Animal Shelter Volunteer – How to Get Started

Our furry companions offer love, companionship, and protection. Aside from that, they also serve as a refuge from despair and loneliness. That is usually the relationship between the elderly and companion animals according to the Cinnamon Trust. However, being hindered by old age and illnesses, these people are in need of help from interested and reliable volunteers to exercise their pets.

Recently, a charity in the Sudbury area is urgently in search of volunteers that will walk pets of the elderly and seriously ill. What does it take to be an animal shelter volunteer? It might not need a specific set of skills but it requires dedication and reliability.

Elderly unable to care for their pets

Voluntary dog walking

Do you wish to have your own pooch but are hindered by a complex working schedule? Consider volunteering for a dog walking job. You can help animal organisations such as the Cinnamon Trust. They provide helping hands to pet owners having trouble taking care of their beloved pets due to injury, illness or old age. Recently, they are looking for people who are willing to help walking Bella, a two-year-old Cavapoo living in Newton.

“A large number of elderly or ill pet owners become very worried about their ability to care for their pets, feeling that their only option is to rehome them. This is where our national network of dedicated volunteers steps in to offer support enabling them to stay together,” stated by a spokesman for the Cinnamon Trust.

He added that they offer aid to housebound owners when they need to go to the hospital. In their absence, volunteers feed the pets and clean their cages.

Being an animal shelter volunteer

Photo Credit: Time

Shelters always have spots for volunteers. Others may be fortunate to have enough volunteers which will have applicants on a waiting list. If you want to be one, you may need to:

Fill in details on an application form
Attend an orientation
Take part in training courses
Give a tax-deductible donation
Sign a liability waiver

Duties of an animal shelter volunteer

Animal shelter volunteers are given different roles. The good thing is that the schedule is quite flexible according to how much time you can give.

It is important for you to choose the task that you are most comfortable with. Tasks may include:

Cleaning cages
Bathing and grooming pets
Communicating with potential adopters
Fostering
Landscaping
Office tasks such as copying, encoding or printing
Socialising with pets
Taking photographs of pets

How can I volunteer?

Cinnamon Trust Volunteers at Crufts 2019

How can I volunteer at a dog shelter or pet organisations? With the many animal shelters that are in need of volunteers, the first thing to do is for you to search for the contact person or the volunteer coordinator. Important details are usually found in the shelter’s website.

Animal charities in the UK

When choosing a shelter to volunteer, consider the place, the type of animal you want to work with, and the shelter’s needs. Animal charities in the UK include:

Blue Cross

Volunteer placement may involve different tasks including the following:

As a pet foster carer
Attend fundraising activities
Deliver pet education programmes to the young generation
Provide emotional support to bereaved pet owners
Take care of certain tasks such as grooming, feeding, walking and cleaning pets as well as their kennels
Work in a Blue Cross charity shop