Volunteering

VOLUNTEERING AT SYDNEY DOGS AND CATS HOME

SDCH has a dedicated team of Volunteers who work tirelessly for the Home.  They all have one thing in common, a genuine love of animals and a desire to see them safe, happy and healthy.

Our Volunteers walk the dogs, spend time with the cats and other animals, work in the kennel area, help with administration and help with fundraising for the Home.  General volunteers need to be 18 years of age and older.

We also accept occasional volunteers for specific work experience programmes, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Premier’s Volunteer Scheme, corporate groups, overseas students and community service people.  These volunteers need to be at least 14 years of age.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED

  • Confidence, ability and experience with handling animals. This includes the dogs you have owned.
  • Good communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Ability to follow procedures and take directions.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

  • A genuine love of animals.
  • A genuine desire to help lost and abandoned animals and make a difference to their lives.
  • Be physically fit and enjoy lots of walking.
  • Live within a reasonable travelling distance of the Home and have reliable transport. We will give priority to local volunteers.
  • Cope with the emotional highs and lows of working in an animal shelter.
  • Make a commitment of 3 hours or more per visit either weekly or fortnightly. Preference will be given to people who come weekly.
  • Commit to volunteering at the Home for a period of 6 months or more. Many of our volunteers have been coming for well over a year and some have been coming for 10 years.

JOB DESCRIPTION

  • Walk the dogs. This is very different from walking your dogs at home. There is a variety of dogs, both in size and temperament. As the dogs at the Home are in an unfamiliar environment, volunteers need to show additional consideration and kindness.
  • Participate in basic training of our dogs and Open Paws program.
  • Attend dog training seminars and workshops.
  • Spend time playing, training, grooming or just sitting quietly with the dog in its kennel.
  • Socialise our dogs.
  • Participate in the environmental enrichment of our animals. Brighten the day of our animals by relieving their boredom and stress.
  • Spend time with the cats. Clean cat enclosures and feed the cats.
  • Cleaning and feeding our small animals.
  • Complete relevant records for our animals e.g. health reports, dog log.
  • Comply with the animal hygiene required in the shelter e.g. cleaning up dog waste, use of antiseptic gel for germ control.
  • Working in the yard.
  • Work as part of a team.

BENEFITS TO BE GAINED FOR THE VOLUNTEER

  • Hands on contact with animals.
  • The joy a lick, a wagging tail, a game and a purr gives you.
  • Inner satisfaction experienced by improving the animal’s life while at the Home.
  • Pleasure experienced when animals are re-homed.
  • Meet and work with other people who share a love of animals.
  • Benefits of physical activity.

VOLUNTEER PROCESS

  • Read the online information about volunteering at SDCH.
  • Read the Volunteer Application Form.
  • Read the Volunteer Agreement.
  • Visit SDCH to become familiar with the environment you will be working in and ascertain if you live within a reasonable travelling distance of the Home.  Will you be able to travel this distance weekly/fortnightly for a minimum of 6 months?
  • When visiting the Home fill in and submit your volunteer application form.
  • Be considered for and attend an interview.
  • If successful at the interview, work in the yard area, help with the cleaning and feeding of the small animals, spend time with the dogs and cats and sometimes go dog walking with an experienced volunteer. We require you do this for at least three weeks.
  • Attend a 3 hour orientation session.

Reasons for working in the yard area prior to orientation.

  • To become familiar with the environment you will be volunteering in.
  • To ascertain whether your travelling time to and from the Home is manageable.
  • To meet the other volunteers you will be working with.
  • To become familiar with everything that is involved with caring for such a large number of animals.
  • To spend time with the animals.

If you would like to proceed with your application, visit Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.  Once you are at the Home and feel comfortable with the environment, please fill in an Application Form and a Volunteer Agreement Form and hand these to the Reception Staff. You can view these forms by clicking on the following links:  Application Form, Volunteer Agreement Form. These forms must be received and signed before your informal interview can be arranged. Any further enquires please call our staff on (02) 9587 9611 or email volunteer@sydneydogsandcatshome.org