Volunteer

Why join the Junior Leader Program?

• Build your resume!  You will take part in our training program and have the opportunity to show us how awesome you are at camp! Our best volunteers are offered jobs as summer camp counsellors when they are old enough!
• Build friendships, contacts and a reference for future leadership and job opportunities.

What do we look for in a Junior Leader?

• Outgoing personality, energetic, punctual, team player, self-motivated and responsible.
• Strong communication skills, working well with others, and the ability to be a role model for younger children.
• Safety conscientious and strong decision-making skills.
• Someone who is committed to the camp experience and wants to be a positive contribution to our campers time at camp.

Major Duties & Responsibilities when volunteering at camp:

• Arrive on time every day!  Be prepared to be without your cell phone for the duration of the day and to be on-site (volunteers and staff do not leave the camp location during a camp day,) for the entire day.
• Assist the camp counsellors to provide a fun and exciting experience for the campers.
• Help with daily program prep and clean-up.
• All volunteer positions at camp are helping the campers, not the animals.  We hope all staff and volunteers will enjoy the animal experience at camp, but camp volunteer positions are not working directly with the animals.

How do you register?

• Junior leaders for Summer Camp volunteers must be entering grade 9 or older in September of that year. Junior Leaders for Winter break and March break camp must be in grade 9 or older at the time of the volunteer program.  
• Registration is done online, you will create a username, password and online account and complete the registration online.
• Please ensure when choosing your weeks to volunteer you are sure these weeks will work, we only accept a certain number of volunteers each week, we can rarely accommodate session changes, and the program registration fee is non-refundable.
• Once you have registered you are confirmed for the sessions you have signed up for. At any time you can login to your online account to check the dates. We will send an email closer to the training date with some reminders.
• All volunteers must attend ALL days (full day 8:45am – 4:45pm) of all of the days they have committed to.  Volunteer hours will not be provided for partial attendance. If you are registered for a two-week session you must attend all of the days, start to finish in order to receive any of your hours signed off by our staff.
• All volunteers must attend the orientation and training session noted for their season. If you do not attend this session you cannot volunteer.

2024 WINTER BREAK (December 23 & 27 or December 30,  January 2 & 3) Junior Leader –  The program is available to students from ages 13 to 17 who are currently in grade 9 or older. All volunteers for Winter Break must commit to the term of the session registered for at the Leaside or Beaches site.  Volunteer hours are 8:45am – 4:45pm each day of your scheduled volunteer time. Create a username and password to set up an account to register online. The training session is mandatory and will take place on December 3 from 6pm – 9pm at our Leaside site – 94 Laird Drive, unit 200.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE YOUR REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER

2025 MARCH BREAK Junior Leader –  REGISTRATION OPENS December 6, 2024! The program is available to students from age 13 to 17 who are currently in grade 9 or older. All volunteers for March Break must commit to a minimum of 3 days at either the Leaside, Beaches or Swansea site.  Volunteer hours are 8:45am – 4:45pm each day of your scheduled volunteer time. Create a username and password to set up an account to register online. The training session is mandatory and will take place at our Leaside site on the date noted in the registration – March 5 at the Leaside location.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE YOUR REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER

2025 SUMMER Junior Leader Registration OPENS EARLY 2025 – Join our newsletter for updates. The program is available to students from ages 13 to 17 years old. STUDENTS MUST BE ENTERING Grade 9 in September 2024 or older to apply.  The Pawsitively Pets Junior Leader Program helps youth to develop leadership, teamwork, and job skills. Volunteering at Pawsitively Pets will also contribute to the mandatory volunteer hours of volunteer for graduation. All volunteers must be available to attend a mandatory training session at our Leaside site.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE YOUR REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER

Summer Camp 2025 – Registration will open mid-January 2025. Volunteers are needed at Central Toronto (Leaside – both 94 Laird Drive & 125 Brentcliffe Road,) Toronto West (Swansea Town Hall), Beaches (2298 Queen Street East,) and our York Region locations – Learn-to-Ride (spots available for those with horse experience and those without riding experience) in Newmarket with busing from 125 Brentcliffe Road or volunteers can be dropped directly at the farm. Hours meet the criteria with the York Region School Board and can be signed through our registered charity. If you are in York Region student please email us for a letter to submit to your Guidance Department for approval prior to beginning your volunteer time with us.  Busing is available for all volunteers for Learn-to-ride from the noted bus stops.

What do Junior Leaders do at camp?  Junior Leaders work with camp groups to assist the counsellors and animal education staff with daily programming.  The main duties are to help implement the daily schedule, ensure the camper’s overall well-being and engagement in activities and provide a positive role model to children at camp.  Junior Leaders will help with the set-up and clean-up of daily activities and all aspects of the daily schedule. Junior Leaders will be on-site each day from 8:45am – 4:45pm and must attend every day of the session they sign up for in order to complete their commitment and have their volunteer hours signed.  Make-up days are not available. We are a cell phone-free environment and your phone is required to be left in our phone box for the entire day while at camp.

2024 Summer Training dates are set for Thursday, May 23, Wednesday, May 29 or Tuesday June 11 – 6pm – 9pm  in Toronto at our Leaside site. All volunteers will MUST attend ONE training session.  All camp volunteers must commit to a minimum of two weeks Monday to Friday full days. (All appointments should be made outside of camp hours.) All Junior Leaders will be provided with training sessions are mandatory.  All training sessions will take place in Toronto at our Leaside Location – 94 Laird Drive and in Ottawa at our Osgoode location – 5721 Osgoode Main St.  Volunteers who work at our summer camp programs work primarily with the campers and enhance their camp experience.  All volunteers will be required to upload a copy of their volunteer hour form to their online account when registering, at the end of the 2022 summer we will upload the signed forms back to your online account.  In order to receive your hours, you must complete every day of the two weeks you have signed up to volunteer for. 

If you are interested in volunteering throughout the year with the animals:

If you are interested in volunteering throughout the year with the animals, you must be at least 12 years old or older and complete our Animal Attendant Program first. Please check our Classes & Workshop link for courses available.  Once you have completed this program, you can apply to volunteer with the animals.  All volunteers must commit to attending every other week on the same day/time.