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Dakabin
Volunteer at our Dakabin Shelter and Experience the Joy of Making a Pawsitive Difference!
At RSPCA Qld, we offer a range of volunteer roles that put you right at the heart of animal care.
From hands-on work with dogs, cats, and farmyard friends to helping behind the scenes, there’s something for everyone.
These roles are rewarding - but they’re not all cuddles! Keeping animals happy and healthy means plenty of cleaning and physical work. Rain or shine, weekday or public holiday, we need dedicated volunteers every single day.
If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and make an impact, check out our current vacancies and apply today!
At present, we are unable to accommodate volunteers who require the support of a support worker due to current program capacity at this location.
Volunteer Orientations at this site are currently held on:
- Monday
- Saturday
Volunteer Opportunities available at our Dakabin Campus
Animal Care Assistant | Dakabin
Join the Fun and Make a Pawsitive Difference!
Looking for a rewarding way to spend your time? Love animals and want to make a meaningful impact on their lives? Look no further! We have an exciting volunteer opportunity that's perfect for animal enthusiasts like you. Get ready for an amazing experience that will leave you with a wagging tail!
What to Expect:
Get ready for an adventure that combines your passion for animals with hands-on experience and learning. Although it can get a little messy and smelly at times, the joy you'll feel is immeasurable. From cuddling cute kittens to playing fetch with playful pups, you'll be immersed in a world of furry friends. Whether it's rain or shine, summer or winter, you'll be out there making tails wag and hearts happy.
What are the Benefits?
🐾 Plenty of quality time with lots of animals
🩺 An amazing opportunity to learn about the care and health requirements of our furry companions
🎾 Unleash your inner child and enjoy playtime and interaction with the animals in our care
📚 Develop valuable skills and gain insight into the animal care industry
🤍 Become part of our warm and friendly community, where every wag and purr counts
As a volunteer, you'll be an essential part of our team, with hands-on responsibilities that include:
🧹 Giving animal pens a fresh start each day by cleaning, replacing bedding and ensuring enclosures are clean and comfortable
🧼 Maintaining a hygienic environment—because healthy animals mean happy volunteers
🏡 Helping keep the Animal Care Campus clean, tidy and welcoming for our furry residents
🚶 Taking our four‑legged friends for walks around the campus to provide enrichment and exercise
🎉 Embracing your playful side by spending time with animals and facilitating positive social interactions with toys, other animals and people
🧺 Assisting with laundry duties to ensure animals always have clean and cosy bedding
Skills and Characteristics We're Looking For:
🐶 Confidence working with domestic animals, or a willingness to learn in a shelter environment
🔊 Ability to cope with increased noise levels
✅ Ability to work independently, take initiative and manage tasks autonomously
🏋️ Physically fit, with the ability to lift up to 10kg and stand for extended periods
🔍 Strong attention to detail and ability to follow instructions accurately
🤝 Enjoy working as part of a supportive team
🗣️ Excellent communication skills with both people and animals
🔥 A dedicated, hard‑working attitude and passion for supporting the RSPCA
To help potential volunteers to fully understand the role requirements, we have created the Essential Capabilities of an Animal Care Volunteer document. Please read this before you apply to ensure you understand what we look for when reviewing applications.
When Can You Join the Fun?
🐱🐶 We offer morning or afternoon shifts, Monday to Sunday, working with our purr‑fect Cats or paw‑some Dogs
📆 To support consistency and make a lasting impact, we kindly ask for a minimum commitment of one four‑hour shift per week
🎓 New to volunteering? No problem! Full orientation and training will be provided, including animal interaction, training and husbandry
Important Reminders:
Before handling animals at the RSPCA, please ensure you have an up-to-date Tetanus vaccination. Safety first!
If you're fulfilling mutual obligation requirements with Centrelink, let us know, and we'll work together to find the best opportunity for you.
If you're keen to volunteer in an animal care role, please have a look at our current vacancies below and submit an application.
Need More Info?
For further information, please contact our Dakabin Volunteering Team at volunteering.dakabin@rspcaqld.org.au, or fill in the application above.
Gardener & Maintenance | Dakabin
Plant, Prune, and Make a Difference
This rewarding volunteer role would suit applicants that wish to spend their spare time giving back to the local community and who enjoy being outdoors.
The role can vary in the type of work required. Jobs can include anything from general maintenance around the centre to working in the grounds doing mowing, whipper snipping, watering to keep our grounds looking good.
What to expect
🌞 A rewarding volunteer role suited to people who enjoy giving back to their local community and spending time outdoors
🛠️ A varied role with tasks ranging from general maintenance around the centre to grounds work such as mowing, whipper snipping and watering to keep the grounds looking their best
What are the benefits?
❤️ Gain an understanding of a well‑respected charity and be able to share this knowledge with others to help animals, educate the community and change lives
What skills and characteristics do I need?
🌱 Gardening, handyperson or maintenance experience (please indicate which aspects of the role interest you when applying)
✅ Reliable, punctual, organised and professional
🤝 Able to work both independently and as part of a team
🏋️ Physically fit with the ability to lift up to 10kg when required
When can I volunteer?
📆 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday : 7am-11am or 1pm-4pm
⏳ We request a minimum commitment of 1 x four hour shift per week for a minimum of 3 months to ensure consistency and continuity with the animals.
✅ Orientation and training in relation to animal interaction, training and husbandry will be provided
Important Reminders:
It is a requirement that before handling animals at the RSPCA you have an up to date Tetanus vaccination.
For further information, please contact our Dakabin Volunteering Team at volunteering.dakabin@rspcaqld.org.au, or fill in the application above.
Laundry & Donations Sorting Assistant | Dakabin
Join the Fun and Make a Pawsitive Difference!
