Animal Shelters in Tampa Florida

Kindhearted? Love animals? Looking to make a positive impact in the community? Then this is the place for you! We rely on our devoted volunteers to care for the thousands of animals that come through our doors each year. Please browse the volunteer opportunities below for our Adult Program, Court-Ordered Community Service Program and Junior Volunteer Program. Not all of these opportunities are currently available. Please click on the Apply Now button to be taken to the application to see what opportunities we are currently accepting applications for.

Once you have applied online, you will receive a call to get set up for a volunteer interview with a department manager. After your training is complete, a $10 volunteer program fee will be collected to cover your volunteer t-shirt, name tag and kennel key.

If you have any questions, please contact our Volunteer Department at 727-586-3591, ext. 127.

Foster parents welcome SPCA animals (dogs, cats or rabbits) into their homes and provide a nurturing and comfortable environment for the animal to mature, heal or socialize. All foster parents must be Pinellas County residents and have transportation to pick up and drop off foster animals. Animals in your home must be spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccines (veterinary records must be made available). SPCA Tampa Bay asks that foster parents provide the basic essentials for foster animals, i.e. food, litter, toys, etc. All veterinary care and necessary medications will be provided by SPCA Tampa Bay.

Required Training: Foster orientation/tour (2 hours), reading of all materials provided regarding kitten and puppy care. Must be a Pinellas County resident.

Time Commitment: Most foster experiences are at least two weeks long, some can be upwards of 3-4 months.

Canine Adoption Counselor

Volunteer canine adoption counselors greet and interact with customers at the shelter and help make matches that are well suited for both animal and adopter. It is important that the counselor stay informed of current rules and procedures as well as current adoption specials, so that accurate information can be conveyed to the public. The counselor shows dogs to prospective adopters, so it is also very important that the counselor is comfortable retrieving, collaring and walking the dogs according to the shelter’s safety rules.

Required Training: Volunteer interview/tour (1 hour), adoption office session (2 hours), K-9 safety & handling session (3 hours), completion of Adoption Counselor Workbook (4 series).

Time Commitment: Three-hour commitment per week, six-month commitment, attendance of volunteer meetings.

Shifts
Wednesdays 4-7pm
Thursdays 4-7pm
Fridays 4-7pm

Dog Walker

Dog walkers provide exercise and socialization of SPCA canines by weekly walking and basic training. Must be able to communicate and work well with volunteer and staff team members. Dog walkers must be comfortable retrieving, collaring and walking the dogs according to the shelter’s safety rules.

Required Training: Volunteer interview/tour (1 hour), kennel experience (3 hours), canine safety & handling session (3 hours)

Time Commitment: Three-hour commitment per week, six-month commitment.

Pocket Pet Adoption Counselor

Volunteer small animal adoption counselors greet and interact with customers at the shelter and help make matches that are well suited for both animal and adopter. Our small animal counselors help with rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, rats, etc. Our counselors attend to and interact with our visiting small animals in order to make their stay with us more pleasant. It is important that the counselor stay informed of current rules and procedures as well as current adoption specials, so that accurate information can be conveyed to the public.

Required Training: Volunteer interview/tour (1 hour), adoption office session (2 hours), small animal safety & handling session (3 hours), completion of Adoption Counselor Workbook (4 series)

Time Commitment: Three-hour commitment per week, six-month commitment, attendance of volunteer meetings

Behavior Enrichment Assistant

Behavior enrichment assistants provide obedience training and environmental enrichment to our dogs during their stay in the shelter. They also follow prescribed, specialized modification programs for specific dogs needing more training before moving to our adoption floor. Behavior enrichment assistants complete extensive training with the behavior assessment and rehabilitation manager with emphasis placed on science-based animal behavior techniques and positive reinforcement training. We use the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program for our cats, and additional training is offered for volunteers wishing to perform these assessments.

Expectations: Updates the behavior assessment and rehabilitation manager on the status of each animal including progress made. The ability to work well with all SPCA staff and other volunteers.

Required Training: Initial phone interview with behavior manager, Completion of basic volunteer orientation. Completion of up to a maximum of three sessions with volunteer mentor. Read “Successful Dog Adoption”, “How to Speak Dog”, and watch “The Language of Dogs Video”.

New volunteers are expected to have a minimum of one year of prior experience in dog training. They must be familiar with how to teach basic obedience cues using positive reinforcement methods.