Students and scouts needing community service hours or wanting to volunteer to help out our shelter are encouraged to inquire about our projects listed below. Your hard work will make a difference in the lives of the animals in our care!

Please note that the Sacramento SPCA does not have a program for court-ordered community service at this time.

Project: Birthday Party

Use your celebration for a good cause! Instead of birthday presents, ask for donations for the Sacramento SPCA like toys, beds, treats and wet cat food! Stop by the shelter with your goodies and we’ll grab a photo for you to share with your friends!

Project: Newspaper Collection

The SPCA uses newspapers to line animal enclosures, to help keep the animals in our care comfortable and clean. Directions for stacking collected newspapers: Use full sheets of newspaper only (putting half-sheets and anything glossy aside for recycling); lay out full sheets of newspaper, stack them in groups of 25 or 35; then fold each stack of sheets in half. 

Project: Pet Toy & Treat Drive

The Sacramento SPCA needs plenty of pet toys and treats to keep the animals in our care busy and happy. We particularly need Kong toys for dogs, which we stuff with peanut butter and canned dog food to keep our dogs entertained. Solicit donations from friends, family and neighbors.

Project: Towel & Blanket Drive

The Sacramento SPCA uses thousands of towels and blankets every year.  We are always in need of gently used towels and blankets to replenish our supply. Solicit donations from friends, family and neighbors. Tell them that getting rid of their old towels is a great excuse to go out and buy new ones!

Project: Making Pet Toys for the Animals in our Care

We are always in need of toys for the dogs, cats, and small animals in our care. If you search “DIY dog toys” or something similar on Google, many different toy tutorials will pop up. If you decide to make toys, we please ask that they are able to be machine washed & soaked. We clean all of our toys to prevent the spread of disease at our shelter. Snuffle mats & fleece tie blankets are options to make as well. If you are interested in making toys, please fill out the Youth Volunteer Application & we will get back to you as soon as possible.