FWIW, a year ago I volunteered at a cat-only shelter and got bit my first day. I had never been bitten by any animal before in my life, never got stitches before in my life. I didn't even tell the shelter director what happened, and she was so busy talking to herself, I didn't have the people skills to interrupt her and tell her what happened and that I needed help. I just put on my coat and asked people who happened to be standing at the bus stop where an emergency walk-in clinic was in that neighborhood. I had no idea I had put myself in such a precarious position. I had my own cats before, had pet-sat cats and dogs before. I spent quite a miserable week as the wound only started to heal, and felt stupid to boot.

My next foray into volunteer work will be to a hospital. Many young people volunteer there, my T's son did and enjoyed it very much. I went for an initiation meeting but did not follow up, and there are indeed many young people. And the patients don't bite!