Q. What is a volunteer?

A volunteer is someone who gives their time, skills and expertise to support PAWS in a voluntary capacity and isn’t paid for doing so. Volunteers are vital in helping us support the street animals and we’re so grateful for everyone who can volunteer their time.

 

Q. Can anyone be a volunteer?

A. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and experiences. You need to be over 18 for most of our volunteer roles.

 

Q. Why should you volunteer, what are the benefits?

A. Volunteering not only helps the cats and dogs in need but also provides benefits for those people giving up their time to support us in the work we do.  

Volunteering with animals can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The most obvious reason to volunteer with animals is to make a difference in their lives. Animals living on the streets of in our parks have often come from difficult backgrounds and have been through a lot in their short lives. By volunteering your time and energy to help care for them, you can make a real difference in their lives.

Animal volunteering is also a great way to meet new people and make new friends. When you volunteer at PAWS, you’ll meet other people who share your love of animals. This is a great way to make new friends and expand your social circle.

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Q. How much time do I have to commit as a volunteer?

A. As much or as little as you like. All we ask is that if you do make a regular commitment, you do your best to honour it, or give us plenty of notice if you can't, so that we can make alternative arrangements. For dog and cat park volunteers, we currently operate a rota system so volunteers can plan their time in advance.

 

Q. What exactly would I be doing as a volunteer?

A. That depends on your role and whether you are in the UK, Turkey or another country.

For example, our dog park and cat park volunteers will visit the park (usually once or possibly twice a week) to put out food and clean water for the animals, clean up poo, make sure that the animals have sufficient shade or warmth and report any concerns such as signs of illness or injury. Many of our animals love human interaction, so cuddles fuss and playtime are always welcome.

Not all our volunteer roles however, require visits to the animals, or for you to be in the same country. We have volunteers managing stalls at our events, volunteers baking or making jewellery, other volunteers hold their own events. The list goes on.

If you have time and want to get involved, or you're unsure of what may be involved, please 'Contact Us' for more information.

 

Q. Do I need transport? (Turkey based) 

A. Not necessarily. Although it would be very useful to have your own transport, many of our volunteers don't. If you are volunteering at one of the parks in Turkey then we will try to team you up with someone who can give you a lift there and back, as our parks tend to be in more rural areas.

However, we are always in need of people who are prepared to use their own cars to transport sick or injured animals.

 

Q. Will I be paid expenses?

A. No. We are a small Charity entirely reliant on donations and we want every penny or lira to go directly towards the welfare of the animals. Most of our volunteers consider their travel expenses, etc to be an additional contribution to the charity, along with their time. In some cases we may contribute food to our volunteers who feed street animals, but this is done on a case-by-case basis with the agreement of Board members.

 

Q. I'm only here on holiday. Can I still volunteer?

A. Absolutely, just contact us when you arrive and we will arrange to meet up and show you where you can help.

 

Q. What support will I get as a volunteer?

A. We completely recognise and appreciate the selfless contribution our volunteers make towards improving the lives of our local street animals and aim to offer as much practical and emotional support as possible to enable them to feel valued and effective in their role. We have strict policies and procedures that we must follow to ensure all our safety. 

 

Q. How do I become a volunteer?

A. Just send us a message via our ‘Contact Us’ page and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Even if you decide not to volunteer, there are still several other ways you can support us. Just drop us a message; we'd love to hear from you!