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Home > Get involved > Volunteering > Burwood East
Volunteering at RSPCA Burwood East
Volunteering
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Corporate Volunteering
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Internship
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Work experience
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Throughout the year, we have a range of volunteer opportunities available at our Burwood East Shelter, including roles working directly with animals. To work directly with RSPCA animals, professional experience and/or qualifications are not required; however they are beneficial for some roles. Experience with family pets, or in another animal-related area, is essential. The ability to commit to a regular weekly or fortnightly four hour shift for a minimum of six months is required.
Some examples of volunteer roles performed at the Burwood East Shelter include:
Hands-on animal related roles
- Cattery – cleaning, feeding and caring for cats and kittens
- Kennels – cleaning, feeding, caring for and walking our dogs and puppies
- Admissions –cleaning, feeding and caring for a range of animals in our initial processing area
- Barn – cleaning, feeding and caring for our small and large barnyard animals
- Dog Grooming Assistant – assisting the dog groomer by helping hold animals during grooming, cleaning up after grooming and washing dogs
- Shelter Front Desk – assisting the public with a range of enquiries (some animal handling required).
- Shelter Driver – transporting wildlife and/or dogs via the RSPCA van to other shelters/carers.
- Vet Nurse Assistant – working in our busy vet clinic, tasks include cleaning, feeding and caring for our shelter animals and private pets pre and post surgery (limited roles available).
Non animal related roles
- Events Assistant - assisting with major external and smaller internal events.
- Op Shop Assistant - assisting in the day to day running of our Op Shops.
- Retail Assistant - assisting in our retail stores.
- Administration / Finance / IT - assisting with various tasks within our Administration, Finance and Information Systems teams
- Grounds Maintenance - assisting our maintenance team in maintaining the grounds at our Burwood East Shelter.
- Fundraising - assisting with various fundraising tasks such as data entry, donation processing and general marketing administrative tasks.
- Skilled volunteers – if you have professional skills that you wish to look at offering the RSPCA please email us your resume and your area of interest to Volunteer Resources.
What time commitment is required?
At our Burwood East Shelter, most roles volunteers need to commit to either a weekly or fortnightly shift in the morning or afternoon on a weekday or weekend, for a minimum of six months.
Animal related roles work on a structured roster to ensure we have adequate resources to meet the needs of the animals in our care on a daily basis. Roles in our shelter and clinic are generally four hour shifts eg. 8am – 12pm or 12pm – 4pm. Hours required for other roles vary and can be discussed at the interview stage.
Please note that we do not offer short term, high school community service roles or one-off volunteering opportunities for individuals or groups at our Burwood East Shelter. High school or tertiary students can apply for our work experience program and our corporate partners can participate in our corporate volunteering program.
If I am interested, what is the next step to becoming a volunteer?
The first step is to attend a volunteer information session. This session goes for approximately one hour and will go into further detail about the RSPCA, our volunteer program and the roles available.
Please note that spaces at our volunteer information sessions are limited and bookings are essential.
Volunteer information sessions for 2012
Tuesday 5 June 2012
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Fully booked
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Tuesday 9 October 2012
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Online bookings open 18 Sep at 9am
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How do I book in for the Volunteer Information Session?
From 9.00am on the day bookings open (see above) a banner will appear on the RSPCA Victoria homepage and a button will appear on this page. If you are unable to book online you can phone 9224 2222 from the date bookings open. As bookings are essential and spaces are limited, we cannot guarantee everyone a place at our information sessions. If you are unsuccessful in gaining a place on this occasion, please continue to visit our website for future information session dates.
All sessions will be held at RSPCA Burwood East. Parking is available behind Woolworths, opposite the RSPCA on Burwood Highway.
What happens after the volunteer information session?
After attending the information sessions, if you would like to become a volunteer you need to book in for a 30-minute interview with one of our Volunteer Coordinators. Bookings can be made through our website and further details will be given to you in a handout at the information session.
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Information
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2012 Volunteer Information Sessions
21 February 2012 (fully booked)
5 June 2012
9 October 2012
Please see below for details of how to book into an information session.
Please note: Spaces are stricly limited.
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03 9224 2222
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Email Volunteer Resources
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RSPCA Victoria welcomes the involvement of Corporate Volunteers and has
an established program in place at both our Burwood and
Peninsula sites.
