BC SPCA salutes its 4,000 volunteers during National Volunteer Week

April 12, 2010. For immediate release.

Somewhere in B.C., a homeless animal is being cared for by a BC SPCA volunteer.

There are volunteers on duty 24 hours a day, fostering entire litters of abandoned kittens that are so young and so vulnerable that they require bottle-feeding every two hours.

There are volunteers who walk dogs every morning and every afternoon.

And there are volunteers who clean kennels, arrange events, solicit donations and offer humane education programming to school children.

"Volunteers provide vital expertise in our 37 branches across the province," says Brian Houlihan, the BC SPCA's general manager of volunteer resources. "We couldn't thrive without them."

The BC SPCA has approximately 4,000 volunteers across the province who regularly lend their talents both for and on behalf of animals. Volunteers walk dogs, foster kittens, cuddle cats, clean animal habitats, fundraise, organize special events, create promotional materials and perform dozens of other tasks to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.

"Volunteers are integral to our work rescuing 37,000 injured, homeless, neglected and abused animals every year."

The BC SPCA salutes its volunteers during National Volunteer Week April 18 to 24. According to Volunteer Canada, 11.8 million Canadians volunteer to help others, contributing almost two billion volunteer hours per year.

Volunteering for the BC SPCA is both exciting and rewarding. For more information on how you can get involved for, with or on behalf of animals, visit spca.bc.ca/volunteer.

For more information:

Lorie Chortyk, GM of community relations, BC SPCA, 604-647-1316.

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.