There are a variety of ways for volunteers to serve in the Center's veterinary department, depending on interests, availability, and the needs of the Center. Interested applicants can find a description of each area below, as well as requirements and availability. Due to shift restrictions in some areas, volunteer positions will not always be available.
How to become a volunteer
Once you have looked at the general requirements and the various volunteer opportunities to identify your interest, fill out the application below and email it to wildlife@wildlifecenter.org with your area of interest and availability. Please understand that we receive a high volume of inquiries and we will respond as soon as possible.
Volunteers work with a team at an assigned time each day. There are two shifts (3-4 hrs) a day, seven days a week to choose from. The morning shift starts at 8:00 am and the evening shift at 3:00 pm.
Volunteer orientations take place throughout the year. As vacancies occur, we contact applicants for a phone and/or in-person interview.
Hospital Volunteers
Hospital Volunteers assist staff and veterinarians with the care of wildlife patients. Hospital volunteers help to prepare meals, help cleaning cages, washing dishes, washing floors, and disinfecting counters. Responsibilities increase with experience and demonstrated commitment. There are three types of volunteers in the Hospital:
- Rehabilitation (Mammals)
- Rehabilitation (Birds and/or reptiles)
- Treatment
Minimal requirements: (Apply to ALL Hospital Volunteers)
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Applicants must have health insurance and be up-to-date on the tetanus vaccination
- Able to commit to a minimum of one shift weekly for at least 6 months
- Pay a volunteer T-shirt fee
- No prior veterinary or animal handling experience is needed
Rehabilitation Volunteers (mammals):
Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is required and a rabies titer check every two years is required. A Category IV VDGIF permit renewed annually.
Volunteers will work closely with the rehabilitation staff as they perform daily tasks including:
- Meal preparation and daily feeding/watering
- Cleaning, hosing, and scrubbing pens of all animals housed indoors and outdoors
- Assist staff with capture and restraint of patients
- Record weights and food intake
- Cage set-up and maintaining proper environment
- Monitor progress of patients
- Help hand-feed orphaned birds and mammals
- Help in the daily exercise of raptors
- Assist with maintaining a clean and organized facility
Rehabilitation Volunteers (birds and reptiles):
A Category IV VDGIF permit renewed annually.
Volunteers will work closely with the rehabilitation staff as they perform daily tasks including:
- Meal preparation and daily feeding/watering
- Cleaning, hosing, and scrubbing enclosures of all animals housed indoors and outdoors
- Disinfection of enclosures and counters
- Assist staff with capture and restraint of patients
- Record weights and food intake
- Cage set-up and maintaining proper environment
- Monitor progress of patients
- Help with the care of our education reptiles
- Assist with maintaining a clean and organized facility
Treatment Volunteers:
Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is required and a rabies titer check every two years is required. A Category IV VDGIF permit renewed annually.
Volunteers will work closely with the veterinary staff as they perform daily tasks including:
- Cleaning, hosing, and scrubbing enclosures of all animals housed indoors and outdoors
- Assist staff with capture and restraint of patients
- Assist veterinary staff with daily medical treatments and record-keeping
- Assist veterinary staff with medication and supplies inventory
- Assist with maintaining a clean and organized facility
- Performing basic diagnostic tests
Kitchen Volunteers
Kitchen volunteers assist staff in the preparation of meals and nutrition of patients. Daily tasks include:
- Washing dishes, floors, and disinfecting counters
- Meal preparation for reptiles, mammals, and birds
- Help harvesting wild foods (browse, acorns, nuts, berries, etc)
- Keeping food inventory
- Sorting and packing food
- Picking up donated products
- Assisting with maintaining a clean and organized facility
Administration Volunteers
Administration volunteers help with medical record-keeping and updating important information of our patients in a database. Daily tasks include:
- Medical record-keeping
- Organization of medical records and diagnostic tests
- Organizing data for research projects
- Help implement protocols and procedures
- Assist staff with supply inventory
- Copying, scanning, and organizing documents
- Assist with maintaining a clean and organized facility
Carpentry-Maintenance Volunteers
Carpentry-maintenance volunteers will help with the maintenance repair and build animal crates, boxes, enclosures, and perches. Daily tasks include:
- Assist with maintaining a clean and organized facility
- Building wood boxes for squirrels, owls, woodpeckers, and other wildlife patients
- Help with the repairs of the building and patient enclosures
- Help in the repair and maintenance of roofs, floors, doors, plumbing, and others
- Help in the build and design of new patient enclosures
- Help to implement the preventive maintenance protocol for the hospital building and animal enclosures
- Help with the removal of debris, leaves, and snow from roofs and floors
Ready to apply? Fill out this application and email to wildlife@wildlifecenter.org
Learn more about our outreach and transport volunteer opportunities.
Thanks for your interest in volunteering with the Wildlife Center of Virginia!