What to expect
If you are passionate about animals and animal welfare and looking for a unique and worthwhile way to contribute, this rewarding volunteer position could be for you.
As a Volunteer Laundry and Donations Assistant, you are responsible for ensuring all areas of the shelter have clean linen, bedding, towels and anything else required to provide a clean and comfortable environment for our animals. Whether it is an animal that has been subjected to abuse and cruelty, a stray or lost or recently surrendered animal, this role is truly pivotal to the effective operation of the shelter. Whilst this role is not the most exciting in comparison to some of the other roles available, it is essential. In addition, part of this role also includes bringing appropriate items that have been donated from the donations area down to the laundry to be sorted and put neatly away so the stock is constantly replenished as damaged items are discarded.
What are the benefits?
🤝 Working in a friendly team and meeting new people
🏭 Experience working in an industrial laundry
❤️ The opportunity to make a difference and know you are keeping our animals comfortable
What are the tasks?
🗑️ Discarding heavily soiled, damaged or ripped items
👕 Hanging washed items on the lines to dry
🧺 Folding and putting away clean laundry ready for use
🛏️ Washing and drying ‘special’ items such as dog beds, toys, leads and collars
📦 Liaising with Op Shop sorting staff and transporting appropriate donated animal care items from the donations area to the laundry
🧸 Sorting and putting away donated items
What skills & characteristics do I need?
🔥 Committed hard worker
🏋️ Physically fit and able to lift 10kg
🗣️ Good communication skills & can read and follow signage
When can I volunteer?
🕢 Flexible start & finish times
Important Reminders:
Before handling animals at the RSPCA, please ensure you have an up-to-date Tetanus vaccination. Safety first!
If you're fulfilling mutual obligation requirements with Centrelink, let us know, and we'll work together to find the best opportunity for you.
Need More Info?
For further information, please contact our Dakabin Volunteering Team at volunteering.dakabin@rspcaqld.org.au, or fill in the application above.
Foster Care
Become a Foster Carer with RSPCA Queensland
Foster a Life. Change a Life.
Foster carers play a vital role in the lives of vulnerable animals. By providing a temporary home, you’re giving animals the time, care, and space they need to recover, grow, or simply escape the stress of the shelter environment—until they’re ready for their forever families.
Whether it's a kitten too young for adoption, a dog recovering from surgery, or a pet escaping a crisis, you can be the difference that saves a life.
Why Foster?
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Make a real difference—help animals get their second chance
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Short-term commitment with life-changing impact
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All supplies and support provided by RSPCA
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Perfect for animal lovers who can’t adopt long-term
How to Become a Foster Carer
Getting started is easy—and you can complete the process from home!
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Submit an application form so we can get to know you
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Complete our short, online foster training
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Send in photos of your property for a virtual safety check
Once approved, you’ll receive weekly foster lists and can let us know when you're available. We’ll then match you with animals who need your help.
Who Needs Foster Care?
Animals come into our care for many reasons. You may be asked to foster:
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Puppies and kittens too young for rehoming
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Animals recovering from illness or injury
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Animals needing behavioural support and socialisation
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Pets seeking safety due to domestic violence situations
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Animals displaced by natural disasters like floods or bushfires
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Home Ever After pets whose owners are in hospital or have passed away
📍 Foster needs vary by location.
Please check the foster regions below for current priority animals near you.
Things to Know Before You Apply
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our animals, please keep in mind:
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Foster carers must be 18+ and have access to reliable transport
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Landlord/body corporate approval is required if you rent
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Existing pets must be up to date on vaccinations
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Flexibility with the type of animal you foster increases your chances of being matched
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Foster placements typically range from 2 weeks to 6 months, depending on the animal’s needs
Ready to Open Your Heart and Home?
Explore your local foster region below to begin your application and join a compassionate community of carers helping animals in need—one foster at a time.
Fostering Regions Available
Wildlife Responders
Love Wildlife? Here's Your Chance to Make a Real Impact!
As a Wildlife Responder, you’ll be part of a passionate network helping injured, sick, or orphaned native animals get the care they need.
This flexible volunteer role lets you assist in your local area anytime, anywhere by transporting animals to safety and supporting simple rescues. It’s a hands-on way to protect Queensland’s wildlife and connect with your community while learning valuable skills.
Ready to help us protect and care for Queensland’s wildlife? Apply today and be part of something truly wild!
At present, we are unable to accommodate volunteers who require the support of a support worker due to current program capacity.
Volunteer Positions Available
Wildlife Responder
Answer the Call of the Wild!
Passionate about Australia’s native wildlife? Join our Wildlife Rescue network and make a real difference. This flexible role lets you help anywhere, anytime across Queensland.
What are the benefits?
💚 Ability to help your local wildlife
🌱 Connection with your local wildlife and community
🤝 Be part of a passionate rescue network
What are the tasks?
🦘 Wildlife Reunites: Help reunite juvenile animals with their parents
🌿 Community Engagement: Represent RSPCA QLD and provide advice & education to the public when appropriate
What skills and characteristics do I need?
🐾 Confidence around wildlife and/or willingness to learn
🗣️ Excellent communication and calm under pressure
🛡️ Commitment to safety, RSPCA guidelines, and what we stand for
💉 Up‑to‑date tetanus vaccination
When can I volunteer?
🌱 A great option to fit volunteering around your lifestyle while making a meaningful impact in your community
Important Information:
This role can sometimes be emotionally challenging. You may encounter animals in distressing or confronting conditions. Our mission is to help these animals in need and provide them with the care and support they deserve. Please keep this in mind when applying, as resilience and empathy are essential for this position.
Ready to make a difference?
For more information or to apply, email 1300animal@rspcaqld.org.au or complete the application form above.
