Running an animal rescue means relying on dedicated volunteers—but it also means managing real risks. Volunteers work directly with animals who may be stressed, injured or have unknown histories, which creates exposure to bites, scratches, zoonotic diseases and unpredictable behaviour. This Animal Rescue Volunteer Waiver and Release Form helps your organisation clearly communicate those risks while securing the legal protection you need.

Built specifically for animal shelters, rescue groups and wildlife rehabilitation centres, this template covers liability release for physical injury, acknowledgment of infectious disease exposure (including rabies, ringworm and parasites), confidentiality of sensitive animal and donor information, and emergency contact procedures. The waiver is written in plain language so volunteers understand exactly what they're agreeing to, reducing confusion and building trust from day one.

Paperform makes it simple to collect, store and manage volunteer waivers digitally. No more chasing down signatures on printed forms or filing cabinets full of paper. Volunteers can complete and sign the waiver online before their first shift using Papersign for legally binding eSignatures, and submissions automatically save to your Paperform account with a full audit trail. You can set up conditional logic to require parental consent for minors, sync volunteer details into your CRM or volunteer management software via Stepper, and send confirmation emails with orientation details as soon as the waiver is signed. Everything is secure, SOC 2 Type II compliant, and accessible from anywhere your team needs it.