Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in our organization and in helping wildlife!

WRR rescues over 10,000 wild animals every year and provides daily care for hundreds of residents at the sanctuary. WRR depends on reliable volunteers to keep the organization running. We cannot continue our life-saving work without you!
Our facility operates 7 days a week, 365 days a year. With so many diverse opportunities, you can find the right job for you! We encourage volunteers to explore different shifts so they are able to find what shifts fit best for them. Volunteers can look forward to helping with the daily dishes and laundry, transporting animals and donations, helping make diets, and feed animals. During the orientation, you will be made aware of all the volunteer opportunities.

First Things First

Below you will find descriptions of the shifts available to the volunteers. Once you read through the different shifts, click the button to register as a volunteer. Once you complete the application you must select an orientation date to attend before you will be able to sign up for shifts. Orientations are prescheduled and are held several times a month at the Kendalia sanctuary. At the 2-hour orientation, you will be required to purchase a volunteer shirt for $10. For specific questions, you can email volunteer@wildlife-rescue.org (Please read the entire page before emailing us).

Minimum Age Requirement: Ages 12-17 are welcome but must be accompanied by a legal guardian at all times and are not allowed to work directly with any animals. No exceptions. This is for the safety of the volunteers and the animals in our care. Parents and guardians must become volunteers and actively participate in the volunteer duties.

Commitment: During Baby Season, March through September WRR volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a minimum of one (4 hour) shift per week. Two shifts a month is the standard requirement to be an active volunteer. All of the Volunteer positions are important. We require a serious commitment in all the jobs to ensure the animals thrive in our care. The work can be hard but it is always rewarding!

Apply Online Here

Volunteer Positions & Details

Helping Hands Volunteer

Helping Hands Volunteers provide assistance with basic tasks such as laundry, dishes, and enclosure cleaning. Helping Hands Volunteer shifts are available every day.

Requirements
• Initial volunteer orientation
• Age 12 to 17 with parent/guardian present at all times

Duties
• Laundry Room – Washing & folding of animal bedding
• Animal Enrichment – making “toys & treats” for animals
• Hospital Diet Prep
• Hospital enclosure cleaning

Sanctuary Diet Prep Assist

WRR’s staff and volunteers feed over 600 animals living in sanctuary every day. This shift is available every day including most holidays. Volunteers will be accompanied by staff members during this shift and will help make diets for the sanctuary residents.

Requirements
• Initial volunteer orientation
• Age 12 to 17 with parent/guardian present at all times
• Ability to lift 40lbs
• Stand for 4 hours
• Willing to work in open air environment

Duties
• Sort and store produce donations
• Chop produce with a knife
• Take directions from staff members

Baby Bird Volunteers (Animal Care)

Each spring, an average of 2,000 baby birds are brought in by caring individuals and families. Baby Bird Volunteers provide comprehensive on-site care for baby birds. One on one training prepares volunteers to set up cages properly for each species and correctly hand-feed birds, as well as follow essential shift protocol.

Requirements
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Availability from Mid-March through End of August
• One 4-hour shift per week for three months during Baby Season (March through August);
• Complete online training
• Additional hands-on training

Duties
• Hand-feeding nestling and juvenile birds
• Cleaning cages, cage items, etc.
• Food preparation
• Monitoring the health of the birds

Baby Mammal Volunteer (Animal Care)

WRR cares for hundreds of baby squirrels, opossums and fawns. These animals will be cared for until they are old enough to be released back into the wild. One on one training prepares volunteers to set up enclosures properly for each species and correctly feed babies and adolescents, as well as follow essential shift protocol.

Requirements
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Availability from Early March through Early October
• One 4-hour shift per week for three months during Baby Season (March through August);
• Initial volunteer orientation
• Complete online training
• Additional hands-on training

Duties
• Feeding animals
• Clean cages, food bowls, etc.
• Food preparation

Transport Volunteers

Due to the large area served by WRR, transportation of animals, food and goods of various kinds are required between suppliers, our San Antonio location and our Kendalia location. Injured wildlife temporarily housed in San Antonio must be moved to the WRR Hospital in Kendalia for critical care.
The WRR Transport Team volunteers must be dependable, have reliable transportation, and be sensitive to making their runs within an allotted time and on schedule. *Gas mileage cannot be reimbursed by WRR but is tax-deductible if proper records are kept.

Requirements
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Year-round availability
• Two 4-hour shifts per month.
• Use of your dependable, reliable, personal vehicle for transport
• Valid state driver’s license with no traffic offenses
• Provide proof of current insurance coverage
• The physical ability to lift a minimum of 30 pounds
• Volunteer orientation

Duties
• Transporting boxes/containers between locations
• Transporting contained animals between locations

Rescue Team Volunteer

Sometimes people who find injured or abandoned wildlife are unable to bring them to WRR. Rescue Team volunteers must take direction from animal care specialists, work in a team, and be sensitive to the needs of an animal in stress. Rescue volunteers are considered “on-call” for an animal emergency. Efforts are made by the WRR dispatcher to match proximity of the rescue site to the location of the volunteer, principally by zip code associated with your volunteer profile

Requirements
• Attend two in person training sessions. Each session is 2 hours. Typically held on Saturdays
• Minimum 18 years of age
• Year-round Availability
• 4-hour shifts for basic availability when on- site or on-call
• Use of your personal vehicle for transport
• Ability to lift a minimum of 30 pounds

Duties
• Rescuing injured animals from various situations
• Transporting orphaned or injured animals
• Returning trapped or displaced animals to the wild

Admin & Development Volunteer

Our Admin and Development staff are busy “behind the scenes” making sure WRR stays operational. Just like the all of the other volunteer positions, this work is vital and is great for people who prefer not to be on their feet for many hours. These shifts are flexible, within the timeframe of Monday-Friday, 9:30am – 5:30pm. Admin & Development duties may be assigned based on the volunteer’s skill levels in different functional areas.

Requirements
• Initial volunteer orientation
• Minimum 16 years of age
• Ability to work weekdays during regular business hours
• Good penmanship & organizational skills

Duties
• Assisting with hand-written thank-you notes
• Follow directions from staff members & written guides
• Other duties as presented (based on volunteer’s skills) such as: organizing, event preparation, filing, social media, content creation, and more.

Contact

Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
Kendalia, TX
P.O. Box 369
Kendalia, TX 78027
Phone: 830-336-2725 / Fax: 830-336-3733
Email: info@wildlife-rescue.org

Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
San Antonio, TX
WRR’s Roger & Phyllis Sherman
Animal Care Complex
11902 Rustic Ln.
San Antonio, TX 78230
Phone: 830-336-2725

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