Volunteering with Us

Our Centre relies on a team of dedicated friendly, engaged volunteers to support the work we do, giving up their time on a regular and committed basis. The role they play in keeping our Centre running is highly valued and appreciated.  

What sort of tasks do our volunteers do?  Some tasks include cleaning of animal enclosures, animal food preparation (as per AKAWC guidelines), setting up animal enclosures and domestic tasks such as washing and mopping floors, laundry, gardening and other duties as required.  Some of these tasks can be repetitive and not that exciting but very necessary to ensure our vet clinic runs smoothly and to a high standard.  A love of cleaning is a must because you will be doing a lot of it!!
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• You will be expected to commit to a minimum of 1 shift per week ( 4 hours)  so you are kept up to date with the Centre.  We also expect a 12 month ongoing commitment to the volunteer program.  If you believe you can't commit to this volunteering requirement, we kindly request you do not apply.   
• Weekend shifts are available though there is a requirement that you must be able to do a few morning and afternoon shifts during the week to learn the procedures before working on the weekend.  
• You must be over the age of 18 years of age to volunteer with us.  Regrettably, there are no exceptions to this age limit.

As the animals we treat are wild, the direct contact you have with them will be minimal in order to ensure they can be returned to the wild with as little human intervention as possible. This is for the safety of the animals and for you.  Wildlife patients are often stressed and scared so that is why we do not allow handling or patting.  We are not a animal sanctuary or a zoo but a vet clinic for the sick and injured wildlife of Adelaide.

Please note - we cannot accept short term volunteers who may be visiting Australia due to our training requirements and need for continuity with our volunteers.  We hope you understand and we appreciate your interest in our precious wildlife.

What is the next step for applying to be a volunteer?

We can send you an application form upon request by you (email below).  It will cover the role in more detail and give you details on getting a police check if you don't have a current one.  Frequently there will be a delay in bringing volunteers on board as we may have enough volunteers and there is a wait until a position arises.  We appreciate your patience and rest assured we will contact you should a position arises based on the availability you will list in the application form.

Will you be able to gain employment with AKAWC as part of volunteering?

Our volunteers are an essential part of our mission and community. While volunteering provides a rewarding experience and opportunities to develop new skills, it does not serve as a pathway to employment within AKAWC.  There is no clinical work as part of the volunteer role.

Can you help in other ways, apart from the standard shifts?

We do have volunteers who help us without ever coming into the Centre!   We have volunteers who legally source leaf for our koalas and possums. Other volunteers go to supermarkets to find quality fruit and vegetables that can't be sold to the public.   Others look at ways to raise money for our Centre through their creativity and determination to make a difference.  


Email:    [email protected]       

A current police check is required for every application.