Description:
Barn volunteers provide care to farm animals by ensuring their living environment remains safe, clean and as comfortable as possible! This is a hands-on, physically demanding role suited for those with experience in a barn setting, and who enjoy outdoor activity in all seasons.
For the opening and afternoon shifts, significant and recent experience in a barn setting is required. (We define “recent” as no longer than two years ago.) During these shifts, volunteers must be able to safely and independently navigate a number of opening and closing tasks, as well as complete barn projects. Volunteers will be expected to assist with animal enrichment, grooming, and working horses.
Please note, volunteers are not permitted to ride horses in the care of the MSPCA. We also do not offer an option for volunteers to socialize with animals as their only task.
Responsibilities:
- Clean and disinfect both indoor and outdoor enclosures.
- Provide appropriate food, water, and bedding.
- Dependent upon shift, assist with opening or closing chores. These include turn out and turn in of horses.
- Dependent upon shift, assist with enrichment, grooming, and working horses.
- Perform miscellaneous barn chores as assigned by staff. Examples include but are not limited to: picking paddocks, disinfecting equipment, restocking supplies, and cleaning tack.
- Barn animal care volunteers care for a variety of species, including goats, chickens, geese, horses, and other farm animals. We cannot accommodate requests to volunteer with only a specific species.
- Read daily emails and other communications regarding our barn animals.
Qualities/Skills:
- A high level of comfort with various farm animal species.
- Knowledge of animal body language.
- Ability to work independently and with other volunteers.
- Ability to perform physical labor for duration of shift, use stepladder, and lift/push/pull/carry 50-75 pounds. Barn chores are physically demanding.
- This role requires the ability to work outside in all weather conditions, on uneven terrain.
- The ability to remain aware of your surroundings, and use good judgment with animals of all sizes.
- Applicants must be able to adhere to rules regarding infectious disease quarantine and other important safety matters.
- Reliability and punctuality are key!
- Proficiency in using a computer without assistance, and learning new programs. All volunteers digitally log hours and use an online scheduling function.
Requirements:
- Significant, recent previous experience with barn chores. “Recent” means within the past two years. Please provide a detailed description of your experience in your application.
- Recent experience leading horses preferred for the 12pm-2pm shift, and required for the 7:30am-10am and 2pm-4pm shifts.
- After acceptance, attendance at a virtual orientation.
- After orientation attendance, hands-on training with staff or experienced volunteers.
Other:
- Reliable transportation required. Applicants for the 7:30am-10am, 12pm-2pm, and 2pm-4pm barn shifts must have a license and their own vehicle, and live within a reasonable commute to Methuen. (30 minutes or less is suggested.) For these shifts, we cannot accept volunteers with any other transportation plan. We have other roles which do not require a license and a car, and request that you apply to one of those if you do not meet this criteria.
- Applicants must be comfortable with and capable of safely completing a wide array of barn chores independently. Volunteers on these shifts have little to no supervision, work from a chore list on a whiteboard, and may be working alone.
- As we head into the colder months, prospective volunteers should keep in mind that animals need care no matter the weather. Barn volunteers are expected to own weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.
Time Commitment:
- A weekly 2 or 3 hour shift on a set day and time.
- Current 7:30am-10am shifts open for applications are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
- Current 12pm-2pm shifts open for applications are all seven days of the week.
- Current 2pm-4pm shifts open for applications are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- Minimum of 6 consecutive months after onboarding. Longer commitments encouraged!
Click Here to Apply Please note, due to the advanced nature of this volunteer position, applicants must meet all criteria and demonstrate such on their application. For the safety of staff, volunteers, and our animals, only applications meeting all criteria will be considered.
