Volunteer with us!

The Roanoke Valley SPCA relies on volunteers to help fulfill our mission of providing care to stray, abandoned and surrendered animals.

Our volunteers are involved with many aspects of our shelter’s operations and contribute greatly towards preparing our animals for life in a new home.  We offer a comprehensive volunteer program which provides many different opportunites to choose from based on your individual interests and talent.

The RVSPCA is grateful for your interest and very appreciative of your desire to donate your time to our cause.  We do ask that interested individuals be willing to commit to a minimum of a couple of hours per week.

In return, we will honor your volunteering by providing you with the appropriate orientation and on-the-job training.  We will make every effort to provide a productive, educational and rewarding experience for you while you support our work on behalf of all of our animals.

Below are a few of the opportunities currently available through the RVSPCA. More are found on the Volunteer Application. You can participate in one or all of them, but, again, we do ask for a regular time commitment and some opportunities may require extra training as specified on the application.

Pet Therapy

The National Institutes of Health has recognized human-animal interaction as a form of therapy since 1987. Animals provide a way of reaching people when traditional methods fail. Animals are nonjudgmental and offer unconditional acceptance of all people, regardless of age or disability. Take your pet and visit residents of local nursing centers, adult day care centers, and other facilities.

Special Events

Special events include Information Booths, Satellite Adoptions, and the various fundraisers held throughout the year. Duties vary according to the event, but may include transporting animals and educational materials, answering questions and distributing information, and caring for the animals while away from the shelter. Before becoming a Special Events volunteer, a thorough knowledge of the RVSPCA services, mission, and goals is necessary. Whenever we are in contact with the public, we become ambassadors and educators for the RVSPCA.

Foster Care

Often the shelter takes in animals in need of extra care and attention, such as an orphaned puppy or kitten, litters of puppies or kittens with or without their mother, and animals recovering from illness or injuries. Foster period varies from 2 weeks to 6 weeks, or longer, depending upon the need of the animal(s). At times, we may need to place animals in temporary homes for shorter periods of time until kennel space becomes available. The shelter provides food, medication (if needed) and veterinary care. Volunteers who have filled out an application and have been approved as foster care givers provide the extra TLC these animals require until they are ready for adoption. This volunteer activity requires extra time and commitment, but is very rewarding!  Contact Ann Marie Sweeney at asweeney@rvspca.org for more information or fill out our Foster Care Application.
 
If any of these volunteer opportunities appeal to you, please complete an online application and contact our Volunteer Coordinator Gael Dixon at 540-344-4840 Ext. 299 or via email at gdixon@rvspca.org.