Cumberland County SPCA & Animal Shelter

Looking for a way to help the animals but maybe don't have the means to do it financially? Or perhaps you'd like to be a little more "hands on" and see the difference you can make? Welcome to the world of volunteering......you've never  worked for anything more rewarding.  As a volunteer you are vitally important to the work we do. Every task you perform, no matter how small or routine it may seem, adds up to a significant contribution to the mission of our organization.

Volunteer programs enable us and other non-profit organizations to fill needs in the community that might otherwise go unmet. From the Board of Directors at the CCSPCA who volunteer their time, to the crews who staff our fund-raising events, to the shelter workers and foster families who care for animals in our charge, dedicated volunteers are involved at every level of work.

Some do it for the satisfaction of serving a cause they believe in. Others do it for the sake of interacting with the animals in a positive way, or meeting new people with a similar passion for animals. Still other volunteer to gain on-the-job experience for later career development. But all of them do it for the joy of helping. Whatever your reasons, your caring makes a difference. We all sincerely thank you for  giving your time, and your role here will not be unrecognized. We value your participation and hope that the time you spend here will be equally rewarding for you.

Please click on the areas that interest you to jump directly to them, or simply scroll down the page to see the different volunteer opportunities available.

SPCA Auxiliary        Foster Home        Animal Assistant        Care Assistant       Office Assistant      

  Clinic Assistant       Petfinder Assistant        Website Assistant

Have an idea about how you could help and don't see it listed here? Contact the shelters Volunteer Coordinator  and discuss any ideas with her.

The SPCA auxiliary are those loving folks that donate their time and energy to help raise funds for the shelter. At various times throughout the year the auxiliary holds fundraisers in the form of dog-washes, plant and bake sales, walk-a-thons, pet photos with Santa, selling items (pizza kits, avon, candles), and staffing vendor booths at local events to sell animal items. Join the auxiliary and help the SPCA raise funds needed to keep our doors open to the animals of our community. If you are interested, please fill out an online Volunteer Application in the menu and submit it today, or stop by the shelter and fill out the application in person.  If you have an idea for a fund raiser the auxiliary could hold please contact the Volunteer Coordinator STACIE by email or by phone at the shelter.                                                                      Back to Top

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Becoming a foster home for animals from the CCSPCA is a big responsibility, but is it ever rewarding. The foster program is a wonderful way to help the animals taken in by the SPCA. If, after reading the following description, you would be interested in becoming a foster home for needy animals in our area please fill out the online Foster home Application in the menu or contact the Volunteer Coordinator STACIE by email or by phone at the shelter at 856-691-1500. The following are just four examples of animals that need foster care.

By fostering an animal you are helping us overcome the challenges that shelter animals face, and offering them a brighter future. You also may not think about it, but you are helping the animals that stay at the shelter. If one animal goes into a foster home, that opens up space for another healthy animal who is in need of a home as well. Our employees foster, and we have several foster homes , but we've learned over time that you can never have enough wonderful people willing to volunteer as a foster parent. The staff is willing to answer any questions you may have about fostering, and can put you in touch with other foster parents who can tell you their experiences in fostering animals.                                                                                                  Back to Top

Don't have the time or space to be foster parent? Perhaps spending a few hours at the shelter a week would be more your pace. The shelter has no mandatory time schedule for volunteers....any time you can offer helps. You could come in and brush a cat or dog (or two or three). Maybe walk a dog, or take them into the play yard for a game of fetch to help them burn off some energy and relax. Spending a few quiet minutes petting a cat or dog is also good for their mental stimulation. Teaching a dog a new trick or command also increases his/her adoptability. Some dogs that come into our shelter have never walked on a leash and could use a friend with patience and a few kind words to help them learn.

Maybe you have grooming experience.... the SPCA can always use people to groom animals that have come to the shelter matted. Perhaps you'd like to come to the shelter and give a dog  that is getting adopted a bath, so that when his new family picks him up he'll smell fresh & clean. We have the facilities and equipment for bathing, all we need is the people-power to wash and dry the animals.                                                       Back to Top

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 When most people think of volunteering, they think of walking dogs, or playing with the cats, or teaching an animal a new skill that will help them find a new home. While that IS an important part of our volunteer program, we can always use general help. Each day there of hundreds of food dishes and litter pans to wash, many loads of laundry to do, and various other "housekeeping" chores. Please don't discount the importance of these activities, they free up employee time to do other important things for the animals. The animals need clean dishes, and without the laundry they wouldn't have the soft blankets.
No hands-on animal contact is necessary to do this job.                                                               Back to Top

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OFFICE     ASSISTANT   

This volunteer position would involve various duties such as making post adoption follow-up cards and phone calls, assembling adoption folders, making copies, filing, and labeling our quarterly newsletters. The office staff would  train you in each of these areas.

No hands-on animal contact is necessary to do this job.                                               Back to Top

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CLINIC     ASSISTANT

    Volunteers pursuing a career in the Veterinary or Animal Sheltering field are  considered for assisting in the spay/neuter clinic. Cleaning cages and surgical instruments, and assisting with the animals are just a few of the responsibilities  involved. Volunteers considered for this position must pay close attention to detail, be punctual, hard working and comfortable with cats and dogs.                                                                          Back to Top

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PETFINDER     ASSISTANT       

This volunteer must have their own digital camera to use and may need one or two experienced volunteers to assist them in taking photos of the animals at the shelter. Photos could then be added to petfinder from our office computer. Volunteers interested in helping with photos need to be available at least once a week for several hours. It may be possible to have a team take the photos and another person put them on the internet.

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WEBSITE     ASSISTANT

Volunteers with knowledge of the internet, computers, servers, forms, graphic editing, web design and web publishing software would be considered for this position. Responsibilities would include assisting the CCSPCA's webmaster in keeping the website up to date, as well as implementing new design and needed versatility to help promote the virtual face of the shelter. Creative thinking, problem solving, and attention to detail is a must for this position as well.

No hands-on animal contact is necessary to do this job.                                                            Back to Top