Volunteering with the RSPCA QLD

Take the Driver's Seat in Animal Care!

Rev up your passion for animals and make a real impact on their care and welfare with this rewarding volunteer role. We're on the lookout for Volunteer Drivers who can hop behind the wheel and take our furry friends on an unforgettable journey. Strap in, because it's time to hit the road!

As a Volunteer Driver, your mission is to transport animals from the RSPCA Campus to other shelters and partnered locations in our trusty RSPCA Animal Transfer vehicle. Safety is your top priority as you chauffeur these precious passengers, representing the RSPCA in style with our branded vehicle. You'll also collaborate with various agencies to find our animals loving homes, making connections along the way.

Here's what's in it for you:

🚗 Gain valuable insights into how the RSPCA operates – knowledge is horsepower!

🤝 Work alongside a friendly team and meet fellow animal enthusiasts – you're in good company!

🐾 Sharpen your animal handling skills – become a pro at caring for our beloved creatures!

🏠 Make a difference and experience the joy of helping animals find their forever homes – your heart will soar!

Your road trip duties will include:

📦 Crate animals properly and load them safely for transportation – we're all about comfort and security!

📞 Coordinate with staff at affiliated organisations and businesses for animal drop-offs and pick-ups – teamwork makes the dream work!

🚦 Ensure the well-being of the animals in your care during the journey – safety first, always!

To succeed on this mission, you'll need:

🚙 A courteous and considerate driving style – road manners are the key to a smooth ride!

🗣️ Good communication skills – you'll be the friendly voice representing the RSPCA!

📜 A clean, valid driver's license – hit the road legally and responsibly!

🚦 Strong driving skills and the ability to navigate traffic like a pro – you've got this!

💪 Physical fitness and the ability to lift up to 10kg – superheroes need to be in shape!

🐾 Good animal handling skills – give our animal passengers the care they deserve!

When can you hit the road?

🗓️ Shifts are from 9am to 3pm, but be prepared for a bit of flexibility due to unpredictable traffic conditions – it's all part of the adventure! At the moment we are looking for volunteers for Wednesdays and Fridays!

⏰ We request a weekly commitment – let's create lasting impact together! Full orientation and training will be provided.

Important Reminders:

Before embarking on your animal-handling adventure, please ensure you have an up-to-date Tetanus vaccination. Safety is our top priority for both you and our furry friends!

To rev up your volunteer journey or for more information, please contact our Brisbane Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au.

Don't wait! Start your engines and apply now below – let's drive change for animals in need!

Spin, Sort, and Support!

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?

• Opportunity to gain knowledge of the how the RSPCA operates.
• 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?

• Sorting all laundry items to be washed and loading the industrial washing machines
• 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?

• Good team work
• Committed hard worker
• Physically fit and able to lift 10kg
• Good communication skills 

When can I volunteer?

• Monday to Sunday, 7:30am - 12pm or 12pm - 4:30pm

Important Reminders:

It is a requirement that before handling animals at the RSPCA you have an up to date Tetanus vaccination.

If you are ready to join the RSPCA Qld team, please click "Fill in an application" above. For further information, please contact us at volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au

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

This rewarding volunteer role would suit applicants that love animals and are committed to improving their welfare; people who wish to experience hands-on work with animals and want to learn about the care and health requirements for future work in the industry; and anyone looking for a worthwhile way to spend their time. It can be physically demanding and sometimes smelly, and you’ll be outside in winter and summer weather.  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!

What are the benefits?

• Positively impacting the lives of many animals in care
• Animal handling experience with domestic animals including dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and also livestock (large and small), pocket pets and domestic birds
• Hands on training from our shelter team
• Opportunity to gain new skills and learn about the animal care industry
• Becoming part of a friendly and passionate new community

What are the tasks?

The Animal Care Assistant can be a very physical, hands-on volunteering role and every single task, no matter how big or small, makes a big difference to the animals in care. Although you do get time throughout the shift to interact with animals, a typical shift includes all of the below tasks:

• The daily cleaning of the animals' pens which involves removing dirty bedding, hosing or wiping out enclosures, sweeping and scooping up of poop, cleaning litter trays, and providing clean bedding and toys
• Hygiene control – ensuring appropriate sanitisation and hand-washing, and avoiding cross contamination – and ensuring that the animals remain stocked up with food, water, bedding and toys.
• Assisting with socialising, enrichment and exercise of animals in care - you will be trained by shelter staff before you can work independently with animals.
• Taking bins full of soiled linen/towels/bedding to the laundry and collecting clean bedding/towels etc to take back to your area.
• Assisting with 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.
• Assistance with ensuring the Animal Care Campus environment is presentable, and general tidying up.
• Following RSPCA philosophy of positive reinforcement with all animal interactions.

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Confidence in working with domestic animals and/or willingness to learn more about how to work with animals in a shelter situation
• Able to cope with increased noise levels and have the ability to hear if an animals is in distress or giving warning signs of fear
• Be able to fulfil all of the above tasks independently
• Be physically fit (able to lift 10kg) and able to stand for long periods. This role can be very fast-paced, due to this our volunteers need to able to manage their own time effectively 
• A high level of manual dexterity with the ability to multitask
• Attention to detail and able to accurately follow instructions with the ability to comprehend these independently 
• Enjoy working in a team environment
• Excellent communication skills
• Hard working and committed to 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. If an applicant is not able to meet these essential requirements, unfortunately, we are unable to progress their application any further.

