Animal Welfare: Cats and Dogs

About Animal Welfare: Cats and Dogs Project

Project Details

The Cats and Dogs Project works through a non-profit organisation committed to the welfare of local animals and relies completely on public support for funding and donations for staff salaries and all other costs involved in running the centre, hence the desperate need for volunteer aid. The centre, which is the only animal welfare centre in the Helderberg, Gordon’s Bay and Strand area, has been operational for over four decades.

With the recent economic decline, many people have had to give up their homes as well as their family pets. This in turn means that the Animal Welfare Centre is running at full capacity and in desperate need of extra helping hands and people to give these animals the human attention that they crave.

The project also visits local schools to educate children on how to take care of their animals and pets.

A Travelling Clinic goes out five times per week to the impoverished townships in the area, dispensing injections, dipping animals and imparting general primary veterinary advice. Depending on the circumstances, volunteers might be allowed to accompany staff on such days.

Accommodation

Volunteers are accommodated in the fully-furnished WTSA volunteer house or town apartments in Somerset West, complete with all modern conveniences. The accommodation is located in an upmarket, safe area with complete security and within walking distance of the CBD, shops, pubs and restaurants.

What will you do?

The daily duties of volunteers include food preparation; cleaning dishes, enclosures, vehicles and other equipment; playing with animals; and exercising animals by taking them for walks. This will sometimes involve hard manual labour like fencing, carpentry, building gates, digging and all things needed for the general maintenance of the animal enclosures.

Please note that one of the main responsibilities of volunteers will be to work hands-on with the animals. This role will suit a genuine animal lover and someone that is not afraid of dogs or cats.

The centre is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. However, working hours for WTSA volunteers are generally 4 days a week from 09h00 - 16h30. Every morning the volunteers will report to the office where they will be informed of any ill animals or special needs cases as well as a roster of daily tasks. The animals will be taken from the kennels into their exercise camps where volunteers will groom and exercise them, as well as monitor their behavior, as they may run loose within these camps. At times volunteers will also help to dip the dogs (weather permitting) as well as assist the vet or welfare assistant with any medication or treatment certain animals may require.

Volunteers are needed to provide physical touch and care for these animals which are often starved of any human interaction, as well as being stressed due to previous abuse, neglect or loss of owners. This may include sitting with the cats, playing with the animals and generally giving them love and attention. Volunteers must always be observant and keep a close eye on the dogs and cats to monitor their social behaviour, or identify early signs and symptoms of any sick animals and report these to the office.

Volunteers must bear in mind that some of these animals are stressed due to previous abuse or the loss of owners. Most of the animals at the centre crave human touch and attention which will be the main criteria for a volunteer placement.