’re honored that SignUp helps power their volunteer coordination behind the scenes. 🐾💙
From organizing daily shelter support to scheduling trained volunteers for specialized roles, this local animal services team keeps a lot of moving parts running smoothly. We reached out to learn more about how they manage their volunteer calendars, streamline communication, and keep their community engaged using SignUp.
Here’s what they shared about their mission — and their experience using SignUp to make it all happen.
Please tell us about your organization and your volunteer needs.
Iredell County Animal Services is committed to making positive changes in the lives of Iredell County pets. ICAS is a municipal shelter, responsible for enforcing state and local animal control laws. We strive to do so through public education, and special programs and services — including low cost spay/neuter services. We are committed to positive outcomes, and welcome ideas from the public. We are always seeking to expand our services and community outreach.
Our volunteers are a vital part of the day-to-day operations of the shelter. Volunteers take shelter dogs on much-needed walks for exercise and socialization. They also provide shelter animals with toys and enrichment activities throughout the day. Volunteers bathe and groom animals that are moving up for adoption. They serve as adoption counselors, actively interacting, and reaching out to the general public to determine what they are looking for in a pet. Volunteers are also trained to assist in surgery, and low-cost vaccination clinics. Our volunteers are the face of our community shelter, and positively impact the lives of the animals here at Iredell County Animal Services.
Explain how you use SignUp to coordinate these volunteers.
SignUp allows volunteers to access their volunteer slots in a quick and efficient manner. Volunteers get to choose from nine different volunteer slots per day that correlate to the tasks that they have been trained in. They can easily make comments to each other in order to make sure that all tasks are covered. Our volunteers also love SignUp.com’s reminder emails.
Why did you decide to use SignUp?
Iredell County Animal Services felt that SignUp.com was very user-friendly for both staff and volunteers. As a volunteer coordinator, there are certain aspects of SignUp.com that make scheduling volunteers a little easier. Providing calendar views and list views, reminder emails, multiple sign ups, reports, and messaging options are all aspects that SignUp.com offers that are essential to volunteer scheduling.
What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?
Our advice to volunteer coordinators would be, to make sure that your volunteers know how vital they are to your organization. Iredell County Animal Services is fortunate to have fantastic volunteers that truly take Iredell County Animal Services volunteer and community outreach programs to the next level.
What else would you like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?
Iredell County Animal Services would certainly not be where it is at today without the continued support of our dedicated volunteers and fosters. They spend long hours healing and nurturing animals so that they may go for rescue or adoption. They exhibit the patience and commitment that helps transition our animals into their forever homes. Our volunteers are truly invaluable resources.
Big cheers to the team at Iredell County Animal Services and the volunteers everywhere who step up to help their communities. 🐾
Want an easier way to coordinate the helpers who make it all happen? SignUp keeps volunteer shifts, reminders, and schedules in one simple place so everyone knows exactly where to be.
FAQs About Volunteer Coordination at Animal Shelters:
Q: How do animal shelters organize volunteer schedules?
A: Many shelters use online scheduling tools like SignUp to create volunteer shifts, assign trained tasks, and allow volunteers to claim open slots. This keeps daily operations organized and ensures critical roles are covered.
Q: What types of volunteer tasks do animal shelters typically need help with?
A: Common roles include dog walking, animal enrichment, bathing and grooming adoptable pets, assisting with adoption counseling, supporting vaccination clinics, and helping with community outreach programs.
Q: Why do shelters use online sign-up tools for volunteers?
A: Online tools simplify volunteer management by offering shared calendars, shift sign-ups, automated reminders, messaging, and reporting. This helps coordinators keep schedules full and reduces manual tracking.
Q: How does SignUp help animal shelters coordinate volunteers?
A: SignUp allows volunteers to choose shifts that match their training, view schedules in calendar or list format, leave notes for other volunteers, and receive automatic reminder emails before their shifts.
Q: What makes a volunteer program successful at an animal shelter?
A: Clear scheduling, good communication, and recognizing volunteers’ contributions are key. When volunteers understand their impact, they stay engaged and help shelters provide better care for animals.
Q: Why are volunteers important for animal shelters?
A: Volunteers support daily shelter operations and improve animal wellbeing through exercise, enrichment, grooming, and adoption support. Their help allows shelter staff to expand services and care for more animals.
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About the Author
Tara McAdams
Digital Marketing Manager, Content Strategist & Creator
Tara leads content strategy at SignUp and creates a variety of resources on a wide range of topics – including lifestyle trends, parent tips, prep for holidays, volunteer management, and event planning. More about Tara →
