Diary of a Volunteer - The Final Installment - Part 3/3

Catch up with Merseyside volunteers, Helen and John as they reach the end of their first year of volunteering with the centre.

October

I did my Animal First Aid course; it was fun putting a bandage on cuddly toy animals and imagining that our dogs were going to remain still for me to bandage their leg. However, it is a comforting thought that if the worst happened, I would have basic knowledge of the best actions to take.

November

Snoop and Bryn visited the centre to say hello. We’ve had them for five months at this point and it’s as though they have always been a part of our life. Many of the staff came over to say hello; Georgina, the Centre Manager, was in the car park and remarked how well they looked. We really felt quite humbled by this, as it is impossible to imagine that they would have looked any different, but then we did not see them on their first day in the centre, which coincidentally was on John’s birthday in February.

The following week we tried our hand at agility. I have so much respect for those folk and dogs who do this especially after having had a go myself. Michelle brought Jaz her 10 year old collie and Clare had Zack her 18 month old staffie. Everyone had an attempt at each piece of equipment. The aim was to show us the art of safely teaching a dog agility. Unfortunately the weather has taken a turn for the worse and we have not had the opportunity to put this into practice as of yet. I look forward to the spring when my training will be able to give some of the dogs something different to do.

December

We had a lovely evening out at the volunteer’s Christmas meal and it’s been brilliant to meet like-minded people who love and care for our canine companions as much as we do. It was also rather strange to see these folk in clothes, other than those they wear to go out dog walking!

So, here we are at Christmas 2010. My Christmas morning consisted of walking Snoop and Bryn in the local park, and both loved running around in all the snow. After breakfast at home with John, we celebrated by helping at the centre. Of course my first visit was to see Jacob to give him his Christmas cracker from Snoop and Bryn.

I collected Jacob, met with John and Kevin (another volunteer who fell in love and adopted Paddy) and we all went off site around the park. Afterwards I went over to block 3 to give Barry a hand. What a perfect Christmas morning… roll on next Christmas!

We are now nearing the end of our first year journey and if I look back and ask myself what I wanted to achieve from voluntary work, I don’t think I really knew at the start. However, what I did know was that we had some spare time, a little knowledge and a lot of love for dogs.

What have we achieved from voluntary work:

• A sense of fulfilment
• Unconditional love and devotion from the dogs when they learn to trust you
• New friends – both staff and other volunteers
• Being able to put life’s challenges into perspective
• Lots of walking out in the open air is better than any gym – and is also absolutely free!
• The opportunity to gain continued personal development
• An excuse not to do the housework (!)
• But most of all, two very loyal companions – Snoop and Bryn

I have mentioned a few of the staff, but I really need to say a huge THANK YOU to all of them for being helpful and friendly, making us feel very welcome and a valued part of the team.

There are some people who will never understand why we want to do this yet so many people think volunteers are wonderful. The secret is anyone can do it, I just wish I had known this sooner!

If you would like to volunteer with your local centre, please visit our website for information.

Read part 1: http://bit.ly/DT_Vol1
Read part 2: http://bit.ly/DT_Vol2

Diary of a Volunteer - Summer - Part 2/3

Volunteers Helen and John have some new additions to the family and making a new friend at the centre over the summer months.

June

Yippee – after arriving back from our holiday in Vienna, we collected Snoop and Bryn in the early afternoon on the 9th. Now the fun was to start, settling two dogs into our routine whilst attempting to continue our volunteering at the centre.

I must admit, it has been a little more difficult trying to train two dogs at the same time, but the rewards are definitely twice the amount. When people who you see out and about congratulate you on how well they are doing it, really does give you a great sense of satisfaction.

During the working week our dogs are walked around the local park, approximately three miles round trip. John and I take it in turns, a week about depending on John’s shift. At the weekend we both try to walk together and it generally includes a trip to the beach. After a good run along the beach and home for breakfast, it’s a good time to allow the dogs to rest and we take a couple of hours for voluntary work.

Snoop is always very interested in having a good sniff of our clothes on our return but she never misses out on a big love and a few treats. Bryn doesn’t seem to be too interested in the smells, but is very pleased to have a treats and play with his toys.

The volunteer’s walks are an excellent opportunity to take the dogs off site for a few hours, find somewhere different to walk and have a chat with our fellow volunteers. The dogs are very good and seem to be more interested in the new smells than the other dogs. Of course we are always guided by the staff as to which dogs are suitable for off site walking.

