The Animal Care Assistant can be a very physical, hands-on volunteering role and every single task, no matter how big or small, makes a big difference to the animals in care. Although you do get time throughout the shift to interact with animals, a typical shift includes all of the below tasks:
Tasks Involved
- The daily cleaning of the animals’ pens which involves removing dirty bedding, hosing or wiping out enclosures, sweeping and scooping up of poop, cleaning litter trays, and providing clean bedding and toys
- Hygiene control – ensuring appropriate sanitisation and hand-washing, and avoiding cross contamination – and ensuring that the animals remain stocked up with food, water, bedding and toys.
- Assisting with socialising, enrichment and exercise of animals in care – you will be trained by shelter staff before you can work independently with animals.
- Taking bins full of soiled linen/towels/bedding to the laundry and collecting clean bedding/towels etc to take back to your area.
- Assisting with general laundry duties as part of each shift, including loading dirty laundry into the machines, loading and/or taking clean washing out of the dryers, and folding all clean items.
- Assistance with ensuring the Animal Care Campus environment is presentable, and general tidying up.
- Following RSPCA philosophy of positive reinforcement with all animal interactions.
About RSPCA QLD
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Queensland (RSPCA Qld) is the state’s leading animal welfare charity, dedicated to improving the lives of all domestic, farmed and native animals throughout Queensland. Each of our passionate and dedicated volunteers play a pivotal role in supporting RSPCA Qld to improve the welfare of animals and protect them from neglect and cruelty.
