Powered by Passion: The Volunteers Behind RSPCA Queensland

Article written by Rumer Grace Archer

United behind a shared purpose to create better lives for animals, more than 3,000 passionate volunteers, alongside almost 500 paid staff, keep RSPCA Queensland operating around the clock.

“Volunteers are the organisation. They bring community. They’re essentially who we are. It’s how we function.”

With more than 100 different roles, RSPCA volunteers contribute in countless ways, from caring for animals and supporting op shops to filling vital behind-the-scenes roles that keep everything running.

“We have a team of volunteers at the laundry and that is their space. They love it and it’s such a sense of community,” says Chloe-May Wienk, RSPCA Queensland’s Volunteer Services Manager.

“We also have wildlife volunteers that help out with driving, you might see them driving around the city. There are volunteers in fundraising and our corporate teams and we have volunteers that help out the cleaning team.”

For Chloe and her team, the focus is on ensuring volunteers are happy, fulfilled, and supported in their roles, with plenty of opportunities to grow and get involved. Sometimes that even means creating new volunteer positions based on people’s interests.

“I think the more roles we have available for them to contribute, the better. People want to help, so why not let them help?”

And that help can be life-changing, not only for the animals but for the volunteers themselves.

“People in our cleaning teams started as volunteers. People in our HR teams started as volunteers… you can see how it’s changed their life.”

At the heart of it all is passion. While some volunteers see the direct results of their work, others trust in the collective purpose that connects them.

“Our animal care roles can see the impact of what they’re doing. They take Charlie for a walk, and then they walk past the kennel 20 minutes later, and Charlie’s deep in sleep. You can 100% see what you’re doing has purpose there,” Chloe explains.

“In our op shops, our volunteers aren’t seeing the animals, but they know the purpose and reward of what they’re doing. The majority of them understand that what they’re doing is feeding Charlie. Everyone is really working together to create the story: I walk Charlie, I feed Charlie, I do the bedding for Charlie.”

That shared purpose keeps the volunteers coming back and fuels the RSPCA’s heartbeat.

“I think actually seeing what’s happening to the animals inspires them the most and keeps them coming in. The passion is at the next level.”

Chloe says what surprises her most is how much people are willing to give.

“It’s generally our volunteers that give the most. They’ll come in multiple days a week to do different roles and put their hand up for everything… but they’re so excited to do it. There are people who have so much inside them, so much energy.”

Sometimes, all it takes is one volunteer to remind her why the community is so special.
Chloe talks about Elizabeth, who has been volunteering at RSPCA Brisbane Animal Care Campus for over five years.

“She comes in every single week, twice a week, to help out in our cat sections and she likes to take all the new volunteers under her wing and help them out. But she also brings these magazines in every week that have cats in them, and she goes around and shows all the staff the magazines with her cats in them.”

It’s this sense of belonging and care that makes RSPCA such a meaningful place to be, a place where everyone, human or animal, can flourish.

Some of Chloe’s most memorable moments come from watching volunteers grow in confidence and connection through events like the Million Paws Walk.

“You get to see the volunteers coming out of their shell and doing something else, especially when you know some of them more on a personal level,” she says.

“I think some of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had are just seeing our volunteers actually grow with us.”

Training and development are also part of that growth. Chloe recalls a time when volunteers came to her property to help her rescue a magpie with rope wrapped around its leg.

“They came out and showed me how to set up a trap and left it with me for a few days. They showed me how to work it, how to pull the string and what to do. A couple of days later, I caught the bird in the trap. Having them come out and do that just shows the training we get to give volunteers so they can get a really exciting role.”

Like many organisations, RSPCA Queensland has felt the challenges of the changing volunteer landscape, from the rising cost of living to people’s busier lives.

“People during the week no longer have the time to not work full time. Some people are working now on weekends, so they can’t come in and help out here. It has impacted a lot of our op shops and our other centres that they just can’t get there and can’t do it anymore. So that has been a real struggle for our organisation and our volunteers.

“The volunteers also get fatigued and there’s so much going on in their life that they really start to feel bad, that they can’t show up all the time anymore. I feel terrible that they are so ashamed to tell me that.”

Despite these challenges, the passion of RSPCA’s volunteers continues to inspire new ones to join.

“At the end of the day, staff probably aren’t going to go home on their weekends and boast about their work life. Volunteers do, they go out and boast about their volunteer shifts. That’s how we bring more people into our community.

While many of us may think that the RSPCA’s purpose is focused only on animals, it’s also about empowering our communities.

“Our purpose is to create better lives for animals and we do this by supporting not just animals, but also members of the communities.”

Through outreach programs, education, and partnerships, RSPCA Queensland connects deeply with people as well as their pets.

“We have community outreach days, education programs, ways for us to get out and about and actually help people,” Chloe explains.

“At our community outreach days, volunteers help run a pet bank, they give members of the public free harnesses, collars, food, and vet treatments. It’s not just about the animals we have on site, it’s also helping people in the community who are struggling with their animals.”

The programs extend even further providing short-term care for animals whose owners are going through crises.

“There’s a lot of different programs, but everything comes back to creating better lives for animals,” Chloe says.

And that’s what truly defines RSPCA Queensland, a community powered by purpose. Every volunteer, whether they’re walking dogs, sorting donations, rescuing wildlife, or supporting a family in need, plays a part in something far bigger than themselves.

Because while the RSPCA’s mission begins with animals, its impact reaches deep into the hearts of people and communities across Queensland. It’s a place where compassion connects, where purpose is shared, and where every act of kindness helps build a better world, one paw, one person, one story at a time.