Volunteering with the RSPCA QLD

Hit the Road and Be a Hero for Animals!

If you have a passion for animal welfare and a love for the open road, we have an exciting volunteer opportunity just for you! Join our team at RSPCA Qld as a driver and embark on a journey of compassion and impact. Get ready to transport adorable furry friends, both domestic and wild, and lend a helping hand in collecting donations. It's time to put the pedal to the metal and make a difference!

What to Expect:

As a vital part of our large organisation, you'll play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of over 50,000 animals each year. Your mission will involve safely transporting animals locally and regionally, as well as collecting donated food. Whether you're shuttling animals between campuses, rehoming centres, vet surgeries, or caring for wildlife, every trip will be an adventure filled with furry passengers. Don't worry, we'll provide you with all the necessary equipment, including an RSPCA vehicle, during your shift. Please note that drivers must have an open licence.

Benefits of Being on the Road:

• Gain a deeper understanding of RSPCA operations and our mission to protect and care for animals.
• Join our friendly team and make a significant contribution to raising much-needed funds for animal welfare.

As an RSPCA driver, you'll hit the road and tackle a variety of tasks, including:

• Cruising around the greater Bundaberg area in an RSPCA vehicle, transporting our precious animal passengers.
• Safely moving animals between our animal care centres, ensuring they reach their destinations with comfort and care.
• Collecting and transporting animals from veterinary clinics back to our animal care centres, because their well-being is our top priority.

Skills and Characteristics We're Looking For:

• Be a courteous and considerate driver, making the journey as smooth as possible for your furry passengers.
• Confidence in handling a large van and/or towing a trailer, because you're about to become a road warrior for animals.
• Good communication skills to coordinate with our team and ensure a seamless transportation process.
• Hold a clean, manual open driver's licence, allowing you to hit the road with confidence.
• Display excellent driving skills and the ability to handle traffic like a pro.
• Physically fit and capable of lifting up to 10kg, ensuring our animal friends are in safe hands.
• Show your animal handling skills, making every ride a comfortable and stress-free experience for our furry passengers.

When Can You Volunteer?

We're looking for dedicated drivers who can commit to regular shifts, as well as those who can be available for on-call driving. Please note that flexibility is key in this role, as trip durations may vary due to changing traffic and weather conditions. To make a lasting impact, we kindly request a minimum commitment of one shift per week. Don't worry if you're new to this—our team will provide you with comprehensive orientation and animal training.

Important Reminders:

Before handling animals at the RSPCA, please ensure you have an up-to-date Tetanus vaccination. Safety first!

For more information and to get on the road to volunteering, contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 3426 9903 or volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au.

Alternatively, fill in the application above to get started.

Join our team of compassionate drivers and become a superhero for animals on wheels. Apply today and let's drive change together!

What to expect

This rewarding role would suit applicants who are passionate about Australian wildlife and dedicated to improving their welfare, who are outgoing and enjoy meeting new people, and have great computer and administration skills.  In this role you will provide vital help to all creatures great and small by being the ‘face’ of the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital, greeting people as they bring animals in, entering critical data onto the RSPCA systems, answering telephone calls from wildlife carers, local vet surgeries and other RSPCA departments, and other general administrative tasks as required.

Please note: In this role, you will be the first point of call for members of the public, staff and volunteers bringing in injured or deceased wildlife.  As such you will need to possess a certain level of resilience when handling these situations.

What are the benefits?

• Opportunity to gain skills and experience with various administration responsibilities and further develop your customer service skills
• Experience in the day to day operations of a busy Wildlife veterinary clinic, including the opportunity to get an up-close look at a wide range of species from common animals to endangered species
• Learning more about Australian wildlife, including learning species ID techniques and natural behaviours
• Being part of a team of enthusiastic, hardworking individuals who will support you in learning new skills

What are the tasks?

• Greeting members of the public and registered wildlife carers as they bring animals into the hospital
• Recording the details of incoming and outgoing animals
• Assisting staff with animal handling as required
• Ensuring the reception waiting area and consult rooms are kept clean and tidy at all times
• Liaising with wildlife carers regarding the placement of injured/juvenile animals, birds and reptiles
• Answering general telephone enquiries from wildlife carers
• Other data entry tasks and general duties as required
• Assisting in other areas of the hospital if reception tasks are up to date

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Reception volunteers must be over 18 years of age
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
  Confident, friendly nature and positive in meeting new people and making them feel welcome
• Prepared to be involved in some delicate and sometimes challenging situations
  Reliable, with the ability to work independently, take initiative and multitask
• Computer literate with a good knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel
  Willingness to learn handling techniques and housing requirements for incoming animals

When can I volunteer?

