Volunteering

**Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary! Please note, volunteering at the Sanctuary is not for everyone and if you cannot reliably fulfill commitment for the positions detailed below, please consider not submitting an application at this time. You can still be a sanctuary advocate by sharing our social media posts and events!** 

We currently are not able to accommodate group volunteering or community service-based volunteer work.

Please be sure to read thoroughly through each section. 

Below are the available volunteer positions: 

• Animal Care Assistant – Watering Team
  

  This role supports the caretakers on duty by helping complete essential water-care tasks during chore time. Water Team volunteers are responsible for dumping, scrubbing, cleaning, and refilling animal waters, as well as cleaning automatic waterers in the mammal areas. This position directly supports the health and well-being of our animal residents. It requires observation, communication, and consistency. Volunteers must be comfortable working near animals, noticing when something is broken, different, or concerning, and communicating with the caretaker on duty when questions or concerns come up.

  This is not a casual or flexible volunteer role. Because caretakers rely on Animal Care Assistants during scheduled chore shifts, volunteers must be able to commit to one 3-hour shift per week for a minimum of 6 consecutive months. If your current schedule requires frequent flexibility or absences, this may not be the right position at this time.

  For those who can make the commitment, this is a meaningful way to directly support the daily care of rescued animals — and spend time around some truly wonderful residents.

  • Must be able to commit to one 3-hour shift per week in the morning (7:00am start time) or afternoon (2:30pm start time) for a consecutive minimum of 6 months.

  • Moderate to heavy physical activity.

  • This position requires a much higher level of commitment and responsibility as we put so much time and training into our animal care assistants and we staff based on your scheduled volunteer time. A donation of $50 for this position is required prior to starting work.***

• Animal Care Assistant: Hay Team – Want to help weekly but need a little more flexibility? This role is a huge help to our senior and special-needs animals who rely on chopped hay as part of their daily care. Hay Choppers spend about 1.5 to 2 hours per week chopping hay for our older animal residents. The day and time you come out each week is flexible (during AM or PM chores), as long as the work is completed consistently. This is a dusty, physical role involving hay, lifting, bending, and repetitive movement. If you have a hay sensitivity or allergy, this would not be a good fit. Masks and goggles are available if desired. This position does not require a deposit or donation, but it does require consistency. Chopped hay is an important part of keeping our aging animals comfortable, nourished, and well-supported.

• Public Events Guide – Assisting with property clean up, event set up, welcoming guests to the sanctuary, etc. This is a 2x a month commitment primarily on Saturday late mornings, evenings and some Sundays. If you enjoy the socialization of talking to people about the animals, this position might be for you! Light to moderate physical activity. A donation of $50 for this position is required prior to starting work.

• Saturday Barn Scrape/Projects – Don’t mind mucking stalls? This involves scraping the barn every other Saturday and can involve other clean-up or general infrastructure project tasks as well. Applicants need to be comfortable being around the animals and be able to work independent of sanctuary staff (but will be working alongside other barn scrape volunteers). This position requires 2x per month commitment. Moderate to heavy physical activity. Those interested must be able to work in all kinds of weather from hot to freezing temps. A donation of $50 for this position is required prior to starting work.

• Coop Cleaner – Want to spend time with our feathered friends and keep them clean and comfortable? This position is not for folks with sensitive respiratory conditions as volunteers will be cleaning out old bedding from each of our chicken coops and replacing with new. Allows volunteers to work independently. There is some flexibility as to start time, but we ask for a weekly commitment. A donation of $50 for this position is required prior to starting work. Moderate to heavy physical activity.

• Animal Transport/Errand Runner – If you have free time during weekdays and don’t mind Colorado traffic, we need folks willing to transport animals to and from vet appointments or other errands. Typical transport times are between 8-9:30am and 4-6pm, however, we occasionally request emergency vet transport. Transportation may involve your vehicle or the sanctuary vehicle. Must have a Messenger account, valid Colorado driver’s license, proof of insurance and background check may be required. Light to moderate physical activity. There is no deposit or donation required for this position.

• Sanctuary Support Volunteer –
  

  Want to help keep the sanctuary running smoothly behind the scenes? This flexible role supports the animals, caretakers, and property by helping with general cleanup, organization, and small maintenance tasks. Responsibilities may include picking up loose trash, breaking down recycling, refilling feed barrels, checking for broken or out-of-place items, reporting infrastructure concerns, assisting with light repairs, and helping with small projects around the sanctuary.

  This role requires attention to detail, strong observational skills, and the ability to follow instructions. Volunteers should be comfortable working outdoors, walking around animal areas, and completing practical tasks that may not always involve direct animal interaction. Schedule can be somewhat flexible. Light to moderate physical activity required. This is a great way to support the sanctuary, help keep animal areas safe and organized, and spend time around our rescued residents. A donation of $50 for this position is required prior to starting work. 

• Project and Construction Volunteer – Want to help the animals and lend your trade skills  and extra time to the sanctuary? Projects can involve construction, plumbing, and carpentry. Moderate to heavy physical activity. Must be able to dedicate 1-2 weekend days per month. Interested applicants will need to complete a general construction skills survey. There is no deposit or donation required for this position.

Broken Shovels is a hard-working sanctuary meaning we are constantly busy with animal care, sanctuary infrastructure projects, fundraising and outreach. Our ultimate priority is caring for the animals that call the sanctuary their home and we consider caring for and working with them to be a privilege. It is important to understand that we rely strongly on committed, reliable volunteers. If you anticipate a lot of travel or have other commitments that could potentially interfere with the volunteer position/schedule you are interested in, please consider applying at a later time. You will have the chance to spend a little supervised time with the animals while learning about what we do to make life safe and comfortable for our residents, but the work comes first.

Volunteer Requirements:

• Potential volunteers must be at least 18 years old. We cannot accommodate a parent/guardian with anyone under the age of 18. 
• Must be able to lift 40 pounds and be able to work in a variety of weather conditions.
• Must have a valid state-issued driver license or ID. 
• A donation of $50 for all volunteer positions except Animal Transport and Project and Construction positions will be payable prior to starting any work.
• We currently are not able to accommodate group volunteering or community service-based volunteer work.

If interested in the above mentioned positions, please click the button below to be taken to the application. Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into the volunteer program. If your application meets our requirements to volunteer, you will typically receive an email within 1 week. Sanctuary needs are always priority and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Volunteers are crucial and we are thankful for any and all time you’d like to help, but in order to provide the best care for our animal residents, our staff, our current volunteers, and our sanity DO NOT apply more than once or send emails to the main sanctuary email or DM/PM for earlier access.  Sorting through these types of inquiries is time consuming, clogs up inboxes and impedes important rescue work. Please trust that we want your help, are thrilled to have you, and we will get in touch according to the timeline indicated. 

All volunteers must complete an application, read and sign the volunteer forms and pay the donation of $50 all positions prior to starting any work. (Animal Transport and Project and Construction positions excepted.)