JOIN OUR GROWING VOLUNTEER PROGRAM!
The Central California SPCA is looking for volunteers who are passionate about animal welfare and furthering the mission of the CCSPCA.
We provide training to help you build the skills that prepare you to improve the lives of the homeless animals in our care, as well as educating the community about humane animal care, services available to pet owners. We accept individual and group volunteers from ages 8 to 100+ and provide a wide variety of job assignments for any skill set. Volunteer opportunities are available every day throughout the entire year.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to commit to a minimum of 36 volunteer service hours to be completed within a 6 month period.
- Individual volunteers have a mandatory $20 fee which includes a required volunteer t-shirt and basic supplies used while volunteering.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- Volunteers under 17 years old DO NOT EVER handle the animals and are restricted to one shift per day.
- Upon demonstrated responsible service plus staff recommendation, 17 year olds may earn the privilege of training for and working with small animals.
- Most court-order volunteers are not accepted. Special consideration may be available in certain situations.
- We do not have a program for working with or handling barn animals and horses.
- Volunteers under 18 years old need a parent/guardian to attend orientation with child to complete required permission and waiver forms. Parents/guardians do not need to be present during volunteer service.
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
ADULT (18+ YEARS OLD)
Whether you like walking dogs, cleaning kennels, socializing with cats, assisting in the office, helping customers, or you wish to become an ambassador at our education/adoption/fundraising events, the CCSPCA can utilize your skills to help animals.
JUNIOR PROGRAMS
Critter Kids & C.A.R.E. Club (ages 8-11 & 12-13)
The Junior Program is part of the CCSPCA’s Humane Education Department. With a goal toward educating the community on humane issues, this program engages children and pre-teens in creative workshops designed to teach compassion & appreciation for animals. The workshops include topics on different animal species, responsible pet ownership, pet care, dog bite prevention and much more. Service activities are age appropriate and may include creating animal themed projects or shelter animal items; clean-up projects or leadership activities that prepare them for future volunteer work.
YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAM (14-17 YEARS OLD)
Non-Animal Handling Tasks
The following positions are available for non-animal handling work:
- Adoption & Stray Assistant – cleaning empty kennels, dish washing, laundry, customer service
- Special Events Assistant – fundraisers, community events; promotions
- CCSPCA Ambassadors – sharing information with public at events out in the community
- Office Assistant – cleaning, filing, organizing, phone work, decorating, etc.
- Facility Maintenance and Care – cleaning windows, animal socialization areas, sweeping, etc.
These positions require that volunteers be serious about their commitment and willing to take instruction while working as part of a team.
GROUP VOLUNTEER SERVICE
We are accepting school, business, church, club, and community organizations/groups to participate in our “Volunteer for a Day at the CCSPCA” program. Groups should be between 5 and 20 people. Activities will be project based and determined by the CCSPCA to meet shelter needs at that time. A $2.00 per participant donation is requested to help off-set CCSPCA costs. Groups may also be asked to bring tools and supplies depending on the project. Groups will receive an orientation and tour during their volunteer service day. Please contact us by email or phone to schedule your group.
HOW TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER
APPLY ONLINE
ATTEND A VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
The class will be held in our Education Center. At the orientation you’ll be provided with a presentation and tour of the animal center. Please bring a form of picture ID; preferably government/school.
ATTEND A TRAINING CLASS
Training will be specific to your age group and qualified positions.
BEGIN VOLUNTEERING
Upon completion of orientation and training, the Volunteer Services Manager will assign you to tasks based on training, open positions, age requirements, and interests.
For more information about volunteering, please contact our Volunteer Department