Ontario SPCA Provincial Dog Rehabilitation Centre

GOAL for this position:

As a Dog Walking and Enrichment Volunteer, your role will provide essential hands-on support to our busy animal centre.

This role directly works with the dogs and puppies in our care; through this role, you will have a significant impact on their physical wellbeing, and their mental health.

The ripple effect of ensuring enrichment strategies are performed, will extend far beyond the immediate results of your efforts, to have a lasting impact on their health, reducing their ability to pick up diseases, reduce their emotional stress and increase their mental well-being. Ensuring their stay with us is temporary while they await their forever home. 

Volunteer role:

• Clean and disinfect dog caging and enrichment equipment, handle dogs.
• Provide dogs with appropriate mental stimulation and positive physical contact during the walk and enrichment activities.
• Encourage basic leash skills and positive adoptable behaviours.
• Provide relief from emotional stress, through approved animal handling best practices.
• Follow safety practices while walking the dogs, follow planned walking routes.
• Document individual dog behaviours and reactions after each walk/ enrichment interaction.

Skills requirement:

• Bending, lifting, or reaching will be required when interacting with the dogs.
• Experience handling dogs, including large breeds.
• Ability to follow infection control measures.
• Ability to follow specific care plan directions and cleaning protocols.
• Desire to learn dog behaviours and enrichment best practices.

Personal benefits:

• Directly impact the lives of dogs and puppies in our care.
• Learn about best practices in animal sheltering environments.
• Make like-minded friends, non-furry and furry!
• Behind the scenes access to our animal centres.
• Access to our knowledgeable staff & wellness resources.
• Ability to customize your schedule, choose your assignments and update your profile, through our online community.

Time commitment:

We recognize your time contribution to being a volunteer. Therefore, we support a customized approach to your schedule to best suit your availability. During our onboarding process, we will capture your time preferences and availability.  We are always looking for individuals who are dependable and responsible. This particular role is offered every day, for 1-3 hours shifts. 

 

Orientation and Training

Before you start your journey with us, our organization will provide you with the following training:

• Infection control and cleaning protocols
• Dog handling and behaviours 
• How to access our online community
• Fear Free concepts
• WHMIS 
• AODA

We will indicate which training will be required prior to your commencement, and which training we encourage you to participate in at your earliest convenience.

 

Supervision and support

As a volunteer, you will be supported by animal centre staff. This staff partner will provide you with training for your specific role, your schedule, and any required feedback or updates. The Volunteer Development Team will always be available to offer support and guidance.  You will also have direct access to our online community, where you can find organizational updates, posted information and contact information for your staff partners.