The contribution of Corporate Volunteers
enhances the RSPCA’s
operations by
providing much-needed practical assistance.
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How do I get involved?
The RSPCA Victoria has a number of established Corporate Partners actively participating in this program. Please check with your employer to see if an arrangement is already in place.
New Corporate partners are welcomed at the RSPCA. Please see below for more information:
- Prior to an activity being arranged, new Corporate partners must review the Corporate Volunteering Agreement. A representative with appropriate authority to sign off on behalf of all staff from your organisation must approve of the Agreement.
- The RSPCA requires confirmation that the participating company offers Workcover insurance for its Corporate Volunteers via a RSPCA Corporate Volunteer Agreement
- Organisations need to provide a central contact person to manage their staff enquiries.
- An established calendar of activities is in place. For enquiries regarding available activities please contact Lisa Bretnall.
What sorts of activities can I do?
The RSPCA is conscious of best work practice and safety for volunteers and the animals in our care. Due to the limited time involved in corporate volunteering days and the training and supervision required to handle animals, we are unable to offer opportunities to work directly with animals. A tour of the property is included in most Corporate Volunteer activities and this provides an opportunity to see the animals.
Retail - suitable for 1 – 3 volunteers
Assisting the Retail Department with a variety of tasks including; labelling pet care products, stocking shelves, data entry, stock takes and general administration tasks. Volunteers must be capable of working on their feet and some light lifting is involved.
Administration - suitable for 1 – 5 volunteers depending on the task
The RSPCA sometimes requires assistance with bulk mailouts and administration tasks relating to fundraising/campaigns or events.
Maintenance/gardening - suitable for 6 – 10 volunteers
Involves working on the grounds of the RSPCA Burwood site. Tasks may include minor maintenance and painting tasks or gardening (weeding garden beds, watering, mulching etc). Full supervision will be provided. Volunteers must be capable of physical work.
Special Events - suitable for up to 30 volunteers depending on the event
Major events (usually on weekends) such as All Creatures Day in March, and the Million Paws Walk in May, require assistance with event set-up. There is also capacity for assistance on the event day helping with BBQ’s, parking marshals etc.
Skilled Projects
On occasions the RSPCA requires the assistance of Corporate Volunteers with specialist skills to assist with project- based work. If you would like to discuss opportunities to offer your skills and you have employer support to get involved, please contact Lisa Bretnall, Volunteer Coordinator on lbretnall@rspcavic.org.au or 03 9224 2283.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will we get to see the animals?
Unless otherwise advised, Corporate Volunteers will be offered a tour of the premises. Tours cover our Shelter and Clinic facilities and you will have the opportunity to have some contact with animals in the adoption areas.
Will someone show me what to do?
All corporate volunteers have a supervisor and
will be shown the tasks to be completed. A supervisor will be available
at all times.
Can I work hands on with the animals?
The RSPCA is conscious of best work practice and
safety for volunteers and the animals in our care. Due to the limited
time involved in corporate volunteering days and the training and
supervision required to handle animals, we are unable to offer
opportunities to work directly with animals. A tour of the property is
included in most Corporate Volunteer activities and this provides an
opportunity to see the animals.
What staff facilities are available?
A kitchen with tea and coffee, microwave and refrigerator and staff change rooms with showers.
What do we wear?
Details will be provided for your specific activity when you book.
What time are the activities?
Generally corporate volunteer activities run for
a full day as this is the period of leave provided by employers to
staff. Times for specific activities will be confirmed with you.
How do we find out about what activities are available?
A calendar of activities is in place. To find out what is available contact Lisa Bretnall on lbretnall@rspcavic.org.au or 9224 2283. Please note that our activities are often booked out two months in advance.
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RSPCA Victoria values the contribution of our Interns to bring enthusiasm
and new ideas to further the cause of animal welfare.
Our program
provides students the opportunity to apply and further develop skills
acquired through relevant academic study in a vibrant and professional
work environment.
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We offer Internships in various areas of our organisation
including Marketing, Campaigns and Communications, Direct Retail,
Events, Finance, Information Technology (IT), Corporate Affairs, Human
Resources, Animal Welfare and Local Government.
Qualifications and requirements
To apply for the RSPCA Internship program you
will need the following qualifications and meet these requirements:
- Relevant course of study relating to the Internship.
- Commitment to the RSPCA and the role being undertaken.
- Initiative and creativity.
- Ability to work within a team.
