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Foster Care
Foster carers provide temporary homes for animals in the care of RSPCA who may need respite from the shelter environment, support to recover from an illness or just extra TLC until they are ready to find their forever home.
How do you become a foster carer?
- Fill in an Application Form so we can get to know you.
- Complete our NEW 1 Hour online training.
- Take part in a quick 20 minute virtual property check.
What type of animals are available to foster?
Please review foster regions below for specific priority needs across the state
- Puppies and kittens that are too young for rehoming.
- Animals recovering from illness or injury before being available for adoption.
- Animals requiring behaviour support work.
- Animals that need a safe haven due to a Domestic Violence.
- Animals that have to be evacuated from an emergency situation e.g. floods, bushfires, cyclone.
- Home Ever After animals that are waiting for their owner to return from hospital or whose owner has passed away and are waiting to be rehomed.
Important things to think about when considering Fostering:
- The RSPCA will work hard to ensure they make the best foster matches for you, based on your current situation and the animals needs. Placing the right animal, with the right carer, in the right situation is our priority.
- Being flexible with what animals you can open your home to, opens you to the most potential for placement.
- The Foster length greatly varies from animal to animal depending on their situation, in general most foster lengths are between 2 weeks and 6 months.
- Foster carers must be over 18 and have access to a reliable vehicle/transport.
- Landlord and Body Corporate approvals are required, which can take time to source.
- Current pets in your home must be up to date with vaccinations.
To begin your application process, review the foster regions below.
Foster Positions Available
Op Shops & Retail
Ignite Change, Shop with Purpose, and Be a Hero!
Looking for a fulfilling way to make a difference in the lives of animals? Our Op Shops and World For Pets stores are calling for passionate individuals like you to join our cause! By shopping, volunteering, or donating, you can become a hero for the animals we care for and support their well-being.
🐾 Volunteer Opportunities: Are you an animal enthusiast with a flair for retail, customer service, or simply want to be part of a fantastic team?
Join our Op Shop family as an Op Shop Assistant or Op Shop Driver Assistant. Make a tangible impact while gaining valuable experience and creating unforgettable moments. All of our current volunteer vacancies are linked below, please have a look through and apply today!
🐾 Shop with Purpose: Discover amazing bargains and unique treasures while helping us raise crucial funds for over 50,000 animals we care for each year. Our Op Shops offer a wide range of clothing, homewares, accessories, and furniture. Your purchases directly support our mission of compassion.
Join the RSPCA movement today and be a catalyst for change! Click below to explore our Op Shop locations, discover volunteer opportunities, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of animals. Together, let's create a brighter future filled with love, compassion, and wagging tails.
Volunteer Positions Available
Rescue
Currently recruiting volunteers for Townsville and Toowoomba!
Answer the Call of Compassion: Unleash Your Heroic Spirit with RSPCA QLD's Inspectorate & Rescue Team!
Embark on a heroic journey that will touch your soul! Join our Inspectorate & Rescue team and become a lifeline for animals in need. In 2022 alone, a staggering 28,177 creatures received our life-saving assistance through our dedicated Rescue Units. Among them, an astonishing 77% were the magnificent treasures of Australian wildlife—our native birds, possums, koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies.As a Rescue Unit Driver or Rescue Unit Assistant volunteer, you'll be at the forefront of these daring missions, making a tangible impact on the lives of animals in distress.
If being out on the road and rescuing animals is appealing to you, the Rescue Unit Driver or Rescue Unit Assistant volunteer roles might suit you! These roles are also perfectly suited to people who want to volunteer together, such as teaming up with a friend or partner.
Volunteer Positions Available
Wacol Animal Care Campus
As an animal welfare organisation, RSPCA Qld have a variety of different volunteer roles involving hands-on animal interaction.
These roles are incredibly rewarding, but be warned - keeping animals happy and healthy requires a lot of cleaning! It can be physically demanding, and we need assistance every day of the year - whether it's sunshine or rain, a public holiday or a weekday. Of course, it's not just cleaning; there's plenty of opportunities for enrichment activities too.
