How to Volunteer

Volunteers have been the cornerstone of the Bow Valley SPCA since its inception, and we value the many members of our community who dedicate their time and resources. The success of the Bow Valley SPCA depends significantly on community and volunteer effort and involvement, and we are so proud to have a large volunteer base of highly engaged animal advocates who form the foundation of our non-profit operation.

Volunteer Requirements

At the Bow Valley SPCA, we are committed to providing care and protection for stray and abandoned cats and dogs. We have an animal wellness focus and provide education to prevent cruelty and promote humane attitudes towards animals.

So, the most important requirement to volunteer with the BVSPCA is to love animals! If you’ve made it this far, that’s probably you!

Other requirements include:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Plan on volunteering at least 6 hours each month
• Be able to arrange your own transportation to and from the Centre and events
• Have a clean Criminal Record

Please keep in mind that initially new volunteers are limited to volunteering during our public operating hours (Wednesday to Saturday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm).

What Can I Do?

Our Volunteer needs vary over time and throughout the year. Below you will some roles that we regularly need help with. Click on each position for more detailed information.

• Animal Care Attendant Helper

  Assist our Animal Care Attendants (ACA's) by volunteering for 2-3 hours during a regular shift, the same day each (or most) weeks.  We are looking for regular scheduling for this role, and ideally a long-term commitment (minimum 3 months). 

  Duties include scooping litter boxes, janitorial work throughout the building, vacuuming, mopping floors, dusting, cleaning doors & windows, doing laundry, washing dishes, organizing supplies and stock, and general love and care for the animals, all under the direction of the ACA on duty. This is a support role for the ACA, and although you will be around animals during your shift, the primary focus of this role is helping to ensure a clean, organized, and sanitary environment for the animals.

  ACA shifts are 7:00am-12:00pm or 4:00pm-9:00pm.

  Note: only volunteers who have completed Open Paw® Training are permitted to work with the dogs. Limited shifts available.

• Board of Directors

  The Board of Directors of the Bow Valley SPCA is considered a ‘working board’ which means that, in addition to being responsible for the governance of the organization, the Directors also take on activities that are directly involved in the operations of the organization. This is typical of smaller sized charities where it is determined that due to the scale of the operations and to save additional personnel costs, many operational tasks can be carried out by volunteers that have a sense of responsibility, and duty, to the organization such as the Board members. As a result, each Director is expected to either hold an executive position (President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary) with its own set of responsibilities or to assume a portfolio of operational responsibility. This also means that the time commitment expected from each Director may be more than a pure ‘governance’ board. Our directors typically spend 10-15 hours/month on Bow Valley SPCA activities, including attending and preparing for Board Meetings, held once per month (approx. 1.5-2hrs long). 

  If you are interested in openings for our Board of Directors, please read Board of Directors

• Cat Cuddlers & Cat Care

  Spend time with our feline residents, which can vary from 20 to 30 cats/kittens, during hours that the Centre is open to the public (Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm).  Cat Cuddlers hang out with the cats, visit, play, and groom all of which provides them with needed socialization and care.

  If you want to be part of enriching the lives of our feline residents through prescribed plans for some of our more at-need cats (seniors, shy cats and those who have behavioural challenges to work through), you can join our Cat Centric Team! This dedicated group of volunteers will work together to be a "go to" team that focuses on special care, with occasional meet-ups and discussions to better enrich the lives of our feline residents.

  The Cat Centric Team is a more involved volunteer role than Cat Cuddlers. If you wish to be part of this team, please express your interest at the Volunteer Orientation. Successful completion of an online course (link provided after Orientation) will be required to join the Team.

• Centre Greeters (front desk & reception duties)

  These volunteers provide a warm welcome and assistance to each person visiting the Centre, while providing support to the Manager and team at the Centre. Shifts are either 12:00pm-2:00pm or 2:00pm-4:00pm, on each day the Centre is open to the public (Wednesday to Saturday).

  General reception duties include answering the phones (taking messages as needed and passing them on), sharing information, fielding enquiries, helping with Shed Shop searches and purchases, processing transactions using the cash register or credit card machine, providing donation taxable receipts when required, and "all other duties as assigned."

• Dog Walking, Socialization & Rehabilitation

  After completing our Open Paw® Training (OPT), volunteers are able to work with our resident canines. Initially this is restricted to the hours that the Centre is open to the public (Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm). 

  OPT provides the framework for keeping our dogs socialized, stimulated and ensures they work on behavioural skills to ensure they are adoptable. Walks are limited to specific routes at first and new dogs walkers are restricted to the level of dog that our trainers feel best suits their abilities and are not allowed to take dogs on hikes (without written approval on a case-by-case basis) or to the off-leash parks. Dog walkers who have a keen interest in behaviour and rehabilitation may be provided opportunities to work with our dogs within the context of a training focus.

  Our no-kill philosophy means that many of the dogs that come into our care need significant behavioural work, patience, and love, and so comfortability with large breed, high-energy dogs is recommended.