There is a lot to learn in this role so we request a minimum commitment of 1 x shift per week for a minimum of 3 months. Orientation and animal training will be required.

PLEASE NOTE: 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 Brisbane Volunteer Coordinator on 3426 9915 or volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au, or fill in the application below.

What to expect

There are a number of vacancies available in our busy Wildlife Hospital with various shifts across week days and weekends.  This position would suit applicants that have an interest in our native wildlife and a commitment to learn about the daily care required for them; are dedicated to improving their welfare and would like to gain exposure to a native animal hospital environment. Applicants will be involved with cleaning and the daily care of native wildlife (eg birds, possums, lizards and turtles) that are currently in care. In line with wild animal rehabilitation practices, please note that handling of wildlife will be minimal.

These can be challenging roles as you may be faced with situations where animals are sick, uncomfortable or in pain.  You might feel emotional about the animals you’re working with and may find this difficult, but ultimately the reward is that you’re making a huge, positive difference to their lives – and yours!

Please note: we are unable to offer placements for Vet nursing students; please contact your course provider.

What are the benefits?

• Close encounters with native Australian wildlife!
• Learning about native wildlife and domestic bird care and husbandry
• Opportunity to gain new skills and learn about the vet care industry
• Becoming part of a friendly new community

What are the tasks?

• Providing enrichment for domestic birds
• The daily cleaning of animal enclosures which involves removing used leaf and food, plus soiled newspaper and towels, and replacing with fresh supplies
• Assist with stock control and re-stocking of supplies where appropriate.
• Sweeping and mopping floors, removing rubbish, washing animals’ water and food bowls, replacing food and water.
• Hygiene control – this is critical as a shelter environment is a high-risk area for diseases, some of which are communicable to humans or your own pets.  This means ensuring appropriate sanitisation and hand-washing after handling animals or enclosures, use of appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) such as gloves, gowns, etc, to prevent disease and avoid cross contamination.  
• Assistance with ensuring the hosptial environment and reception area is presentable, and general tidying up.
• Taking bins of soiled towels to the laundry and collecting clean towels etc to take back to your area.
• Undertake general laundry duties as part of each shift, including loading dirty laundry into the machines, loading and/or taking clean washing out of the dryers, and folding all clean items.
• Occasional minimal animal handling involved 

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Confidence in working with animals
• Resilience – you will see and be required to care for animals with various illnesses or injuries and this can be confronting and upsetting
• Be able to work independently
• Be physically fit (able to lift 10kg) and able to stand for long periods
• Attention to detail and able to accurately follow instructions
• Enjoy working in a team environment
• Excellent communication skills
• Hard working and committed to the RSPCA

When can I volunteer?

• We currently only have vacancies to assist in the wards from 4am - 8am or 8pm - 12am
• 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 animal training will be provided.

If you could please specify in your application which shift you would ideally like to have, that would be much appreciated. 

PLEASE NOTE: 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 Brisbane Volunteer Coordinators on 3426 9915 or volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au or click "Fill in an application" above.

What to expect

This rewarding role would suit applicants who are passionate about Australian wildlife and dedicated to improving their welfare, who are outgoing and enjoy meeting new people, and have great computer and administration skills.  In this role you will provide vital help to all creatures great and small by greeting people as they bring animals in, entering critical data onto the RSPCA systems, answering telephone calls from wildlife carers, local vet surgeries and other RSPCA departments, and other general administrative tasks as required.

Please note: In this role, you will be the first point of call for members of the public, staff and volunteers bringing in injured or deceased wildlife.  As such you will need to possess a certain level of resilience when handling these situations.

What are the benefits?

• Opportunity to gain skills and experience with various administration responsibilities and further develop your customer service skills
• Experience in the day to day operations of a busy Wildlife veterinary clinic, including the opportunity to get an up-close look at a wide range of species from common animals to endangered species
• Learning more about Australian wildlife, including learning species ID techniques and natural behaviours
• Being part of a team of enthusiastic, hardworking individuals who will support you in learning new skills

What are the tasks?

