Match volunteers to the animals that need them most

Zelos is a volunteer app for getting your team signed up on foster requests, walking shifts, and care tasks.

Start a free project

No credit card · No onboarding call · Set up in under 5 minutes

Volunteer self-signup
Skills-based matching
Built-in messaging
Foster coordination
Hour tracking
Free with unlimited volunteers

You post what the animals need. Volunteers step up.

Post tasks and foster requests

Create tasks for dog walking, cat socialisation, kennel cleaning, transport runs, adoption events, and emergency foster placements. Set urgency, time, and any skill requirements.

Volunteers sign up

Your volunteer network browses open tasks and claims what matches their availability, experience, and home situation. Foster-experienced volunteers see foster requests. Dog walkers see walking shifts. No irrelevant notifications.

Coordinate in context

Every task has its own chat channel. Share animal notes, vet instructions, pickup details, and photos without losing the thread in a group chat. Push notifications reach volunteers instantly.

Track contributions

See who's walking, fostering, and showing up. Track volunteer hours for grant reporting and donor communications. Know your most reliable helpers so you can count on them in emergencies.

Illustration of team members working together

What shelters replace with Zelos

Facebook foster pleasWhatsApp volunteer groupsEmail chains with vet notesPaper walking sign-out sheetsPhone calls to find fostersSpreadsheet volunteer tracking

Built for how animal rescue volunteering actually works

Volunteers choose what they can handle

Not every volunteer can foster. Not every volunteer can handle large dogs. Self-signup means people claim tasks that match their real capabilities — fewer mismatches, fewer foster failures.

Target by skill and experience

Tag volunteers by experience level, home setup, vehicle access, and animal preferences. When an urgent foster request comes in, notify only the people who can actually help.

Free for unlimited volunteers

Your entire volunteer network joins free. No per-person fees. The free plan covers everything most shelters need.

Safe and supervised

All messaging includes admin oversight. Volunteers can't see each other's addresses or contact details. Important for foster coordinators sharing sensitive placement information.

Illustration of a team handling a project together

See all features →

Who uses Zelos for animal rescue volunteering

Animal shelters and rescue centres

Coordinate daily operations — dog walking schedules, kennel cleaning rotas, socialisation sessions, and enrichment activities. Volunteers browse and claim shifts without shelter staff making individual phone calls.

Foster coordination networks

Post urgent and planned foster requests with animal details, care requirements, and expected duration. Target requests to volunteers with suitable home setups — "has no other cats," "can handle medical needs," "fenced garden." Track active placements.

Transport and relay networks

Coordinate animal transport chains across regions. Post individual legs of a relay and let drivers claim segments that fit their route. Task chat keeps the whole chain informed about pickup times and handoff locations.

Adoption event teams

Post roles for adoption days — animal handling, application processing, setup, and teardown. Volunteers sign up for events they can attend. Coordinate event-day logistics through task-specific channels.

Trap-neuter-return programmes

Dispatch trapping, transport, and colony care tasks to trained TNR volunteers. Target tasks by location and certification. Track colony management activities for programme reporting.

Wildlife rehabilitation centres

Coordinate feeding schedules, enclosure cleaning, and release preparation tasks. Tag volunteers by training level so only qualified people see animal handling tasks. Track volunteer hours for licensing compliance.

What volunteer coordinators say

★★★★★

"Easy to use and extremely useful. It has helped us organise our different teams of volunteers based on skill sets and interests so we can assign tasks easily."

Charbel T.

President

Non-Profit Organization Management

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★★★★★

"Zelos is very user friendly! The free version has many features and allows an unlimited amount of participants."

Patricia F.

Outreach and Volunteer Program Coordinator

Non-Profit Organization Management

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★★★★★

"The app offers everything our non-profit needs within the free version limits, from recruiting to scheduling, messaging and the gamification feature is adorable!"

Cristina P.

Coordinator

Non-Profit Organization Management

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Free for shelters and rescues of any size

No credit card, no trial expiration. Pro starts at $99/month — never per volunteer. Registered animal welfare organisations qualify for additional discounts.

See full pricing → Or just get started, it's free

Frequently asked questions

Is Zelos free for animal shelters?

Yes. The free plan includes unlimited volunteers, task posting, messaging, skills-based targeting, and CSV exports. No credit card required. Most small shelters never need to upgrade.

Can I target foster requests to qualified volunteers?

Yes. Tag volunteers by experience level, home setup, animal preferences, and availability. Post foster requests only to volunteers who meet the requirements. Everyone else doesn't see the notification.

Can I track volunteer hours for grant reporting?

Yes. Zelos tracks task completion with timestamps. Export hour summaries as CSV for grant applications, donor reporting, and programme documentation.

Is volunteer contact information protected?

Yes. Volunteers cannot see each other's phone numbers, email addresses, or home addresses. Only admins have access to the full directory. All messaging includes admin oversight.

Can I coordinate emergency foster placements?

Yes. Post an urgent foster request and qualified volunteers receive an instant push notification. Self-signup means you can place an animal in hours rather than days of phone calls.

How do volunteers join?

Share your invite link at adoption events, on your website, via social media, or printed on shelter materials. Volunteers follow the link, fill in a profile with their experience and home details, and start browsing tasks.

Can I manage multiple shelter locations from one account?

Yes. Create separate teams for different locations or programmes, each with their own volunteers, tasks, and chat channels.

How is Zelos different from shelter management software like Shelterluv?

Shelter management software tracks animals — intake, medical records, adoption status, and outcomes. Zelos tracks volunteers — who's available, what they can do, and how to coordinate them. They solve different problems and work well together.

Do you offer discounts for animal welfare organisations?

Yes. Registered animal welfare nonprofits may qualify for discounted pricing on Pro and Enterprise plans. Contact our support team with details about your organisation.

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Trusted by volunteer teams in 40+ countries since 2018.