There's a lot of cute and fluffy reasons to join the Volunteer Team at the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA. Click the link to join today!
Shifts: Monday - Saturday, 1 hour shifts between 9am-4pm & evening shifts Wednesdays 5-7pm
Training Required: Online training videos with quizzes. Upon completion, schedule an in-person proficiency training shift
Daily walks provide our dogs with needed human contact, stimulation and exercise that will ultimately help make them more adoptable. Walk around our yard, hangout in the play yards or take them on our ½ mile trail that surrounds the shelter property.
All dogs are assessed and given a behavioral color code when they come into our care. All new volunteers begin at level 1 with yellow/green coded dogs. As dog walking service hours are obtained, volunteers can earn promotions to walk level 2 and level 3 dogs.
Level 1 (Yellow/Green Dogs)- All new volunteers start here. Online & in-person proficiency training required
Level 2 (Blue Dogs) - 20+ hours of dog walking, online & in-person proficiency training required
Level 3 (Orange Dogs) - 30+ hours of dog walking, online & in-person proficiency training required
Shifts: Monday - Saturday, 2 hours each (during open hours)
Training Requirements: One in-person training shift
It may not feel like the most glamorous job, but our laundry and upkeep volunteers are some of the most important to help keep our animals well cared for and healthy. With around 100+ animals housed in the shelter at a time, laundry and dishes can quickly pile up. We average around 20-30 loads of laundry per week! Help shelter staff keep up by washing, drying, folding and sorting laundry; washing dishes and toys; and tidying and sweeping our food storage areas.
Shifts: 7am-10am Daily
Training Required: Two in-person training/shadowing shifts
Be the first face to greet our dogs in the morning! Assist our Animal Care staff with morning dog kennel duties, including refreshing food & water, cleaning & power washing messes from the night before, and resetting kennels for the day with a clean blanket, toys and treats. Our goal is to have kennel areas reset and ready before we open to the public for the day.
Shifts: 8-10am Daily
Training Required: Two in-person training/shadowing shifts
We want our cats to start the day with a clean, comfy environment. Assist our Animal Care staff with the morning care of our adoptable and stray cats, including spot cleaning kennels & cat condos, refreshing food & water bowls, and sweeping floors so they are free of litter, hair & debris. Our goal is to have kennel areas reset and ready before we open to the public each day.
Objective: To help increase the adoptability of a pet with cute photographs and videos as well as a well written, accurate biography of that animal that entices people to come to the shelter to meet the animal.
The number one reason people list why they adopted their pet is that they saw a cute photo or video online and they came in to meet them. Photographs and accurate biographies are the way to make the greatest impact on the outcome of our animals.
Our foster carers provide much-needed temporary homes for animals who require extra love and support before becoming available for adoption.
The mission of the Rockingham Harrisonburg SPCA is to create a community free of pet homelessness and animal suffering through adoption and advocacy. Volunteers bring our mission to life by helping with every bit of what we do around the shelter.