July

On the 4th of July I headed over to block 4 and asked Jenny which dogs she would like me to walk. After walking Sam and Scrappy, she handed me Jacob, an eight year old cross that people walk past, me included, as he barks and jumps around. One of the members of staff, Jenny said that he would love a nice walk and he did. In fact, it was a little sad really as Jacob seemed distant and there wasn’t much interaction from him, he just had a mission of walking. ‘Well,’ I thought, ‘there is a challenge if I ever had one.’

All of my visits to the centre now include walking Jacob. Once out and walking he knows we go off site and he is very excited, showing me the way. We have our little rituals, but every walk is slightly different. He loves wading through puddles and ploughing through snow, and he definitely has a great personality. Jacob also loves other dogs; whenever he sees a dog out on a walk he will have a little cry as if to say ‘can I go and say hello?’, but is then always happy to continue his walk. Jacob proudly sits and says please for a treat. He also loves a fuss, in fact he is a real big softy and when you get to know him, he is a gentle giant. I would absolutely love Jacob to find a forever home, but I would miss him dearly.


August

We had a fantastic time helping out at the Summer Open Day. It was great to work with all the staff in a different way. We were helping out on the Doggie Run; John was walking around advertising the run and I was helping the two Jenny’s whilst they were timing the dogs as I was writing the dogs’ names and details of the owners. We were very busy all afternoon and it was great fun, yet quite competitive at times!

Keep your eyes peeled for the final installment of Helen's diary to see what happens in the final few months of their first year of volunteering.

Read part 1: http://bit.ly/DT_Vol1
Read part 3: http://bit.ly/DT_Vol3

Diary of a Volunteer - Part 1/3

Helen, a volunteer at our Merseyside centre, has kept a diary of her experiences over the past year. Helen and her husband, John decided to get involved with the centre after the passing of their dog in September 2009.

Here, Helen shares her thoughts of the first few months with the centre.

December

A most terrible thing happened at the end of September 2009. Some people say, “I’ll never have another dog, I don’t want to go through that heartache again”, and others pick themselves back up again and find a new friend. John and I were sort of in between; we both knew that we would love to have another dog, but with certain commitments over the next 12 months, it was not fair to adopt from Dogs Trust straight away. So we took a trip to our local centre and completed a volunteer application form.

Not knowing anything about being a volunteer we knew that we would have to ask about what sort of commitment we would be required to give. We were delighted to hear that the voluntary work was whenever we could make it. We didn’t have to let anyone know when we would be available, which suited us down to the ground.

We went along to the induction on Sunday 20th December 2009. The weather was terrible, it was cold and icy. We arrived at the centre just before 11am and joined the other newly recruited volunteers in the reception area awaiting the induction.

Clare, the Volunteer Co-ordinator, collected us from the reception and took all 10 of us up to the staff tearoom. She was so enthusiastic that the hour induction flew past and before we knew it we were walking around the blocks and becoming acquainted with the centre.

John and I had gone prepared in our walking clothes and raincoats so whatever the weather we decided to walk a little, even though Clare had given us full permission not to stay in this weather. I think we were both quite apprehensive as this was so different than walking your own dog. Clare jumped straight in and gave us Roxy and Billy, two Pomeranians. They were so sweet and loved being together. What a lovely feeling I got from giving them the opportunity to wander around the centre. We took them back and collected Rupert and Badger, eight year old JRT cross brothers. We weren’t sure which one was which, but they were quite funny! The weather got worse and started to snow so after walking for half an hour , we signed out and went home.

January

The next visit was on Saturday 2nd January 2010 – we decided that this would be our year for voluntary work. We decided to see how we could manage and wow many hours can we clock up by the end of the year. Now there was a challenge!

We arrived at 9.15 am and sort of made a beeline for Badger and Rupert in block 4, but we were intercepted on the way by block 2. We took Jackson (a seven month old collie) and Bobby (a 12 month old cross breed). Both had homes, which was great news. Then we went out on our own with John taking Jimmy a terrier who was very nervous and I had Elsa (a resident staffie). John had done two laps before I’d even done one!

Next up John was with Sirus (a lurcher) and I had Lex (a three year old cross breed). After two laps we then went back to collect Rupert and Badger before the staff went for their break. We did a couple of laps and then sat in the summer house, as the rain got heavier. We put the boys on the seat and they took turns in sitting on our knees, this was a lovely moment and I’m not sure who was enjoying it the most! We did another turn around the centre and I managed to slip on some ice. Rupert looked at me as if to say, ‘what are you doing down there?’. This really made me chuckle!

