Domestic Animal Shelter

Highlights

• Assisting the Vet Tech and Hospital Manager with their daily duties (previous animal medical experience is essential for this).
• Caring for animals (dogs, cats and farm animals) - providing them with love, attention, exercise and grooming.
• Spending time walking the dogs and/or assisting the team in their daily duties, including clicker training for socialising the dogs as well as river and mountain walks.
• Assisting the team when going into the local township to offer education, medical treatment and building of enclosures, etc.
• Learning about animal behaviour from a qualified animal behavioural specialist.
• Assisting in educational presentations and outreach programmes to teach local children from the local low-income areas in Hout Bay about animal-human interactions. This includes a literacy programme where one of the project’s dogs attends reading groups at the local primary schools.
• Getting personal support from the volunteer coordinator.
• Experiencing amazing tours and adventures in and around Cape Town.

Project Information

The animal shelter is a non-profit organisation whose core aim is to rehabilitate and re-home lost, abandoned, abused, and neglected animals and to educate local communities, in particular their children. They strive to uplift the lives of companion animals in disadvantaged communities by providing free sterilisations to qualified families, primary health care, veterinary treatment and food as well as humane education to pet owners.

The shelter aims to: 

• Lessen the suffering of abandoned, injured and abused dogs and cats by rescuing them, providing for their well-being and placing them into loving homes.
• Reduce the numbers of unwanted animals by providing free sterilization for dogs and cats in disadvantaged communities.
• Provide education to create an awareness of the moral and ethical responsibility we have towards the animals whose world we share.

Your Role

A possible work schedule could be:

• 9:00 – 12:00 Go for a walk with the dogs. Whenever volunteers are between jobs, all staff are encouraged to spend time with the cats, dogs and puppies – they need human contact and love desperately, and always enjoy some human interaction. You groom the dogs/cats, make enrichment toys. You will be able to assist in socializing the dogs and also spend time with the dogs in their enclosures.
• 12:00 – 12:30 Lunch.
• 12:30 – 13:30 Assist with maintenance of the shelter.
• 13:30 Departure from the project once all is done.

You will get a full orientation and introduction on Monday. The project starts on Tuesday.

It is important to note that this description serves as an example only. The daily tasks and challenges depend on the volunteer, the time of the year and the work that needs to be done. The final job description can therefore vary substantially from the above.

Accommodation

You will live at the Volunteer House. It is a private house in an upmarket residential area in Cape Town. Volunteers are accommodated in twin bedrooms but may upgrade to single rooms upon request. There are 4 bathrooms to share, a communal kitchen to cater yourself, a dining room, a lounge with TV and DVD and a beautiful garden with a swimming pool.
Bedding is provided. Towels will be not provided.
There is a washing machine at the residence for you to use which works with tokens which can be purchased for R40 per load.