volunteer opportunities

Volunteers Needed!

Make a difference in the lives of shelter animals

With more than 2,500 animals per year coming into our care, Washington County SPCA is always in need of shelter volunteers and volunteer foster/sponsor care providers. Volunteers are an invaluable component of our shelter and serve a number of important functions to better the lives of our animals and to support overall shelter operations.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES EXIST? Opportunities for hands-on and behind-the-scenes activities include:

Click here to see our volunteer opportunities and fill out an application

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

We welcome volunteers from age 8 through senior adult.  Children ages 8 through 15 can volunteer as a team with a parent or guardian.  Youth ages 16 and 17 can volunteer on their own, but their parents must still sign the volunteer application.  Adults 18 and older can volunteer without restrictions.  Volunteers must be free of a criminal record.

HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?

The first step is to click on the link above to sign up.  The next step is to attend a New Volunteer General Orientation to learn about shelter operations and volunteer opportunities. New volunteer orientations take place once a month.  An appointment is necessary to attend orientation. During orientation you will be required to pay a $10  fee.  For this fee you will receive printed material and a Volunteer Tshirt that must be worn at volunteer activities.  Following orientation, applicable training that matches your interests and skills will be scheduled.

WHAT SKILLS AND TRAINING ARE REQUIRED?

All volunteers must have a love of animals and be dependable with their commitments. Required skills vary based upon area(s) of interest. The shelter makes every attempt to match volunteers' attributes and experience with appropriate activities. Training session(s) will be scheduled based upon your area(s) of interest. All prospective volunteers must complete required training before becoming an official volunteer.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?

We are very flexible with respect to the days and times volunteers wish to work, however, to ensure a strong and effective volunteer base, we expect our volunteers to commit to at least 2 hours per week for a period of at least 4 months. Our shelter is open to the public from Tuesday through Saturday. Our in-shelter volunteers work primarily during open business hours. Offsite events and other special events may also occur at various times in the evenings and on weekends.

THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING VOLUNTEERING AT THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SPCA!