When can I volunteer?

We are seeking reliable volunteers who will be able to commit to a minimum of 1 x four hour shift per week for a minimum of 3 months to ensure consistency and continuity with the animals. Due to the variety of animals we work with and the level of training involved, your first 3 months will be considered a probationary period. This is so we can ensure the role is a good fit for you and so we can ensure you feel confident with the tasks involved.

• Monday to Sunday Dog shifts (7.45am - 11:45am or 12:15pm - 4.30pm)
• Monday to Sunday Cat shifts (7.45am - 11:45am or 12:15pm - 4.30pm)
• Monday to Sunday Pocket Pet & Farmyard shifts (7:45am - 11:45am or 12:15pm - 4.30pm)

Please note - If you are applying for a role that involves working with Dogs or Cats, you will be required to attend a 'first day' training shift before you commence with your regular weekly shift. We currently run these training sessions every Tuesday and you will be automatically assigned to one of these once you confirm your onsite orientation date. 

Important Reminders:

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

If you are ready to join the RSPCA Qld team, please click "Fill in an application" above. For further information, please contact us at volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au

Shape Spaces for Paws & People!

What to expect

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 are the benefits?

• Gain an understanding of a well-respected charity and be able to share this knowledge with others in order to help animals, enlighten people and change lives.

What skills and characteristics do I need?

• Gardening, handyperson or maintenance experience. When applying please highlight what part of the role you are interested in doing.
• Reliable, punctual, organised and professional.
• Able to work as a team member and individually.
• Need to be physically fit with the ability to lift 10kg when required.

When can I volunteer?

• This is a flexible role, Monday – Friday
• We ask for a weekly commitment of one shift a week.

Important Reminders:

It is a requirement that before handling animals at the RSPCA you have an up-to-date Tetanus vaccination.

If you are ready to join the RSPCA Qld team, please click "Fill in an application" above. For further information, please contact us at volunteering@rspcaqld.org.au

RSPCA QLD Corporate Partnerships team are on the hunt for superstar volunteers to assist with the expanding Corporate Experience Program.

What to Expect

At RSPCA Queensland, we believe that humane education is the most powerful way to change people’s attitudes and behaviours towards animals. As a Corporate Experience Day Volunteer, you will work alongside our Partnerships Coordinator and assist participants with various tasks, such as creating enrichment for the animals and walking dogs. 

Tasks:

• Assist in supervising corporate participants and facilitating different activities across the shelter.
• Liaise and communicate with the Corporate Experience Program Officer, as well as setting up and packing down the day.
• Collect animals from their pens and return them as required.
• Answer questions about animal welfare and the work done by the RSPCA, and actively promote RSPCA principles and ideas.
• Host hospital and/or campus tours if comfortable (not a necessity).
• Follow RSPCA philosophy of positive reinforcement with all animal interactions.

Skills and Characteristics Needed:

• Strong animal handling skills, preferably dog handling skills, level 2 if possible or willingness to obtain.
• Confidence in working with domestic animals and/or willingness to learn more about working with animals in a shelter situation.
• Willingness to learn about our partnerships program.
• Excellent communication skills (this is an essential requirement)
• Physical fitness (able to lift 10kg) and ability to stand for long periods.
• Ability to think on your feet and handle a variety of general enquiries and situations.
• A passion for animal welfare and education, with excellent public speaking and presentation skills.

If you are interested in this rewarding opportunity, please email partnerships@rspcaqld.org.au for further details.  

When Can I Volunteer?

• We ask for a minimum commitment of one shift per week for at least three months.
• The weekly shifts are available between the hours of 8:15am - 4:30pm, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.
• This role is located onsite at our Brisbane Animal Care Campus in Wacol.

How Can I Apply?

To apply, please complete the volunteer application form by clicking the 'fill in an application' button.

Please note, candidates may be asked to complete a short phone interview to discuss their experience and suitability for the role as part of the selection process.

Stack up Impact - Join Our Warehouse Crew!

In this volunteer role, you will assist with our online ordering process by carefully picking and packing the products that our customers have ordered. Your attention to detail will ensure that each order is correct and carefully packed, helping us maintain our high standards of service.

This role involves working in a supportive and friendly environment, where you’ll collaborate with a team of passionate individuals who are dedicated to making a positive impact on animals' lives. While you’ll be on your feet for some of the time and lifting and carrying items of varying weights, you’ll receive the support you need to feel comfortable in the role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Pick and pack products for online orders.
• Ensure accuracy and care in packing orders.
• Maintain safety standards in a warehouse environment.
• Contribute to the overall success of RSPCA Queensland’s mission

Shifts Available:

• Any Weekday from 9 am to 1 pm.
• Preferably Tuesday or Thursday!

Whether you're looking to gain new skills, connect with others in your community, or make a meaningful impact on the lives of animals, we welcome all volunteers! No prior experience required – just a willingness to learn and help make a difference.

Ready to start? Submit your application today and be a part of our dedicated team!