Description:
Barn volunteers provide hands-on care to farm animals, ensuring their living environment remains safe, clean and as comfortable as possible. Please note, volunteers are not permitted to ride horses in the care of the MSPCA.
Responsibilities:
- Clean and disinfect both indoor and outdoor enclosures.
- Provide appropriate food, water, and bedding.
- Perform miscellaneous barn chores as assigned by staff. Examples include but are not limited to: picking paddocks, disinfecting equipment, distributing approved enrichment items to animals, restocking supplies, and cleaning tack.
- Barn animal care volunteers will care for a variety of species, including goats, chickens, pigs, 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:
- Some level of comfort with various farm animal species.
- Some 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 and/or pull up to 50 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!
Requirements:
- Previous experience with barn chores is required for the 12pm-2pm and 2pm-4pm shifts. Previous experience is preferred but not required for the three morning shifts. Please provide a detailed description in your application.
- Attendance at a virtual orientation after acceptance into our program.
Other:
- Reliable transportation is required. Applicants for the barn should have a license and their own vehicle, and live within a reasonable commute to Methuen.
- Applicants for afternoon shifts (12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm) must have extensive relevant experience and 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. This is when many miscellaneous tasks that keep our barn running smoothly are completed.
Time Commitment:
- A weekly 2-3 hour shift on a set day and time. Shifts are 7am-10am, 8am-11am, 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm and 2pm-4pm. Open shifts that match your availability will be discussed if you are contacted for further consideration.
- Minimum of 6 consecutive months. Longer commitments encouraged!
Click here to apply
