BC SPCA

Animal Fostering.  Foster Care volunteers give vulnerable animals a safe place to heal, grow, learn, and feel  secure. When animals need extra support, fostering provides an essential level of care that  helps them prepare for their forever home or gives them a safe place to stay before being  reunited with their families.  Responsibilities  Communicate urgently with the centre when an animal requires veterinary attention.  • Spend quality time with foster animals daily by providing enrichment activities, play, grooming/petting,  and exercise.  • Provide a suitable environment that meets the animal's needs.  • Ability to transport to/from the centre and/or veterinarian as needed.  • Complete behaviour and health reports as needed.  Requirements & Training  • Philosophical harmony with our mission, vision, values and strategic directions.  • Fosters, or lead fosters in a family, must be 19+ years of age and have housing where pets are permitted.  • Completion of BC SPCA provided online training must be completed prior to starting to foster.  • Previous experience caring for injured/ill animals preferred.  • Open to learning new animal care and training methods.  Volunteering Conditions  • Animal Handling: Working directly with animals may involve low-stress handling, or caring for them,  which requires patience and attention to detail.  • Safety Protocols: Volunteers must adhere to safety protocols to protect themselves and the animals. This  includes using personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary.  • Potential Hazards: Be aware of potential hazards such as bites, scratches, or exposure to zoonotic  diseases. Training will cover how to minimize these risks.  Time Commitment  • Approximately 1-3 hours of online training is required for entry into the foster program. Length of  training will depend upon animal type you are interested in fostering.  Attendance to an in-centre orientation or interview may be required before starting to foster.  • We request that fosters commit to being on the foster list for a minimum of 6 months after application  has been accepted.  • The length of each foster placement varies depending upon a variety of factors and can be just a  weekend, or months while an animal heals from surgery or a new mother raises her newborns.  Benefits of Volunteering  • Fostering makes a direct impact on animals in need, can bring joy to volunteers, and strengthen family  bonds. It's also a great way to gain valuable skills for future careers in animal care.  Quality time with animals who need your support.  • The intrinsic reward of making a difference in an animal's life by caring for them as they transition into  their forever homes.  • Opportunities to attend BC SPCA events, training and more.  Is fostering with the BC SPCA Right for You?  LEARN MORE  Questions? Email volunteers@spca.bc.ca  MISSION  PROTECTING VULNERABLE ANIMALS AND MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES SO  ANIMALS AND PEOPLE THRIVE TOGETHER.

Cat Care & Wellness volunteers support cats through enrichment and by keeping their spaces clean. You’ll follow staff-guided plans, follow safety protocols, and record each interaction to help cats thrive. Responsibilities: Provide cat enrichment through mental stimulation, play & affection. Follow any/all recommended behavioural plans outlined by the staff. Assist with cleaning and disinfecting cat rooms and kennels. Clean dishes, laundry, and litter boxes, and prepare and provide food to cats. Adhere to all BC SPCA policies. Follow all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and biosecurity protocols as needed. Follow the centre’s task list for the Cat Care & Wellness position, which may require volunteers to complete cleaning tasks before interacting with available cats. Requirements & Training: Philosophical harmony with our mission, vision, values and strategic directions. Open to completing cleaning tasks prior to interacting with the animals when needed or required. Knowledge of animal behaviour is preferred. Able to follow and interpret verbal and/or written directions, signage, and procedures. Completion of BC SPCA provided online training must be completed prior to starting to volunteer. Volunteering Conditions: Animal Handling: Working directly with animals may involve low-stress handling, or caring for them, which requires attention to detail. Safety Protocols: Volunteers must adhere to safety protocols to protect themselves and the animals. This includes using personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary. Potential Hazards: Be aware of potential  hazards such as bites, scratches, or exposure to zoonotic diseases. Training will cover how to minimize these risks. Support Workers: If you are a support worker, or wish to volunteer with your support worker, please see the following important information: Support Workers must submit their own application and complete all required steps, including online training. Support Workers are expected to provide the level of supervision and support needed by the volunteer while volunteering. Youth Volunteers: Youth under 12 years of age are not able to volunteer.  Youth between the ages of 12–15 can volunteer only when accompanied and supervised by a parent/guardian (19+ years old). Youth between the ages of 16–18 can volunteer with the consent of their guardians. Youth volunteering for school requirements: depending on program requirements and the number of students submitting  applications for this purpose, not all centres will be able to accommodate these requests. For more information before submitting an application, contact  your local centre and include the location and details of your school program. Note: Youth volunteering directly with animals is at the discretion of the Centre staff and may vary depending on the current animals at the Centre and other applicable factors. Not all centres are able  to accommodate youth to volunteer directly with cats. Time Commitment: Approximately 1 hour of online training is required for entry into  the volunteer program. Attendance at an in-centre orientation and/or tour may be required before starting to volunteer. Due to the level of training  provided for volunteers to work with cats, we request a minimum commitment of 3 months with one shift per week. Benefits of Volunteering: Sense of  pride and accomplishment in helping animals prepare for finding their forever home. Involvement with a new community of animal lovers and supporters.  Opportunities to attend BC SPCA events, training and more. Excellent training in low-stress animal handling which can be added to your resume. Questions? Email volunteers@spca.bc.ca Mission PROTECTING VULNERABLE ANIMALS AND MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES SO ANIMALS AND PEOPLE THRIVE TOGETHER.

