First of all, we suggest that you read through all the material that you can find on our webpage. This will allow you to obtain an overview of the information about our shelter and orient yourself in our facility.
- Please call at least 1 day prior to your visit (+372 53339272) to let us know about your desire to volunteer. There may be times when we have a lot of volunteers at the shelter, and there is simply not enough work to go around. On the other hand, at other times we may have no volunteers at all for days. If we have prior notice of people wanting to volunteer, we can plan our workdays more efficiently.
- Always wear suitable clothes for the weather when you come to our shelter. This also means comfortable footwear (no high heels), and clothes that you wouldn’t mind getting dirty, ripped, or otherwise damaged while helping us. Check the weather forecast before your visit. If it’s expected to be cold, then please don’t come with light or thin clothing. If it’s expected to be warm, don’t come with a winter jacket. If it’s expected to rain, bring rain boots and a rain jacket to ensure you stay as dry as possible while working outside. It is unbelievable how many volunteers make these simple mistakes when selecting the appropriate clothing to wear. Just keep in mind it is uncomfortable to be in the shelter with inappropriate clothing.
- Don’t use strong smelling perfumes. An animal’s sense of smell is thousands of times sharper than a human’s. What is pleasant to a human might be irritating to an animal.
- Don’t come with big, flashy, jingling jewelry. Some animals might want to play with them, some might be frightened by them, and some may even attack them.
- While dealing with animals it is forbidden to use mobile phones. The use of a mobile phone could potentially cause a dangerous situation as communicating on the phone leads one’s attention away from the animal. If one doesn’t obey this rule, then a shelter worker could ask the volunteer to leave the shelter.
- Ask for a “poo bag” from the office if you are going to walk a dog. As it is proper etiquette for all dogwalkers, always pick up after your dog. This way you won’t step in the piles left behind by accident, and other those volunteers after you won’t experience the same fate either.
- You can bring treats for our animals, but always show the treats to a shelter worker beforehand. All treats may not be suitable for all animals. A more intimate knowledge of our animals is necessary to make this determination.
- Upon arriving at the shelter, please take the time to read all the notes written on the yellow paper about our regulations. Afterwards, each volunteer must write the current date, their name, address, age, and signature in our registration book. Your signature shows that you have read and understand the regulations, and that you are responsible for your own actions while on the shelter’s property. The information provided will only be used for guest statistical purposes.
- Instructions to volunteers regarding tasks to be completed for the day are given in the office or by the animal caretakers outside the office. Since the shelter can be a dangerous place, please listen to the rules very carefully and carry them out precisely. Performing tasks using inappropriate methods or ignoring hygiene standards may harm both you and the animals at our shelter. There’s a potential for disease to spread and injuries to you and other animals to occur. The consequences could range from expensive medical costs for the shelter, or in more serious cases, injuries to people and/or the euthanization of our animals.
- Don’t forget that you are responsible for your own actions while being at the shelter. Always avoid dangerous situations, act calmly, and obey the shelter workers’ instructions.
- If you enjoyed working with us at the shelter and you want to come back in the future to support the shelter animals, then please consider being a permanent volunteer. Feel free to mention this to our administrator in the office, so that future arrangements can be made.