- Strong communication skills.
- Passion for animal welfare.
- Attention to detail.
- Analytical skills.
Education level
Minimum of second or third year University or TAFE studies.
Payment
Interns will receive no payment for the duration of the Internship.
Location
All Internships will be conducted at RSPCA Burwood East.
Time commitment
The length of the Internship and hours required will depend
on the role, the student’s availability and requirements.
Insurance
The Intern is not an employee of RSPCA Victoria and is
therefore not covered by WorkCover. The educational institution of the
student will carry an insurance policy to cover the student for the
duration of the Internship.
The RSPCA has a public liability insurance policy that
provides protection against legal action from third parties arising from
damage to property or injury to a third party caused by the Intern
whilst undertaking their role, provided the action was done in ‘good
faith’.
Occupation Health and Safety (OH&S)
The RSPCA has a comprehensive OH&S manual detailing all
procedures related to OH&S and first aid. During induction, each
Intern will be advised of health and safety representatives, wardens,
first aid procedures and representatives, evacuation/emergency response
procedures and reporting of hazards, incidents and accidents.
Student expectations
RSPCA Victoria will provide:
- A detailed role description.
- An Internship manual outlining our program and organisation.
- A Standards of Behaviour brochure.
- An Internship agreement
including name, institution, dates, role description/expectations and
signatures of student and RSPCA representatives.
- Meaningful and interesting tasks and projects.
- Orientation, training, advice and directions to complete your tasks effectively.
- Feedback in regards to performance.
- Completion of required paperwork and reports.
- A certificate of Internship upon completion of your time with us.
RSPCA's expectations
As an Intern, you must:
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Research the RSPCA and be sure of your commitment.
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Submit a detailed application form including an updated resume and references.
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Attend an interview.
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Complete all tasks assigned by your supervisor in a timely manner.
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Advise your supervisor of paperwork requirements at the start of Internship.
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Act at all times in a professional and courteous manner.
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Read and adhere to our Standards of Behaviour policy.
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Always be punctual and in attendance of allocated work days.
Application process
Please complete the internship application form and attach your resume, cover letter and transcript of your most recent results, then submit it to volunteer@rspcavic.org.au.
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Complete the Online Internship Application Form.
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will be contacted on the status of your application in a timely manner
and Internship offers will be made to successful candidates.
Ongoing opportunities
As an Intern you may have the option to transfer directly to
our Volunteer Program upon the completion of your Internship. This may
be in the area you have already worked or in other departments of the
organisation. Please note, with any animal handling roles you will be
provided with an Animal Handling Manual and will be required to attend an
orientation session.
You are also able to apply for paid roles within the RSPCA.
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Information
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There are currently no internship opportunities available at RSPCA Victoria.
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03 9224 2222
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Email Volunteer Resources
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Work experience at Burwood East
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The aim of our Work Experience Program is to give tertiary and secondary
students an understanding of the role of animal welfare and animal care
in the community by developing their participation and communication
skills through involvement in a variety of practical, relevant and
challenging activities.
The program is run from our state office at 3 Burwood
Highway, Burwood East, VIC 3151 for five days. The hours are Monday 9am –
3pm and Tuesday - Friday 8am - 3pm.
Where can I work?
There are two areas at RSPCA Burwood East that you can choose from:
- Animal Shelter
The
animal welfare shelter is responsible for the daily operations of the
kennels, cattery, barn and adoptions. It is a daily requirement that the
animals in the shelter are clean, fed and made as comfortable as
possible.
- Veterinary Clinic
The
clinic is responsible for all surgical procedures performed and for
rectifying health problems in animals. This is also a private clinic for
the community to bring in its pets for consultation and treatment.
For full information on our Work Experience program, please view the document below.
 Burwood East Work Experience Information for students
Burwood East Work Experience Information for teachers and School Coordinators
After you have completed your work experience
week, you can transfer into our volunteer program where you can attend a
regular weekly or fortnightly shift in the area of your choice
depending on availability. What a great way to continue to improve your
animal handling skills and contribute to a worthy cause! Please contact
us for more information.
Month
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Dates
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August
September
October
November
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13 - 17
20 - 24
3- 7
8 - 12
15 - 19
29 - 2 Nov
5-9 (excluding 6 - Melbourne Cup day)
12-16
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Information manuals
Apply now
More information
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03 9224 2222
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Email Volunteer Resources
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