Join The Pack
Volunteer
For Volunteers 18+
Volunteering at the
York County SPCA
Our volunteers make a lifesaving difference in the lives of the animals in our care. Each year, our volunteers donate thousands of hours of their valuable time to support our work.
Works with Dogs
Works with Cats
Works with Small Animals
Works with People
Supports Spay/Neuter Clinic
Administrative Assistant
Canine Enrichment Facilitator
Cat / Small Animal Cuddler
Clinic Admin
Clinic Attendant
Clinic Traffic Controller
Dog Meet Facilitator
Dog Walker
In-Kind Donations Coordinator
Kennel / Lobby Greeter
Satellite Adoption Centers
Interested in a date with one of our pawsome pups?
Can't Adopt?
Save A Life By Fostering
Fostering saves two lives – the life of the animal in your home and the one we now have space for in the shelter. Our foster families create the capacity for us to care for more animals, and for pets struggling in the shelter environment, a foster family’s loving home can make a lifesaving difference. Join our foster team to help pets heal, grow, and prepare for their forever home.
2023 Impact
pets saved thanks to our volunteer foster families
volunteer hours
pounds of food donated through our Pet Food Pantry
For Volunteers Of All Ages
Volunteer Projects
For safety reasons and due to capacity restrictions, volunteers under 18 and those wishing to volunteer as a group cannot work directly with animals in our care, but this doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. We have service opportunities for volunteers of all ages who have a passion for helping animals, and we need you – along with your student club, scout troop, youth group, or company – to partner with us to support animal welfare throughout York County.
For Cats
Build Community Cat Houses
For Dogs
Make Snuffle Mats
For Cats
Upcycle Toys For Enrichment
For All Animals
Plan A Facebook Fundraiser
For Cats
Sew Cat Trap Covers
Your kindness can save lives.
Have A Question?
Volunteer FAQS
Check out our most frequently asked questions to learn more about volunteering at the York County SPCA. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us.
Volunteers must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Complete volunteer orientation, registration, and training*
- Have a valid, working email address
- Have the ability to learn and navigate a volunteer database
- Have the ability to pay $15 to cover the cost of a volunteer t-shirt and engraved name tag ($25 for dog walkers, as you will need to purchase a specific slip lead as well).
If you’re under 18 and interested in supporting our animals, check out our Project Ideas list for projects that can be completed and then donated to the shelter.
Yes, most volunteer opportunities do require mobility to get around the shelter, or satellite locations, whether you are sitting, standing, walking from place to place, reaching, grasping with your fingers, walking dogs, etc. Reasonable accommodation can be made, if possible.
No prior experience is necessary, but it is helpful. Our shelter provides training to ensure volunteers know how to handle and care for the animals safely. The training provided varies from role to role, but for most opportunities, it takes anywhere from one to three hours to complete. If you are interested in dog walking, the training requires training on three consecutive weekend days, for three hours per session.
Our shelter houses a variety of animals, including cats, dogs, and small animals, so exposure to dander, fur, and hay is common. If you have allergies, we recommend volunteering in an area where you will not be exposed to the allergen.
While we do not have a minimum number of hours that are required, we do recommend volunteering at least 2-3 times a month to be sure you are up to date on new policies and procedures.
It varies by role, but most volunteer activities are available Sunday through Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Our satellite volunteers assist our cats at Petco and PetSmart, usually with a set weekly shift, either in the morning or evening.
- Blue volunteer t-shirt and engraved name tag, provided by the YCSPCA.
- Closed-toe shoes, preferably non-slip for safety.
- Depending on the role, you may want to wear long sleeves and pants to avoid scratches, as well as warming layers in the cooler months if you are volunteering outside.
Yes, we encourage it! You may take pictures of animals that are currently adoptable and send them to our communications team to possibly use for content. We ask that you do not post pictures of any animals that are not up for adoption on your social media or other networks.
No, volunteers cannot bring their pets to the shelter for safety and logistical reasons.
Yes, once you are registered as a volunteer and trained in one role, you can reach out to the volunteer coordinator to schedule training for other opportunities.
If you can no longer attend a shift, you will be taught how to remove yourself from the schedule on our volunteer database.
You will continue to remain as an “active” volunteer if you have volunteered at least one time within 6 months. If you cannot volunteer at least one time within 6 months, you will become “inactive” and will be required to complete a refresher training before returning to volunteer.
If you are unable to continue volunteering, be sure to notify the volunteer coordinator as soon as possible. This will allow the shelter to find other help and make appropriate arrangements.
Every person that wishes to volunteer with the YCSPCA, including support staff that will be attending with their clients, needs to complete the volunteer onboarding process before they are permitted to volunteer.
Currently, we do not have the capacity to host large group projects at the YCSPCA. We recommend utilizing our Project Ideas list for projects that can be completed and then donated to the shelter, or considering hosting an event for us, using these guidelines.
Yes, or you can do both! Fostering is available for dogs, cats, and small animals, as available. If you are interested in learning more about fostering, please visit our Foster page.
No, our shelter does not participate in community service hours programs currently.
Mission Moment
Happy Tails
Rogan originally came to the York County SPCA as a stray with sores and a lump on one of his rear legs.
We couldn’t be more blessed to have him in our family. He does great with his sister, Korah the Pomeranian, and brother, Raziel. And Willow, the American bulldog, is still learning to play with him.
Shawna
Rogan (now Tolkien's) Adopter