• Educational Program Presenters

  As part of our mission to "promote humane attitudes and practices towards animals throughout our community," we send our volunteers to local classrooms or host Centre tours to engage with the next generation. A key volunteer leads this initiative and we have a program in place which shares age appropriate information about care, responsibility and the 5 Freedoms we ensure are provided to all animals in our care and which are core to animals everywhere. Students learn the needs of animals, about empathy and it's importance, and about responsible pet ownership.

  Presentations are generally facilitated in the spring and fall, and new presenters will work alongside a seasoned volunteer. While there may be occasional requests throughout the year this assignment is occasional or has a defined timeframe.

• Event Planning (execution & general assistance)

  Our Fundraising & Events Committee is looking for experienced volunteers to join the team in order to plan a variety of events during the year such as the bottle drive, raffles, Tunes for Tails, Bark-A-Que, and other opportunities to raise funds and engage our community. Ideally individuals would have the skill to own and take an event from conception to execution with the support of other volunteers.

  Scheduling for this is varied and could include evening meetings, and these events are often off-site.

• Fostering

  While we are not a foster-based rescue and generally prefer for our animals to live at the Adoption Centre, dedicated foster homes are integral for supporting our furry residents that need a little extra love and care, and who are not thriving in the shelter environment. Other animals need fostering because of health issues that need consistent monitoring and overnight care. This means that we need qualified individuals who are skilled with scared or reactive/aggressive animals, or animals with ongoing serious health challenges.

  As such, fostering with the Bow Valley SPCA means helping to work on and provide for these behaviour and/or health challenges, so that the animal in foster works towards a state of higher adoptability.

  The Adoption Centre Manager will provide the approved foster home with a specific care plan for the animal, including ongoing instruction and support for medical and/or behavioural needs.

  The Bow Valley SPCA will provide all necessary supplies, and will cover the cost of food, cat litter, medications, and pre-arranged veterinary appointments.

  If you are interested in being placed on our emergency foster call list, please read Fostering

  Please note that we rarely put highly adoptable animals into foster homes, as it decreases their exposure and unnecessarily increases their length of stay, and animals becoming available for foster are infrequent.

• Fundraising

  Volunteers are essential for us to successfully raise funds during the year. As events are planned, volunteers are recruited for many different types of assignments such as bottle/can collection during the bottle drive, BVSPCA ambassadors, front door ticket takers, 50/50 ticket sales, set-up, tear down, and so much more, as needed.

• General Maintenance & Yard Work

  Individuals who are handy with tools and fixing a variety of things around the Centre are a huge help for us, whether changing light bulbs, fixing dripping taps, doing deep cleaning in awkward places, light carpentry work, trips to the dump, and troubleshooting other issues that crop up. Volunteer assistance ensures prompt resolution while helping our not-for-profit contain costs by not having to call in various trades.

  Scheduling is generally flexible, although urgent matters may result in a short timeframe request (understanding that based on a volunteer's personal schedule it might not always be feasible). In the winter, these volunteers can help with shovelling/ice removal, and in the summer can assist with weeding, landscaping, and yard maintenance.

• Poop Patrol

  Not glamorous, but important to keep our yard clean and healthy! Regular tours of the yard help us contain our 2.2 acre fenced yard, where our resident dogs run free and leave many treasures.

  Volunteers who would be willing to take 30 minutes a week to regularly stay on top of this are valued!

• Therapy Dog Volunteers

  Therapy Dog Volunteers are a huge part of our Community Outreach programming, whereby volunteers and their own dogs visit patients in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and senior’s residences on a regular basis. Our Pet Therapy Teams can also be found in schools, libraries, and at community events. Individuals benefit both physically and emotionally from the unconditional love provided by dogs.

  Full information can be found at: Pet Therapy Program Volunteering

If you have another passion, interest or skill not listed here that you think would be fitting to the mission and purpose of the Bow Valley SPCA, please Contact Us.

Interested in Volunteering?

A successful volunteer base includes individuals with a wide range of skills, abilities, interests and experience. There is something for everyone.

To apply to volunteer with us for any position (other than Therapy Dog Volunteer), you must:

1. Submit a Volunteer Application Form
2. Enroll in our on-line Volunteer Orientation Program and complete the accompanying training module.
   - Note: Registration requires a $25 program fee (this includes a volunteer t-shirt, which you will receive during an in-person onboarding session)

Once you have completed BOTH these steps (Application Form and Online Orientation), your request will be submitted to our Volunteer Coordinator.

Our Volunteer Coordinator will then email you with the next steps in the process, including in-person onboarding and how to obtain and submit a Police Criminal Record Check and/or Vulnerable Sector Check (free service; required to become a BVSPCA volunteer).

Note: If you are applying to become a Therapy Dog Volunteer with your dog, there is a different application process. Click HERE.

Questions, concerns or comments? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at volunteers@bowvalleyspca.org.

Thank you for your interest!