Working with Animals

Working with animals in a shelter can be a rewarding experience for many volunteers. There are five SPCA shelters in Nova Scotia, located in Dartmouth, New Glasgow, Truro, Sydney and Yarmouth. Most or all of these shelters need volunteers to help with activities such as:

• Walking dogs
• Cleaning kennels
• Spending time with cats
• Greeting visitors
• Building maintenance
• Obedience training dogs
• Looking after baby animals (see below for information on Foster Care)

Some shelters may require that volunteers fill out an application form and participate in an orientation or training sessions before they begin working with animals. Some shelters may also limit volunteering to people 19 years old or older due to liability issues.

To find out how you can help, contact the SPCA shelter in your area to learn more about the opportunities they have available and how you can get involved.

Foster Care

Everyday, SPCA branches throughout Nova Scotia receive dozens of phone calls from the public requesting assistance with stray, abandoned or homeless animals. To help care for these animals, most SPCA branches in Nova Scotia have a foster program to help with the overflow; some branches do not have a shelter facility and rely entirely on foster parents. Most SPCA fostering programs will cover the cost of veterinary care, food, litter and anything else the animal requires. The role of a foster home is not to provide financial support, but rather to provide the love and patience the animal may need to regain their mental and physical health. If you are thinking of becoming a foster parent, there are several things to consider before opening your home to a new friend. All members of your household should sit down together and discuss what fostering a pet would mean to everyone involved. If you have small children or other pets, you need to consider how it will affect them. Also, do you work long hours? Do you have a fenced in backyard? Do you live in an apartment and, if so, do you have your landlord’s consent? Do you have the time and patience necessary to care for a young or sick animal?

If you think you are ready to become a foster home, contact your local SPCA to get more information on their fostering program. Since each branch of the NS SPCA operates independently, fostering requirements may differ slightly. You can expect to go through an application process to make sure you and your home are suited to fostering.

When you become an approved foster parent, you can decide which type of animal will work best in your home environment. If it is a dog you are interested in, there are always opportunities to open your home to a young puppy or a dog with medical or behavioral issues that may benefit from a stable home environment and just needs some extra socialization and love in a home before they can be put up for adoption. Sometimes this is the biggest impact a foster home can provide in an animal’s life.

One of the most common foster examples is unwanted mothers with a litter of kittens. During the summer months, the number of homeless cats and dogs flooding the shelter soars. The demand on shelter resources is made even greater since many of the kittens that come to the shelter are too young to be adopted. Keeping kittens at the shelter for up to 8 weeks before they are old enough to be adopted ties up kennel space, staff and resources. A foster home provides kittens with a quieter, less stressful environment where they can grow into healthy cats.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or have further questions, contact your local branch of the SPCA and ask about their foster program. Opening your home and heart as a foster parent to an abandoned animal is a rewarding way to become a volunteer! Fostering is a fantastic opportunity to make a hands-on contribution to saving animals' lives.