Would you be interested in joining our team?
We are always looking for dedicated people to join our volunteer team! See the complete process for what is required to be a Procyon Wildlife volunteer.
To qualify as a volunteer, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have reliable transportation to ensure timely arrival for scheduled shifts.
- Commit to a schedule that varies based on your volunteer role.
- Represent Procyon Wildlife professionally when interacting with the public.
Since we rely on public support, it’s essential to always treat them with courtesy and respect.
Ways to Get Involved
Animal Care
- $50.00 initial fee which includes training, a tee-shirt and an online manual.
- time commitment is a minimum of five hours per week.
- duties include housekeeping, animal care, feeding and communication.
- volunteers must exercise caution and sound judgment at all times when working with wild animals.
- See the complete process for what is required to be a Procyon Wildlife volunteer.
- Apply New Volunteer Application Form
- Returning Volunteers must fill out a Returning Volunteer Application Form every year according to MNR rules.
Answering Phones – Hotline Phone Handlers
Procyon Wildlife’s Hotline handles hundreds of calls per year. Volunteers play an integral role in the function of the hotline by transcribing messages, arranging appointments for admissions, and ensuring that situations of concern are dealt with immediately, as well as helping to arrange drivers for picking up wildlife in distress. You would screen calls to be sure the animal is in need of care, give advice and educate. Assist in admitting sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. Hotline Volunteers are asked to commit to one scheduled shift of six hours per week. There are two possible shifts each day: Morning: 8:00am to 2:00pm or Afternoon: 2:00pm – 8:00pm.
More information on what is required of our phone handlers.
- pick up or drop off animals, usually at short notice
- transporting sick, injured or orphaned animals
- releasing rehabilitated animals
- events, fairs, tours, schools, educational presentations in-house and outsourcing, teach public awareness and coexistence, wildlife education
- Our patients have a wide range of dietary requirements! Volunteers pick up food and animal-related supplies on a regular basis.
- Due to time and space limitations, we sometimes rely on foster parents to raise babies in their own homes (complete training provided). Foster volunteers enable us to admit more orphans than would otherwise be possible, giving more babies a chance of survival.
- time commitment varies, depending on the activities or projects in which volunteers are involved.
- examples are: canvassing for donations, helping out at booths at local festivals and events and tracking donation boxes. Volunteers may also create or contribute to marketing materials and newsletters.
- Fundraising: organize fairs, tournaments, seek out new ideas for fundraising
- Administration: updating database, email lists, stuffing envelopes, typing forms, printing, filing
Grant Reviewer
The purpose of our Grant Writing Committee is to review and make applications to organizations, foundations and charities that might be interested in providing grants to Procyon Wildlife.
Internship Programs
- Working at Procyon will provide you with the opportunity to learn about the care of a wide variety of animals and give you a realistic idea of what is involved in animal rehabilitation.
- This experience will help you to decide if working with wildlife is what you really want to do as a career
- as well as give you the experience to help gain acceptance into an animal care-related program. You will work under the supervision of our Animal Care Coordinator and with our experienced senior volunteers.
- For applicants who do not live within commuting distance, we do have basic, shared accommodation. You would need to bring your own bedding and towels, and be responsible for your own meals. Laundry facilities are available as well as limited internet access.
- For more information see our Intern Program page when you are ready, Click here to Apply
- ensuring that supplies are clean and readily accessible. Maintain the cleanliness of the kitchens and nurseries. Wash sheets, blankets and bedding. Fold and organize clean laundry. Ensure that appropriate caging and supplies are ready for incoming patients.
- time commitment varies depending on the project.
- ongoing site maintenance requires 2-6 hours weekly.
- site improvement and maintenance projects are always underway at Procyon Wildlife.
- Grounds Maintenance: lawn mowing, shoveling, clearing property, general upkeep
- Construction & Maintenance: carpentry, construction, fencing, cage repair, new projects