Dog Care & Wellness.  Our goal is to prepare every dog for a loving home. Volunteers provide enrichment, training,  care, and support to build confidence and positive behaviours. By keeping environments clean  and following staff plans, we help ensure each dog is healthy, happy, and ready for adoption.  Responsibilities  • Provide dogs enrichment through walking, mental stimulation, play and affection.  • Encourage positive behaviours and basic leash skills through approved BC SPCA training techniques.  • Follow any/all recommended behavioural plans set by the staff.  • Record details of each interaction and report concerns/improvements to staff in a timely manner.  • Follow all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and biosecurity protocols.  • Clean kennels, dishes, laundry & toys.  • Adhere to all BC SPCA policies.  Requirements & Training  • Philosophical harmony with our mission, vision, values and strategic directions.  • Completion of BC SPCA's online training prior to starting to volunteer. Additional in-person and online  training may be required to volunteer with dogs on behavioural plans or needing PPE.  • Able to follow and interpret verbal and/or written directions, signage, and procedures.  • Knowledge of dog behaviour and comfortable working with dogs of all breeds and sizes (required).  • Completion of the Fear Free program on low-stress animal handling for shelter animals is highly  recommended. Approximately 6 hours to complete online.  Youth Volunteers  • Youth under 12 years of age are not able to volunteer.  • Youth between the ages of 12-15: can volunteer only when accompanied and supervised by a  parent/guardian (19+ years old).  • Youth between the ages of 16-18: can volunteer with the consent of their guardians.  • Volunteering for school requirements: depending upon the program requirements and amount of  students submitting applications not all centres will be able to accommodate these requests. For more  information before submitting an application, contact volunteers@spca.bc.ca to inquire. Include the  location you would volunteer at and the details of your school program.  Note: Youth volunteering directly with animals is at the discretion of the Centre staff and may vary  depending on the current animals at the Centre and other applicable factors. Not all centres are able to  accommodate youth to volunteer directly with dogs.  Support Workers  • If you are a support worker, or wish to volunteer with your support worker, please see the following  important information:  o Support Workers must submit their own application and complete all required steps, including online  training.  o Support Workers are expected to provide the level of supervision and support needed by the  volunteer while volunteering.  Volunteering Conditions  Weather Conditions: Outdoor tasks may require working in various weather conditions, including rain,  snow, ice, or heat. Volunteers should dress appropriately for the weather and be prepared for seasonal  changes.  • Animal Handling: Working directly with animals may involve low-stress handling, or caring for them,  which requires patience and attention to detail.  • Safety Protocols: Volunteers must adhere to safety protocols to protect themselves and the animals. This  includes using personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary.  • Potential Hazards: Be aware of potential hazards such as bites, scratches, or exposure to zoonotic  diseases. Training will cover how to minimize these risks.  Time Commitment  Approximately 1 hour of online training is required for entry into the volunteer program.  • Attendance to an in-centre orientation and/or tour may be required before starting to volunteer.  • Due to the level of training provided for volunteers to work with dogs, we request a minimum  commitment of 3 months with one shift per week.  Benefits of Volunteering  • Sense of pride and accomplishment in helping animals prepare for finding their forever home.  • Involvement with a new community of animal lovers and supporters.  • Opportunities to attend BC SPCA events, training and more.  • Excellent training in low-stress animal handling which can be added to your resume.  Questions? Email volunteers@spca.bc.ca  MISSION  PROTECTING VULNERABLE ANIMALS AND MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES SO  ANIMALS AD PEOPLE THRIVE TOGETHER.  SPCAN