This is as much a fault of the staff as a symptom of the aforementioned issues of a lack of volunteer training and no chain of command. However, the staff must be required to be more approachable by the volunteers and give them the respect that they deserve. Unless everyone starts working together the shelter cannot achieve its goals.
This conflicts with the SPCA Code of Ethics : Point 4)
Solution: Adopt proper job management for the volunteers, provide job training, and an environment conductive to allow for respect. Remind the staff that the volunteers are just as important as staff, the only difference is that they don’t get paid.