Learn Italian: Vogliamo che il rifugio accolga questi animali. - We want the shelter to take in these animals.

The verb volere (here used as vogliamo) expresses a desire or a wish. In Italian, when you express a desire about what someone or something else should do, you must use the word che followed by the subjunctive mood.

In English we say 'want the shelter to take in'. Why can't we use an infinitive like accogliere here?

In Italian, you only use the infinitive after volere if the subject remains the same (for example, 'We want to take in' would be Vogliamo accogliere). Because the subject changes from 'we' (vogliamo) to 'the shelter' (il rifugio), you are required to use che plus a conjugated verb in the subjunctive.

accolga looks a bit unusual. What is its infinitive form and why does it have a 'g'?

It comes from accogliere, which means to welcome, receive, or take in. Verbs ending in -gliere often use a hard 'g' in the present subjunctive for all singular forms and the third-person plural. If you remember its first-person present indicative form (io accolgo), you can easily see where the 'g' comes from!

Why does the shelter 'welcome' (accolga) the animals instead of just taking them?

The verb accogliere literally means to welcome, receive, or accommodate. In the context of a shelter or hosting situation, it is the standard and most natural Italian verb to describe taking in animals or people to give them refuge.