‘Gosh, how great is this making me feel? I feel so invigorated I can’t wait to go back tomorrow’, I thought. It was also brilliant that John was there with me; it’s something that we can do together, but still have our own space. What a perfect pastime. Even though the volunteering was no replacement for Dylan, it was certainly helping us come to terms with our loss.

March

It’s early March and the weather isn’t much warmer, but we are starting to be recognised by the staff at the centre and by other volunteers. On our first few visits to the centre I was almost attempting to see how many dogs I could take out and help to give a little stretch of their legs, but now I’m finding myself giving a longer walk and more quality time to each one. It also means the staff aren’t constantly handling the dogs in and out of the kennels. It seems to work well by doing a couple of laps of the grounds to achieve that initial stretch, followed by lots of cuddles and sometimes kisses! Of course not all dogs want that sort of intimacy, but just to sit and watch the world go by is good enough.

I ventured out with Finn, a 4 year old trailhound. Finn is so handsome and has such a loving nature, but seemed quite nervous. We did a lap and I kept talking to allow him to get used to me. We then stopped in the middle of the grounds and just watched while I gently talked and stroked him. Finn started to relax a little and I gave him a few treats. We then had lots of big loves and fusses, and after another few laps we sat at the bench for more loves and treats. On the way back to his kennel Finn was so much more relaxed, I felt so satisfied that I had been able to give a little calm to him; it is such a wonderful feeling.

It’s very strange as I have mainly had Collies at home, but volunteering at the centre has opened my eyes to many other types of breeds. Who knows what our next canine companion will be?

I’ve asked my manager at work if my department will accommodate a change from my 9 - 5 job for 12 months to allow me an afternoon each week at the Dogs Trust. I’m so excited about this change as it will certainly help towards obtaining voluntary hours and commences in April 2010. It’s not always possible to volunteer at weekends so this way I can visit the centre at least once a week.

April

It’s Easter and the weather still isn’t that much better, but on Sunday and Monday, John and I spent a few hours each morning at the centre. This was quite exciting as we asked if we take the dogs off the grounds to the little park. The dogs really enjoyed themselves; different scenery, smells and longer walks. It was also the first time that we walked Snoop and Bryn (a mum and son) together; little did we know what was to follow.

April 11th, our first volunteer walk – the planned Formby Walk ended up being ‘the dream’ due to the weather. We congregated at 10am and Clare led the way. We took Snoop and Bryn. This was all very ironic as ‘the dream’ was quite poignant, this was the walk we tried to do with Dylan but never got the opportunity. So after a deep breath off we went with Snoop and Bryn. Halfway up the hill, we stopped for a fuss and waited for the others to catch up, Snoop, despite being 13, was definitely a front runner. As I gave Bryn a good fuss, I realised that he didn’t have his usual harness on, but this one had the name tag ‘Dylan’. John and I both looked at each other and smiled. Was this fate?

The following weekend after walking Snoop and Bryn, John and I talked about our expressing our interest in rehoming the pair. However, we had a camping week to look forward to in May and our holiday at the beginning of June. It wasn’t quite the right time, but we were prepared to wait.

Come back tomorrow to read Helen's summer entry, including helping out at the popular Summer Fun Day!

Read part 2: http://bit.ly/DT_Vol2
Read part 3: http://bit.ly/DT_Vol3

A Letter from Japan: a volunteer writes about her Dogs Trust experience

Yumiko volunteered at Dogs Trust West London - Harefield (follow them on Twitter), and sent this letter, with permission to publish, to the volunteer co-ordinator, Bernice, at the centre. We wanted to share with you her insight into and opinions of dog welfare in Japan and the UK as well as her impressions of our charity.


Dear Dogs Trust

My name is Yumiko Homma, a student from Japan.

Thanks to the arrangement by Bernice, I was given a special opportunity to take part in volunteer work at Dogs Trust.

It has always been my dream to work with dogs in England, and learn how stray dogs are being supported after here, because England is known as the biggest dog loving country in the world.

Unlike in England, dogs are sold at pet shops, or large department stores in Japan. They are displayed in show windows on high streets, encouraging shoppers to stop by, and take one home, often just like hand bags or accessories. I believe that such an attitude of retailers, which treats dogs as a commodity, is an underlining cause that leads to people abandoning their dogs.

Many people in Japan purchase dogs, because they instantly fall in love with cute puppies in show windows. People are often lonely, especially in large cities like Tokyo. They purchase dogs to keep their company, for not feeling alone when they come back from work. Such people tend to buy dogs, without learning basic needs of their dogs, personalities of them, how much exercise they require, their diet, and overall, how to live with them.

