Volunteer Driver

  Purpose

Everyday in the GTA, countless animals become involved in situations that require immediate attention. The majority of Volunteer Drivers are involved in transporting sick, injured or orphaned wild animals from across the GTA and beyond into the onsite hospital at Toronto Wildlife Centre.

  How Volunteers Help 

The TWC relies extensively on Volunteer Drivers to assist with a variety of transportation needs. By helping to bring sick, injured or orphaned animals to the Centre, the animals can receive the care they need, with the ultimate hope of safely returning them to the wild.

Examples of Activities

1)    Collect wild animals that have been contained from throughout the GTA and transport them into the care of TWC

2)    Respond to reports taken by TWC Hotline by driving to the scene of an incident and work with the TWC staff in assessing the situation

3)    Transport animals from TWC to other wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario

4)    Make general driving trips that will assist Toronto Wildlife Centre with their daily logistical needs (i.e. Pick up of supplies or donations)

5)    Transport rehabilitated animals to the area where they will be released

 Qualifications/Requirements

• 18 years of age or older
• Access to a vehicle
• Full Ontario G license
• Strong Comprehension of English
• A Cell Phone
• Access to map of the GTA
• Volunteers are required to attend a General Information Session at TWC and will be interviewed thereafter.

Timeframe

Volunteer Drivers operate based on their availability and generally do not have set hours for volunteering.  Before getting started, we ask that Drivers outline to us the times they are most frequently available to donate their time.  When a situation arises that requires a Driver, we contact all volunteers in the area whose schedule indicates they might be able to help.

Because of this system, Drivers are not asked to commit to a set number of volunteer hours per week and are free to decide how often they would like to help out.  As a result, Volunteer Driving is flexible enough to fit into almost any type of schedule and appeals to all sorts of individuals from the recently retired to regular GTA commuters.

Location

Volunteer Drivers mainly operate within the GTA but occasionally situations arise that require travel to much further locations.  We encourage Drivers to let us know if they make regular trips outside of the GTA (to the cottage, workplace, family visits, etc.) or if they are willing to drive over long distances.

  Benefits

• Help in the survival and preservation of wildlife

• Gain a unique perspective on the challenges that wildlife face in an urban setting

• Learn more about the broad range of wild species that live in close contact with humans

• Assist sick, injured and orphaned wildlife without being directly involved in their care

How to apply