Volunteer Opportunities

Bear River Ranch appreciates the help of volunteers to assist us with the care, feeding and socialization of our animals. Our animal care volunteers work side by side with our professional staff to provide care, enrichment and socialization to over 100 species of domestic, exotic and wild animals.

Volunteers are able to work with us during our off-season from August 15 to May 15. We have two animal care volunteer shifts available for each day of the week, including weekends: 8 am – 12 pm and 1pm – 5pm. To help volunteers get comfortable with their responsibilities and the animals they are working with, all volunteers are assigned to same animal area / animals for each shift.

Minimum Requirements

• All volunteers must be at least 12 years old. Volunteers who are 12-15 must be accompanied by a parent volunteer. Independent volunteers must be 16 years or over. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian to provide proof medical insurance and be willing to sign a liability waiver on behalf of themselves and/or the volunteer.


• Volunteers are required to commit to one shift per week for a minimum of 4 months, in order to be considered for a position. Our animal team has a schedule that helps them organize what volunteers will be doing when they arrive. They should be able to depend on a consistent schedule with all volunteers.


• Each volunteer should be able and willing to follow directions. We want this to be an enriching experience for you and the animals. In order to do this, all volunteers should follow the instructions of the animal team.

Animal Husbandry

Help us with the feeding, watering, enclosure cleaning, socialization and enrichment of our animals. Each volunteer will be assigned to one area per shift and work directly with our Animal Team. Duties will include collection and distribution of feed and water bowls, washing of dishes, cleaning of animal cages and enclosures, making and distributing animal enrichment, sweeping and mopping of floors, sitting and socializing with the animals, using feed and treats to reward and encourage positive interactions. This job requires repetitive bending and lifting and exposure to a variety of cleaning agents. This position has high animal contact.

This is an entry level position and requires no prior experience.

Full-time Animal Volunteer

We are looking for Full-time Animal Care Volunteers who are able to work with us a minimum of 27 hours per week. These positions include housing in a shared room of a two bedroom house / apartment. This could be an ideal opportunity for a college student who is able to commit 4 hours each morning before/after attending classes or 3 full days a week. This position can be tailored around individual goals and internship credit can be earned for this position. A three month minimum commitment and a regular volunteer schedule are required to be considered for one of these positions.