• Greeting members of the public and registered wildlife carers as they bring animals into the hospital
• Recording the details of incoming and outgoing animals
• Assisting staff with animal handling as required
• Ensuring the reception waiting area and consult rooms are kept clean and tidy at all times
• Liaising with wildlife carers regarding the placement of injured/juvenile animals, birds and reptiles
• Answering general telephone enquiries from wildlife carers
• Other data entry tasks and general duties as required
• Assisting in other areas of the hospital if reception tasks are up to date

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Excellent communication and customer service skills
  Confident, friendly nature and positive in meeting new people and making them feel welcome
• Prepared to be involved in some delicate and sometimes challenging situations
  Reliable, with the ability to work independently, take initiative and multitask
• Computer literate with a good knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel
  Willingness to learn handling techniques and housing requirements for incoming animals

When can I volunteer?

Mornings 8am-12pm: Sundays

Afternoons: 12-4pm: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

There is a lot to learn in this role so we request a minimum commitment of 1 x shift per week for a minimum of 3 months. Orientation and animal training will be required.

PLEASE NOTE: 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 Brisbane Volunteer Coordinator on 3426 9915 or volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au, or fill in the application below.

What to expect

RSPCA Qld deals with an excess of 22,000 wild animals every year.  We operate one of the busiest Wildlife Hospitals in Queensland.  The Volunteer Wildlife Vet Pick-Up Driver role primarily involves picking up wildlife animals from vet surgeries and taking them to RSPCA Animal Care Centre, in a dedicated RSPCA Animal Transfer vehicle. 

You will be exposed to a wide range of species including birds, mammals and reptiles, and will be responsible for the safe transportation of the animals in your care. You will also be a key representative for RSPCA Qld as you drive an RSPCA branded vehicle and liaise with vet surgeries, therefore safety and representing the RSPCA in a positive manner is essential.

In between driving jobs you may be asked to assist with entering animal details in a database, general upkeep of the hospital including sweeping and mopping floors, removing rubbish, washing animals’ water and food bowls, replacing food and water, laundry duties, collecting groceries or prescriptions. This role would best suit a motivated, outgoing individual who is flexible and can adapt to the unpredictable nature of a triage animal hospital.

What are the benefits?

• Close encounters with wildlife
• The opportunity to improve animal handling skills and gain knowledge of the how the RSPCA operates
• Increased awareness of our native wildlife and the issues they face
• The opportunity to make a difference and know you are keeping our animals comfortable
• Becoming part of a friendly team and community

What are the tasks?

The position involves transporting wildlife patients as required and includes:

• Significant driving around the greater Brisbane area using an RSPCA vehicle
• Collecting and transporting animals from vet clinics back to the Wacol Wildlife
• Hospital, or delivering animals to vet clinics for collection
• Liaising with veterinarians at clinics regarding the animals and delivering animals along with the relevant paperwork and medication
• Generally interacting with the public at the wildlife hospital
• In between driving jobs if required, entering animal information into a database, assist with sweeping and mopping floors, removing rubbish, washing animals’ water and food bowls, replacing food and water.
• Communication with RSPCA Wildlife Hospital staff

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Have a valid and clean driver's license and the ability to use a GPS to navigate
• Confidence in working with a variety of animals, including reptiles
• Willingness to learn, wildlife knowledge or experience an advantage
• Be physically fit (able to lift 10kg) and comfortable in a wide variety of outdoor situations
• Attention to detail and able to accurately listen and follow instructions
• Enjoy working in a team environment
• Able to be flexible and adaptable
• Excellent communication skills

When can I volunteer?

• Current Vacancies: Monday to Saturday, 8am to 12pm, 12pm - 4pm & 4pm-8pm
• Please be aware that due to the nature of this role we ask you to be flexible to an extent with your shift time – it can be difficult to judge the length of a particular trip due to changeable traffic or weather conditions
• We request a minimum commitment of 1 x shift per fortnight for a minimum of 3 months. Orientation and animal training will be provided.
  
  

PLEASE NOTE: 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 Brisbane Volunteer Coordinator on 3426 9915 or volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au, or fill in the application above.