We know that there are MANY rescue organizations asking for help and donations and we want to thank you for choosing us!

We typically have volunteer orientation the first Sunday of every month at 1 p.m. Please submit a volunteer application and we will send you the details for the time and place!

Our dogs and birds are grateful, and our volunteers and supporters thank you!

We are only successful in our mission to save animals when we have a dedicated team of volunteers, sharing the same goals, visions, and immense love for these beautiful creatures. We rely on the support of our volunteers and are always looking for reliable individuals to assist in the following roles/duties:

Home Checks: This person will perform home checks on families that are interested in adopting an animal but can not obtain a Letter of Reference from their vet. This person will be provided with a check list to ensure all areas are covered during the home visit.  99% of our home checks are completed within all areas of San Diego County.

Follow Up: The purpose of follow up is to check in with the new adopter to ensure everything is okay with the new member of the family. The follow up call should happen within a day or two of the dog going home. The follow up call can happen when the animal has been on a sleep-over as well.

Foster Care Giver: A foster parent is responsible for the well-being of the animal while they are in the foster parent’s care. All food, medical care and supplies will be provided by LCAL Rescue. The foster parent will fill out the appropriate Foster Application and will receive proper orientation.  We are always in need of short-term and long-term hospice fosters.  Our foster coordinators will work with you to match you with the right dog(s) in your home.

Dog Walker: The dog walker is responsible for walking those dogs that are at the Adoption Center at 3308 Mission Ave., Oceanside, California. The dog walker will fill out the appropriate Volunteer Application and will go through proper orientation and training. This includes orientation and approximately two sessions of shadowing a lead volunteer. If you are a dog walker that has committed to walking dogs on a certain day, you are responsible for getting those dogs out on your day. If you can not make it, we ask that you do your best to find a replacement and let the Volunteer Coordinator know. Our adoption facility can house anywhere from 13–15 large-breed dogs and 4–6 small-breed dogs. The dogs at our Adoption Center spend their days in their outdoor runs, and they are housed indoors for the evening. A midday dog walking session can take anywhere from one hour to two hours (11:30AM – 1:30 PM), depending on how many dogs are present at the time and how long you spend walking each dog. Our goal is to have two dog walkers for midday sessions to help the process go more quickly. There may be days where you are the only midday dog walker.

Adoption Center Opening Shift and Closing Shift:  The openers and closers are responsible for handling the daily opening and closing duties.  Morning openers arrive anywhere from 7AM – 8AM, provide meals, medications, morning potty breaks/short walks, cleaning indoor kennels of any messes made during the night, check laundry, wash food bowls, and lock up the Adoption Center.  This process takes approximately 1 hour to 1.5 hours, depending on the number of dogs and/or puppies at the Center.  If you like to take the dogs out on longer morning walks, then you can spend more time there at your choosing.

Closing shift is the opposite of openings—evening potty breaks/short walks, meals to those needing more calories in their diets, medications, securing everyone in their evening kennels for the night, cleaning outdoor kennels of any messes from the daytime, and securing the building for the evening.  The closing shift process can run 1 hour to 1.5 hours, depending on the number of dogs and/or puppies at the Center.  Openers and closers must complete orientation and attend dog handling procedures with the Senior Volunteer Coordinators.

Advocates: The advocate chooses a dog that they can work with on a one on one basis. The advocate will bring this dog to training and adoption events. The advocate may do the home-check and will be involved in interactions for possible adopters.

Transportation: Transporters will pick up dogs from shelters or various locations of pick-up and bring them to Last Chance at Life’s designated place, usually the Adoption Center or directly to Mission Animal & Bird Hospital.

Adoption Event Dog Handlers:  We often host adoption events and are always in need of dog handlers to show up at the Adoption Center (Oceanside), pick up a dog, transport it to the event, and be the “handler” for that dog for a couple of hours.

Event Planners:  We have regularly scheduled adoption events at Petco Oceanside (Vista Way location) one Saturday a month. The Event Planner is responsible for planning adoption events, getting help from volunteers and assigning handlers to their dogs.  We also attend special events, usually one each quarter, throughout San Diego County.

Fundraisers: Volunteer fundraisers are responsible for creative thinking and planning events that help fund the costs of the rescue operation.  Fundraiser volunteers must be self-starters and have excellent organizational and leadership skills to manage the event from start to finish.   They will also be trained in all aspects of accepting donations for the rescue group.  You can lead a smaller fundraiser through a local yogurt shop to a larger fundraiser — the sky’s the limit!  This is one area that we need help with the most, and it’s great for people who can’t commit to fostering, walking dogs or opening/closing shifts on a regular basis.  A great way to help our group without having to be “hands-on” at the adoption center every day.

Mentors: The mentor is a seasoned volunteer that assists new volunteers in our processes. The mentor role is very important in the dog walking and home check areas.

Thrift Store: LCAL Thrift Store is a 4800 sq/ft shopping space, located across the street from our Adoption Center in Oceanside.  If you enjoy “thrifting” and working in a retail environment, we are always in need of part-time volunteers to help with sorting items in the back (staging area) and assisting with pricing items before placing the items on the store floor.  General merchandising and excellent customer service skills are a plus!