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Volunteer Positions

Junior Volunteer Positions

The following positions are for youth 13 to 17 years of age, as noted, and require a commitment of 2 hours per week for at least six months. We are unable to accept volunteers under the age of 13. To become a junior volunteer, start by completing a Volunteer Application. Your on-line application will be forwarded to the Volunteer Services Department at the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. If you need an application sent to you, contact Volunteer Services, at 650/340-7022 x370 or volunteers@PHS-SPCA.org.

Once your application is received, you will be invited to attend the next New Volunteer Orientation and should RSVP by the specified deadline. Space is limited. You must also complete a Junior Volunteer Program Waiver (download and print). Have your parent/guardian sign the waiver and bring it with you to the orientation. dates for upcoming orientations

Baby Bird
Enrichment (Cats & Dogs)
Kitten Nursery
Small Animal Companion Volunteer
Tender Loving Care (TLC) Cats & Dogs
Thrift Store
Wildlife

Volunteer Position Descriptions in Detail

Baby Bird Volunteer (Seasonal April – August)

(15 – 17 year-olds)
Our Wildlife Care Center needs extra assistance feeding and caring for baby birds during the busy season. We receive hundreds of wild birds from the counties of San Francisco and San Mateo as well as the South Bay who require our help to survive. In this unique opportunity to work directly with wildlife, volunteers will learn proper feeding techniques for baby birds and lend a hand with cleaning duties and general animal husbandry.

The 2010 season is FULL.  Please check back in February 2011 for next summer’s program and training schedule.

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Enrichment (Cats & Dogs)

(16-17 year-olds; also available for 13-15 year-olds, but they must volunteer with a parent)
To stimulate the animals through novel sights, sounds and smells while in their kennels, allowing them to exercise choice and control over their environment and providing them with ways to engage in species-specific behavior.  Volunteers will prepare, give out and clean various enrichment items for shelter dogs and cats and document your interaction with the animal.

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Kitten Nursery (Seasonal March – August)

(15-17 year-olds; also available for 13-14 year-olds, but they must volunteer with a parent)
The kittens involved in this program are potentially able to survive without their mother as their food source. They may not have been exposed to eating on their own, but would be old enough to be weaned if fed a high density wet food regularly. They would need to be fed 3 times daily by hand with a syringe. There will be 3 feeding shifts. Depending on how many kittens are in each litter, this may take between 2-3 hours per shift. First, the kittens would need to be removed from their cages, placed in designated boxes, and the cages would need to be thoroughly cleaned. New bedding, fresh water, and a new litter box would be placed in the cage. Feeding is to be done one kitten at a time with a pre-prescribed mixture of food. The volunteer would mix the food freshly for each shift. Throughout the feeding, the volunteer would note any health issues that arise on a sheet located in the packet on the cage. This sheet will serve as the communication to the Vet Services Department. A white board will be present for communication between volunteers on each shift. Additional duties may include bathing kittens and administering medications.

Shifts will be daily and the time will be approximately:

• MORNING: 8-10am
• MID-DAY: 1-3
• EVENING: 6-8
  

Please note volunteers must commit to at least one weekly shift for the duration of the nursery “season” and vacation or time off is not available during the “season”.

The 2010 season is FULL.  Please check back in February 2011 for next summer’s program and training schedule.

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Small Animal Companion Volunteer

(16 – 17 year-olds)
Small Animal Companion Volunteers provide companionship, exercise and socialization to the rats, rabbits and guinea pigs up for adoption. Volunteers must be interested in learning about these animals' special needs and be able to work independently.

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Tender Loving Care (TLC) Cats & Dogs

(16-17 year-olds; also available for 13-15 year olds, but they must volunteer with a parent)
The goal of the TLC program is to provide comfort, companionship and socialization to all animals at PHS/SPCA. Junior TLC Volunteers enjoy a great deal of physical contact with dogs and cats up for adoption. The main duty of the TLC Volunteer is to make sure the animals are well cared for and comfortable. Basic duties include: exercising animals; cleaning cages and kennels; washing dishes and doing laundry for the animals; hands-on socialization to build confidence for some animals; minor grooming; assisting with feeding and watering; providing toys and fresh blankets for all animals, and completing volunteer visit/behavior cards. Volunteers must have good physical strength and be able to work independently. Volunteers will be required to complete an animal handling class and on-the-job training.

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Thrift Store

(15-17 year-olds)
(Pick of the Litter, PHS/SPCA's Resale Shop is located at 1127 Chula Vista in Burlingame)
Volunteers restock shelves and assist customers and donors. They work with staff and other volunteers to keep the store attractive. Retired retail workers, artists, craftsmen and marketing volunteers help make the store successful in its mission to financially support programs and services at PHS/SPCA. This is a good position for a volunteer that wants to make a difference in animals' lives, but may not be comfortable working with shelter animals.

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Wildlife Volunteer

(16 – 17 year-olds)
Wildlife Volunteers have a rare and unique opportunity to work directly with and handle a variety of wild animals. Job duties vary, depending on the number and species of wildlife housed at PHS/SPCA. Duties include basic husbandry (feeding animals, cleaning cages, washing dishes, doing laundry, and general housekeeping), as well as handling animals under direct supervision, assisting with wildlife-related emergencies (oil spills, etc.), and releasing successfully rehabilitated animals.  Wildlife Volunteers can work at our San Mateo or Palo Alto locations. 

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