As a result, many dogs grow untrained, naughty, bark a lot, become aggressive, etc. That is a time many people realise that they cannot handle their dogs, lose interests, and abandon them. In other, rather diverse cases, owners become so attached to their dogs. Some of such owners become scared of seeing their dogs die, when the dogs become unwell, and choose to abandon them.

In Japan, many of these abandoned dogs have no choice, but end up in the facilities run by local councils to terminate the dogs. There are growing number of campaigns to save such dogs in recent years, but it is not, unfortunately, enough to dramatically improve the situation.

As soon as I started my volunteer work at Dogs Trust, I was astonished by many things.

Firstly, the premises is so large. It is amazing that you can take that many dogs for long walk, all within the premises. This is so much different from Japan, where most such facilities are very small. Those facilities are also hidden away from public in Japan, since they are often unwelcomed by local residents, who worry about the hygiene, safety for their children, noise caused by dogs, etc.

Secondly, there are Vet facilities within Dogs Trust, where condition of dogs are constantly checked by specialists. Sick dogs are separated, and receiving appropriate treatments. In addition to the medical care, dogs at Dogs Trust can even receive grooming! I later learnt that this was to look good, which helps dogs to find new owners. None of these happen in the equivalent facilities in Japan, where dogs are kept in small cages, with minimum treatment and attention.

At Dogs Trust, there is a mock up living room of ordinary house, where staff can monitor how each dogs behave in it, and see if they are making progress to return to lives with people. The floors have heating system, which is obviously nice for dogs in cold winter.

There are many more things at Dogs Trust, arranged all for minimising the stress level of dogs, keeping good conditions of them, and most importantly, rehoming the dogs as quickly as possible. Unlike societies back in Japan, dogs are given a true priority at Dogs Trust.

I was also shocked to learn that Dogs Trust was a charity organisation, being run without any government findings. It must cost so much to keep this large facility running, only with donation. This reflects the great attention and support by general public in England toward dogs.

My experience at Dogs Trust taught me a lot, and made me realise how behind we are in Japan on rehoming dogs, or on dogs care as a whole. With an organisation like Dogs Trust being active, dogs are so much happier here in England compared to Japan.

On my return to home this summer, I will search for any possible means to present what I saw at Dogs Trust. I would like to pass on my experience to as many people as possible in Japan. It may take some times, but I truly hope that Japan will learn from Dogs Trust, and become a true dogs loving country like England.

I would like to thank all staff, and my co-volunteer workers at Dogs Trust, for giving me this fantastic opportunity to work, as well as learn here.

Best Regards,

Yumiko


If you are interested in volunteering at Dogs Trust, you can find out more on our website.

World Animal Day: Celebrate and Get Involved

Today is World Animal Day, an annual event created to celebrate man's relationship with the furry, feathered, slithering and scaly and to draw attention to those species on the brink of extinction.

As well as reflecting on the close relationship humankind shares with the animal kingdom, there will be loads of events going on around the world which urge respect for and conservation of animals.

If you've left it a little late to think of your own events, why not join in with one going on right now in your area? There is a handy international Events Diary on the website. I'm in London, so I chose the 'London & South East' area and found out that there are nine events listed, from religious events to open days, mountain biking, rabbit behaviour sessions and lectures.

If none of those appeal, perhaps you could use the day is impetus to think of something you could do more regularly to help animals; why not do something to raise money for an animal charity, volunteer at a rescue centre or just promise to be the one who gets up early each morning to walk the family dog for a whole month?

London Mayor Boris Johnson asks City Hall to 'clean and green' London with Dogs Trust

Happy news for Dogs Trust and many other organisations in the capital today. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is recommending that his City Hall staff spend at least one day a year volunteering to help 'clean and green' London; Dogs Trust is one of the suggested organisations that staff could get involved with. We commented that:

"Dogs Trust is extremely pleased by the Mayor of London's recommendation. The charity works hard in the community promoting responsible dog ownership and welcomes the support from senior London officials."

Other organisations mentioned included the National Trust, Trees for Cities, the Environmental Trust, Enfield Conservation Volunteers and Spitalfields City Farm among others.

Ways you can help Dogs Trust:

Volunteers can do a variety of jobs for their local Rehoming Centre. City Hall employees can head to their nearest, West London's Harefield, to help out with the following, but remember there are 17 Centres across the UK:

* Fundraising Volunteer
* Dog Walker
* Dog Socialiser
* Pre-Adoption Home Visitor

We also have regular campaigns throughout the year that you can get involved in publicising, such as National Microchipping Month and the ever-necessary Poop Scoop Week.