Volunteer

Do good. Have fun. Help pets. Join us.

Thank you for your interest in the Volunteer Program at the SPCA of Wake County!
As we work toward our mission of transforming the lives of pets and people through protection, care, education, and adoption, we need volunteers to help us. If you love pets and want to help those who don't have homes, we might just have the perfect volunteer opportunity for you.
Volunteer opportunities at SPCA Wake include something for almost every pet lover. The main roles include Butlers, Matchmakers, General Cleaning and Events:
    • Canine Butler, Feline Butler, Small Pets Butler — Butler roles include hands-on responsibilities such as cleaning bedrooms and condos, potty breaks, enrichment, and positive social interactions with pets.
    • Feline Matchmaker, Canine Matchmaker  — Matchmaker roles include responsibilities that require guest interaction, positive communication, getting to know our pets and conducting meetings between guests and pets.
    • General Cleaning Volunteers — General Cleaning roles are heavily based on back-of-house duties i.e. laundry, dishes and other supportive tasks.
    • Event Volunteers — These volunteers attend events on behalf of the SPCA and even help run our pop-up Wellness Clinics with the Community Impact team
    • Long Term/Emergency Foster of Owned Pets — This new volunteer role is a variation from our normal volunteer or foster roles. There is a separate volunteer application you will need to fill out. Please scroll down to read more. 

As volunteers gain skills and we learn about you, there are more advanced roles like Medication Administration, Medical Assistants, and Administrative Assistants.

The Volunteer Service is forever growing, and as we head into 2025 with the expansion of our facility, there will continue to be more new roles available. However you want to get involved, your support will make a lifesaving difference for pets and the people who love them.

If you have any questions before filling out an application, please reach out to Pamela Schmalenberger, Director of Volunteer Services at volunteer@spcawake.org.

Ready to get started?

Volunteer Requirements

Here are the key requirements:

  • Age Requirement: Be at least 18 years old.
  • Team Spirit: Be a Team Player! Collaboration is key, and our volunteers should thrive in both team and independent settings.
  • Commitment: Dedicate at least 48 hours per year, including one shift every six months.
  • Onboarding: Complete all New Volunteer requirements online.
  • Training: Fulfill all volunteer task training requirements.
  • Safety First: Understand and adhere to all SPCA Wake and volunteer task safety guidelines.
  • Adhere to instructions: Ability to follow written and verbal instructions provided by staff.
  • Internet accessibility: Have consistent access to the internet and email for seamless communication and online training.

Each volunteer role at the SPCA has different physical requirements, but all involve bending, standing, and reaching. If you have concerns about the physical requirements of the roles or require an aide to accompany you, please reach out via email to volunteer@spcawake.org before completing an application so that we can discuss which role(s) might be best suited for you.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to accommodate:
  • Short-term volunteer opportunities
  • Court-mandated community service hours
  • Volunteers under the age of 18

Group Volunteering

Group volunteering is an excellent team-building opportunity that gets your company or organization involved with the lifesaving work at SPCA Wake! Group volunteers can help complete special projects, offer support with daily tasks throughout the facility, and accomplish cleaning and organizing efforts that make a difference long after the volunteer day.

To apply for a group volunteer opportunity, please click below:

Requirements:

  • All groups must submit a group volunteer opportunity request form at least 30 days in advance of proposed dates
  • Scheduled groups of 5-10 people, we cannot accommodate larger groups at this time
  • Group projects only offered Sunday-Thursday in the morning (one group per day, max)
    • Scheduled 5-7 person groups will be welcomed 7am-11am
    • Scheduled 8-10 person groups will be welcomed 8am-12pm
  • Confirmation of the group size and all waivers must be submitted 2 business days in advance

Long Term/Emergency Foster of Owned Pets

This role reports to our Community Impact Department, and differs from other volunteer and foster roles.
The SPCA of Wake County is partnering with pet owners from Western North Carolina who cannot currently provide housing or care for their pets following the Hurricane Helene destruction. As a long-term foster, you would be committing to providing a displaced pet a safe place to stay while their family figures out what comes next.

These foster situations could last as long as 3-6 months, possibly longer depending on the needs of the family. The SPCA would provide all food, supplies and medical care needed while the displaced pet is in your home. We plan to reunite all pets in this program with their original families. We require foster families for this program to have no other pets in the home and access to reliable communication and the internet. If you think you might be able to help, please fill out this form (also linked below) and thank you for stepping up for our neighbors to the west.

Current SPCA Volunteer? Click the button to access your Volunteer Account!

Your Time, Love, and Dedication Make the World a Better Place for Pets and People.
Your ongoing commitment brings us so much joy and makes a such difference.
Thank you for all that you do!

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