Volunteer roles can involve working with:
- Domestic animals (dogs, cats, pocket pets, or farmyard) at one of our Animal Care Centres
- Domestic animals recovering from illness or medical procedures at the Domestic Hospital or clinic
- Wildlife animals recovering or rehabilitating in preparation for release to the wild, or to a wildlife carer for further rehabilitation
- Gardening & Maintenance
- Administration Support and Department roles
If you're keen to volunteer in an animal care role, please have a look at our current vacancies and submit an application.
Animal Care & Shelter Support
- Animal Experience Driver | Wacol
- Laundry and Donation Sorting Assistant | Wacol
- Animal Care Assistant | Wacol
- Gardener & Maintenance | Wacol
- Learning & Development Support Volunteer
- Warehouse Assistant Picker and Packer | Wacol
- Memorial Care Volunteer (Driving role)
- Volunteer Paralegal | Animal Prosecutions
Wildlife
Join us in making a wild difference!
Volunteer at our Wildlife Hospital and unlock a world of opportunity. Discover the beauty of native wildlife, deepen your knowledge of daily care, and experience the rewarding environment of an animal hospital. With flexible shifts and a chance to spend time with an array of wild animals, this is your chance to contribute to their well-being. While it can be challenging, the immense satisfaction of transforming lives, both theirs and yours, makes it all worthwhile.
Wildlife Opportunities
Wildlife Driver | Wacol
What to expect
This rewarding volunteer role would suit applicants who are passionate about Australia’s native wildlife and are committed to improving their welfare; people who wish to experience hands-on work with native animals and want to learn about the care and health requirements for future work in the industry. This is a great opportunity for people who want to help the RSPCA rehabilitate animals and send them back to their natural habitat. You will be outside in winter and summer weather and sometimes driving in the challenging conditions Queensland can offer, but the reward is knowing you are making a difference to the quality of life of all the native animals in our care. Applicants must be over 25 years old.
What are the benefits?
- Opportunity to gain new skills and learn about our Australian wildlife
- Increased awareness of our native wildlife and the issues they face
- Native animal handling and identification skills
- Becoming part of a friendly new community
What are the tasks?
The position involves transporting wildlife patients as required and includes:
- Significant driving around the greater Brisbane/Gold Coast/Sunshine coast 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 by carers.
- Releasing wildlife
- Liaising with registered wildlife carers and delivering animals along with the relevant paperwork and medications to them.
- Educating members of the public about wildlife species when releasing them or when generally interacting with the public at the wildlife hospital.
- In between driving jobs if required, assist with sweeping and mopping floors, removing rubbish, washing animals’ water and food bowls, replacing food and water.
- Transferring animals between Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Australia Zoo and the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital
- Communication with RSPCA Wildlife Hospital Staff
- Taking bins full of soiled linen/towels/bedding to the laundry and collecting clean bedding/towels etc to take back to the hospital.
- 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.
What skills and characteristics do I need?
- Confidence in working with a variety of animals, including reptiles
- Willingness to learn, wildlife knowledge or experience an advantage
- A clean driver’s licence is required, and the ability to use GPS to navigate to unfamiliar places
- Be physically fit (able to lift 10kg) and comfortable in a wide variety of outdoor situations
- Attention to detail and able to accurately follow instructions
- Enjoy working in a team environment
- Able to be flexible and adaptable
- Excellent communication skills
When can I volunteer?
We currently have the below vacancies:
- Friday: 12pm-4pm or 1pm-5pm
- Saturday:4pm-8pm
- Sunday: 8am-12pm or 1pm-5pm
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 four hour shift per week 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.
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
Wildlife Reception | Wacol
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?
We currently have the below shifts available only:
- Thursday: 4pm-8pm or 5pm-10pm
- Friday: 4pm-8pm or 5pm-10pm
- Saturday: 12:30pm-5pm
- Sunday: 4pm-8pm or 5pm-10pm
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.
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
Wildlife Ward Assistant | Wacol
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 have the following vacancies:
- Tuesday - 12pm-4pm
- Friday - 12pm-4pm
- Saturday - 12pm-4pm
- Sunday - 12pm-4pm
- 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.
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