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Thank you for your interest!
There are many ways to work directly with homeless pets, assist with their care and be a part of the programs here that make our community a kinder place for pets and people. We do provide specific training so that volunteers can safely and efficiently assist shelter staff and help animals in our care.
Step 1 - Review requirements
Volunteers are asked to make a minimum six-month commitment and many positions require a minimum of 8 service hours per month. All scheduling is done online through our scheduling software Volgistics. Volunteers must sign up for their shifts in advance, as we are a busy and fast-paced animal shelter and are not able to accommodate walk-ins.
Step 2 - Attend orientation
We will provide an overview of our programs and services, review safety protocols, outline expectations and share available volunteer opportunities. Then we will guide you through the next steps in enrolling as a volunteer.
A $10 donation is required to reserve your spot at orientation.
Dates & times listed below.
Age Requirements:
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Volunteers 12-15 years of age are eligible to join our youth volunteer program, however, they must be accompanied by a parent/guardian over the age of 21. For more information regarding volunteer positions open to those under age 16, contact our Volunteer Coordinator using the form below.
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If registering for our youth program, the parent/ guardian and child must both register.
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Please note that at this time we are not accepting dog-enrichment volunteers that are 12-15 years old.
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Youth 16+ may volunteer independently at the shelter without a parent or guardian.
Please note, our shelter does not have the space to accommodate large numbers of volunteers for each shift. If there is a specific activity you are interested in, please contact us with the form below to check availability.
Cat and Small Animal Teams
Volunteers for this team clean, feed and care for cats and various small animals. After animals are cleaned and fed, volunteers take time to socialize with the animals. Socialization is a very important to allow the animals to feel more comfortable with people in the shelter environment.
Cat & Small Animal Team volunteers are required to review training materials/videos and complete a personal training session with a mentor.
Cat Care and Small Animal Care shifts are scheduled daily 8:30-10:30am
Cat Socialization and Small Animal Socialization shifts are scheduled Tuesday-Saturday 11am-1pm.
Age requirement: 12+
No cat volunteer opportunities currently available
Dog Enrichment Team
Volunteers work with shelter dogs to provide social time and basic training skills, giving shelter dogs a chance to enjoy time outside of their kennel, decompress and engage in human interaction. Volunteers may also work on basic training skills to help increase their adoptability. Only positive reinforcement training methods are used.
Dog enrichment volunteers are required to complete a dog training orientation and two personal training sessions with a mentor.
Dog Enrichment shifts are two hours long and scheduled daily between 8:30am - 5:00pm
Age requirement: 16+
Special Events Team
We encourage volunteers with past events experience to assist in this aspect of our organization. Volunteers who participate in special events should be customer service oriented, familiar with Pope Memorial SPCA’s mission and the scope of services we provide. Volunteers attend offsite adoption events and help with fundraisers throughout the year.
Special events are typically held on weekends at various times throughout the year.
Age requirement: 16+
Pet Therapy Team
Volunteers and animals enrich the lives of many people who are unable to have a pet, through either hospitalization or housing restrictions. Our pet therapy teams visit hospitals, nursing homes and retirement centers to bring the joy and healing effects of pet companionship.
Pet Therapy visits are scheduled Monday-Friday at various times, dictated by the facility requesting a visit.
Age Requirement: 12+
Foster Care
Foster homes make it possible for Pope Memorial SPCA to care, socialize and re-home many more animals than would be possible otherwise.
Foster homes are called upon most often to foster pregnant cats, cats with nursing kittens, orphaned kittens or kittens that are weaned but still too young to be placed for adoption.
Dogs requiring temporary medical care, whether daily medications or to recover from surgery, are often placed in foster homes.
Fosters are called on an as need basis.
Age requirement: 18+
Humane Education Team
Our humane education goal is to develop fun, informative and engaging programs for youth. We offer interactive educational experiences for groups interested in learning about animal welfare. Presentations are offered in Merrimack County to schools, after-school programs, troops, recreation centers, summer camps, libraries, faith-based organizations, senior citizen centers, community organizations, businesses and more. These programs can easily be integrated into a classroom curriculum. Our programs often partner with a canine, feline and/or small animal companion along with staff and volunteers.
Another Humane Education program is our “Paws to Read” late afternoon sessions, where children read to animals at the SPCA.
Humane education events are scheduled Monday - Saturday
Age requirement: 16+
Dog Park Team/Facility and Grounds
Volunteers assist with general maintenance of the SPCA property or Concord Dog Park located on Old Turnpike Road. Tasks include; mowing, weed whacking, and light brush removal. Trash pickup is also needed, and bags can be disposed of in our dumpster.
Age requirement: 16+
Upcoming Volunteer Orientations
NOTE: You must pre-register for volunteer orientations. Please click link below to register for the date you can attend.
GENERAL VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION DATES
More orientation dates coming soon!
Questions? Contact Our Volunteer Coordinator