Volunteering
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Animal Aid. Without this wonderful support we simply would not achieve what we do each and every day. Animal Aid is privileged to have over 500 dedicated volunteers lending a hand within all areas of our organisation.
These volunteers gift thousands of hours of their time every year to support animals in need. Volunteering with Animal Aid is a great way to meet new people who are committed to giving homeless pets a second chance.
Select your preferred location below to find out about available opportunities.
We need volunteers in every department of Animal Aid. Our volunteers allow us to give every animal the time they need to heal.
- Kennels
- Cattery
- Boarding
- Grooming Salon
- Vet Clinic
- Administration, Events & Fundraising
- Opportunity Shops
- Grounds and Maintenance
- Drivers for pick-up and delivery runs
- Foster carers
Volunteer Requirements
We need volunteers who are enthusiastic, have a passion for animal welfare. To become a volunteer with Victorian Animal Aid, we ask that you:
- Are 18 years or older
- Are physically fit and able to undertake the role you apply for.
- Can work independently, without supervision
- Can make quick and rational decisions.
- Agree to follow all staff instructions.
- Apply on behalf of yourself, not another person.
- Are enthusiastic and have a passion for animal welfare
- Understand that a lot of what we doing is cleaning
- Help out during a 4 or 8 hour shift once a week and be reliable, our animals are counting on you!
- 6 -12 month commitment is appreciated
Youth Volunteering only available at Coldstream
- We offer Youth Volunteering and require you to be 13 to 17 years of age, a parent or guardian over the age of 18 must accompany you, work alongside, and supervise you. Animal Aid is a non for profit organisation and do not have the staff resources to adequately supervise and keep youth safe. Youth must be mature in the shelter environment, calm and follow instructions from staff and parents to prevent injury.
- We do not offer volunteering for youth under the age of 13
Work Experience
We appreciate your interest in Animal Aid and your desire to gain work experience. While we understand the importance of work experience opportunities, we regret to inform you that we are currently unable to provide placements for Year 10 students.
Our team is fully committed to providing the best possible care for our animals, and our resources are currently allocated towards this priority. We encourage you to explore other avenues for work experience, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Corporate Volunteering
We regret to inform our corporate partners that our corporate volunteering program is currently on hold due to ongoing construction and resourcing challenges. However, we are excited to announce that we are re-imagining our program to offer a more engaging and impactful experience for our corporate volunteers. We anticipate launching our new program 2024, and we are eager to collaborate with our partners to make a positive difference in the lives of our animals. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time and look forward to welcoming you back soon.
Corporate Volunteering Expression of Interest
Event Volunteering
Our events are increasingly becoming an integral part of Animal Aid’s fundraising. Our events are run almost entirely by volunteers, from smaller Community Events to our large scale events raising in excess of $50,000.
If you’re excited to meet new people and get your hands a little dirty to help us raise funds and raise the profile of Animal Aid then please, click the button below to apply!
Become a Foster Carer
Some of the animals that come through Animal Aid’s door are not quite ready to go to a forever home and need the short term love and care of a foster person or family.
Have you ever thought about fostering a homeless pet? Choosing to foster care an animal in need is both a rewarding and special experience. It is a big commitment, but the benefits of foster caring for both people and animals are unquestionable.
Placing animals into foster care helps them on the road to adoption as well as assisting Animal Aid during peak periods such as kitten season. Without our ever growing network of foster carers we couldn’t achieve what we do each year.