Why You Should Help
Applying to volunteer with animals is an amazing experience. If you choose to work at an animal rescue center you will be able to help adorable puppies and dogs and make a real difference. You can help to brighten up the often sad and lonely life of shelter animals behind bars and be their hero! Find volunteer programs with dogs and apply today.
Positions
Jobs can include walking, cuddling, training, grooming or simply giving LOVE and attention to dogs. This is something sometimes staff never have enough time for, but it is so vital for the well-being of the animals. You will occasionally also help with maintenance tasks such a painting, repairing kennels, cleaning kennels etc. in order to keep the facility well accessible for potential adopters, but spending quality time with the animals is the most important task! Most positions are voluntary, some offer work experience on internships whilst some companies also have paid positions.
Why the Need for Assistance
Many developing countires have amazing wildlife and a well established and safe tourist network. The cities are big, vibrant and exciting, busy with the typical life of any metropolis anywhere in the world. But within each city and town are the townships, large ghettos, that house hundreds of thousands of migrant workers and unemployed families. Passing through a typical impoverished township, one of the first things you will notice – beyond the obvious startling poverty – is the abundance of cats and dogs.
Within these high density and socially complicated environments cats and dogs breed freely and live with no supervision or control. Dog fighting is popular and animal abuse is widespread and de-criminalized. Additionally people are quick to buy a puppy from so called backyard breeders or pet shops and even faster dump them when their life’s circumstances or interests change, thus exacerbating the overpopulation problem. The monthly numbers of incoming animals at the shelters around countries like India and South Africa are staggering and the need for suitable homes for these rescues is acute.
Centres
There are “Right to Life” animal shelters that rescue, rehabilitate and then re-homes abused, abandoned and neglected animals all over the world. Right to Life means that no animal is put to sleep, unless it is in severe suffering and cannot be saved. Every animal is loved and cared for until a loving home is found for it, no matter how long it takes.
Daily thousands of animals are cared for and provided with food, shelter, veterinary care, exercise and positive interaction with people until they can be placed in loving homes. The dogs are walked daily and taken to exercise runs . The cats live in beautiful catteries where they are spoiled with blankets, food and toys and anything their little hearts desire.
As a team member you will help organisation’s fight for dogs, laugh and cry with them, and try to make sure that the joy outweighs the heartache. Centres additionally provide much needed animal medical support to the less fortunate communities in areas.
Testimonials
"I volunteer at a dog rescue center at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. I enjoyed being part of a dedicated, friendly team of people who genuinely cared for the dogs. Apart from my financial contribution I felt that the work I did was appreciated. It was an amazing time and as is the case with many volunteers, I was sad to leave after volunteering in Chiang Mai. I had booked for 2 weeks and ended up staying for about 4!" - Gill, UK
Other Ways to Help
- Raise money for charities helping dogs
- Seek out other volunteering opportunities locally to where you live e.g. dogs kennils
- If you see any stay dogs contact local authorities
- You might like to consider adopting a dog from a shelter
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