Volunteer at the sanctuary

How to Volunteer

Schedule a sanctuary tour to get an overview of who we are, what we do, and why. Visits must be scheduled during open visiting season and volunteers must have had a scheduled visit within the last nine months. Visit our Visiting page for details on how to schedule a sanctuary tour.

Let Judy know you would like to volunteer when you schedule your visit.

Volunteer Requirements

A sanctuary tour is required before you can volunteer. Please visit our Visiting page for details on how to schedule a sanctuary tour.

Because of the time and effort it takes to train people to work safely around rescued animals and sanctuary equipment, we require that volunteers commit to serve for a reasonable amount of time. To be perfectly honest, the one-time or occasional volunteer does not really help us because of the learning curve. It's the regular volunteer who "knows the drill" who provides the most effective help. For important safety reasons, those under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Our volunteer jobs are mostly simple but important tasks related to taking care of animals, gardening, and general clean-up. For these kinds of jobs you must be in good shape and not suffer from allergies to animals or hay. Because most of the work on the sanctuary is physical in nature, this is not the right place if you have lower back pain or other similar medical issues.

If hands-on sanctuary work is not your cup of tea, we also have a variety of volunteer opportunities of a clerical or technical nature. Some of them may be done from the comfort of your own home. These jobs are just as important as bucking hay or mucking out the barn.

What Volunteers do

The work needed to be done changes from day to day. Often you will be given one task to perform repeatedly all day long.
  • Scoop poop. We do this every day so the animals have a clean home.
  • Move cedar chips. High traffic areas are covered in cedar chips as part of our wet winter mud management.
  • Weeding. Always needed in the garden or yard. If you have this skill we love you!

Seasonal work may be:

  • Moving gravel
  • Moving hay bales
  • Painting barns
  • Digging ponds
  • Fence repair

Do you have a specialized skill? We need your help!

  • Plumber
  • Electrician
  • Drywall installer
  • Sign maker
  • Carpenter
  • Landscaper

Visitor & Volunteer Guidelines

You are a guest in the home of many rescued animals in various stages of healing.

We want you to enjoy your visit. Ask any questions you want. No subject is out of bounds and no question is dumb.

Our goal is to make your visit enjoyable and educational. You will have many good photo opportunities.

  • Bring no food onto sanctuary grounds.
  • Do Not Feed the Animals. Many are on special diets.
  • We want pigs to greet you as a friend not food item.
  • We want you to meet pigs as a friend not food item.
  • Children must be supervised at all times.
  • We respectfully request that no animal products be brought onto sanctuary grounds. We are dedicated to respect for all life.
  • Several animals have free run of the sanctuary. Please do not approach any animals without first checking with staff. Our animals come from situations of abuse and neglect, healing may take time.
  • No smoking.
  • No weapons, drugs or alcohol are allowed on the sanctuary. This is a place of refuge for animals and humans alike.
  • No personal pets allowed. Some sanctuary animals are dog attack survivors.

Help cleaning and scooping is always needed and requires some training before you are productively at work with the animals. Volunteer training and orientation occur several times a year.

New projects that require special skills frequently come up. If you would like to offer a specific talent please let us know. Plumbers, painters, electricians, drywall installers are commonly needed, but we also need those unusual skills: auctioneeer, chimney sweep, gutter installer, fence builder, artist. Whatever your talents are, we can use you so please let us know!

If you are interested in volunteering please contact:
Judy Woods
Founder/Director of Pigs Peace Sanctuary
.


 
Volunteering

Moving gravel

 

Volunteer painting

Painting barns

 

Volunteer painting

Scooping!

 

I am convinced that my life belongs to the whole community; and as long as I live, it is my privilige to do for it whatever I can, for the harder I work the more I live.
— George Bernard Shaw