Volunteer

We are excited that you would like to join us. Together, we can create a better life for New Zealand’s animals.

How can you help?

SPCA simply could not function without the help of the fantastic volunteers who donate their time. If you are ready to put your hand up to help, we have got the volunteer option to suit you.

We have a variety of jobs that require volunteer assistance at our 34 centres nationwide – from animal centre volunteers to event and administration support, fosterers, op shop assistants and volunteer drivers.

Volunteer opportunities

Animal centre volunteers: Our centre volunteers help out in all areas, including working with the cats, dogs, small animals or farm animals in our care. They clean, feed, medicate, walk and help us socialise the animals. Our volunteers also work in the adoption areas to help people coming to the centre find the right pet for their family.

While some of our larger centres often offer more specialised roles with a specific type of animal or in a specific area such as the hospital or cat ward, animal centre volunteers in smaller centres often get to do lots of different tasks and help with all animals.

Most of our centres will ask you to commit to a minimum number of days or hours each month, and will put you through a training programme before you can start.

View our current opportunities

Foster parents: Many of the animals that come into our SPCA centres need additional care, treatment and socialisation before finding their new forever home. That’s where our foster parents help out, by giving animals a temporary home to recover. You can help save the life of an animal by becoming an SPCA foster parent today.

View our current foster volunteer opportunities

Op Shop volunteers: We have a number of successful Op Shops across the country which help us raise valuable funds for the animals. For our shops, we need passionate and motivated volunteers who can commit to a regular roster and are happy to carry out a variety of tasks including customer service, sorting through pre-loved items, washing clothes, and mending items that need minor repairs. Some of our shops also need drivers to pick up larger items for the shops.

View our current Op Shop opportunities

Event and fundraising volunteers: Throughout the year, our centres are involved in a number of events, from visits to community groups and schools to manning stands at community days and fairs. We also need bakers for Cupcake Day in August, and collectors for our Annual Appeal in March.

Being an Event and Fundraising Volunteer is ideal for people who lead busy lives and are unable to commit to regular days.

View our current opportunities

Administration volunteers: Administration volunteers are needed by some of our larger centres, usually for task such basic administration support, calling supporters to update address details, printing, stuffing envelopes for mailouts, and helping us with odd tasks such as cleaning donation boxes – basically anything that our staff sometimes just don’t find the time to do.

We also always have need of people who can handle a camera and can help us to take photos of animals looking for a home.

View our current opportunities

Maintenance volunteers

We often need help with odd jobs around the center, such as maintenance and one-off projects. Some of the areas we can always use help with are:

Gardening
Electrical work
Building and joining
Cleaning
Bricklaying
Painting and decorating

Everyone is welcome! If you have an area of expertise you’d like to offer, we’d love to hear from you.

View our current opportunities

Animal Ambulance Volunteer: Are you mature, used to handling animals and confident dealing with people? Do you have a full driver’s license and some time to spare on weekends or after hours on weekdays? If so, becoming an Animal Ambulance Volunteer could be right for you.

View our current opportunities

Outreach Therapy Pets and Dog Squad volunteer: If you have a few hours spare during the day and have a dog or other animal that enjoys people and cuddles, you may like to join the Outreach Therapy Pets Programme or one of our Dog Squad teams to help out with hospital and rest home visits.

View our current opportunities

Rag Hero & Toy Maker: If you would like to help the animals but are too young to volunteer at a centre (usually 18 years) or would prefer to help from home, there are lots of ways you can get involved. We are always in need of volunteers to help cut up sheets and blankets to clean cages with, and make enrichment toys for the animals in our care to make their stay with us more enjoyable. This can be done at home and the whole family can get involved.