* Commitment: You dedicated your time to a cause you care about.
* Responsibility: You handled tasks and likely interacted with animals responsibly.
* Empathy and compassion: Working with animals shows you care about others (both human and animal).
* Teamwork (possibly): Depending on the shelter, you may have worked collaboratively with others.
* Experience: You gained practical experience, even if it wasn't directly related to your intended major.
You'll typically list this experience in the activities or extracurricular section of your application, often with a brief description of your responsibilities and the impact you made. Be specific and quantify your contributions if possible (e.g., "Volunteered at the local animal shelter for two years, assisting with dog walking, cleaning kennels, and socializing shy animals").