I often get told “I could never volunteer at a dog shelter because it would make me too sad”. It took me a couple of years before I had the courage to volunteer at PAWS because I thought the same. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I come over on holiday every year and the highlight of my holiday is volunteering at PAWS. I help clean out the kennels, from picking up the poop, mopping the kennel floors, washing up the dog bowls and filling up the water buckets. The dogs are always happy to see you and you’ll often get rewarded with a cuddle (sometimes from the dogs and sometimes from the other volunteers!) I spend a couple of hours there and when I leave I feel happy knowing the dogs are safe, fed and loved. I can honestly say I’ve never felt sad leaving until it’s my last day and I know I’m going back to the U.K. and won’t be back at PAWS for another year.
If you have thought about volunteering but are put off thinking it might be too sad please try it for a day. PAWS are desperate for volunteers and there’s probably lots of people thinking they couldn’t do it because they love dogs too much and it would upset them. PAWS can only exist with volunteers so if you love dogs then come and show it and lend a hand. I don’t think you will regret it and you will find it so rewarding. You don’t need to commit to doing every day, it can be a couple of hours a week and people like me on a weeks holiday are just as welcome.

Sharon Chesham  17 May