Diary of a Volunteer - Fetcher Dog moving to a new centre and spending time with Tripaw Tommy
Hi, my name’s Paul and I’m a volunteer with Fetcher Dog.
My days are packed with these tasks and, by the time my shift ends, I may be tired and a little smelly, but I’m also deeply rewarded by a real sense of accomplishment.
- Kennel cleaning - Poo Picking, scrubbing floors, changing blankets
- General centre cleaning - Rubbish Clearing, washing dog bowls, floor cleaning, loading blankets in and out of washing machines and dryers and ensuring they are close to kennels.
- Website posts and Monthly Newsletter production, you can subscribe for the newsletter on the homepage - www.fetcherdog.com
This week at the kennels:
'Fetcher Dog have purchased their new property in Yelsted, due a generous loan for the deposit, so the next few months are going to very hectic moving out of the existing leased property and moving to the owned property.
That in mind, many of my hours are spent clearing away areas and rubbish at the existing centre interspersed with trips to the new place and formulising ideas for dogs, staff and volunteer builders, carpenters and electricians......
There is a 2 month cross over period (March/April) so if you would like to volunteer either in Wye, Kent or Yelsted, Sittingbourne, Kent feel free to contact us, the jobs needed will be:
- General Cleaning
- Painting
- Garden Maintenance
- Rubbish Clearing
- Jumble Sales
You can volunteer by emailing Jordan at jordan.connor@fetcherdog.com
Volunteering for a rescue centre is not easy, it can be frustrating hearing that so many dogs are being abandoned, emotional seeing how human beings can neglect dogs and tiring doing monotonous physical tasks but it is a privilege seeing the dogs safe, happy, grateful and then finally rehomed.
My personal irritation, as a Fetcher Dog volunteer, is when I see dogs being returned to the centre after being adopted with literally no plausible reason except for a clear lack of effort, patience and understanding towards the dog and their needs.
Thankfully this does not happen regularly and most of the adopters are kind, loving, patient and supportive of their 'new family member' with many being moved to tears of joy when they get their new addition to their family.
In addition to chores, I am trusted with some of the dogs (see below) and this week's highlighted dog Tommy is definitely one of the dogs I like to share time with, Tommy is comfortable with me cleaning his kennel while he is in there and I get to play with him in his kennel and in the field.
Tommy has an obvious physical challenge so I am very gentle with him and we play at his pace and capabilities, I am old so our capabilities perfectly match..... Tommy is a sweet boy with a good soul and would make a perfect addition to any family. (In my opinion)
(For context, there are many of the forty dogs on site, due to their history, that are very scared around me and therefore Fetcher Dog do not allow me to 'invade their space' or put them under unnecessary duress.)
Sex: Male - Date Of Birth: 2016 - Size: Medium
Breed: Mixed - Spayed/Neutered: Yes - Microchipped: Yes
Vaccinated: Yes - Location: Bosnia
'Tommy was found after he had been hit by a car on the streets of Bosnia. He unfortunately had to have his leg amputated but he healed well and is now waiting for a home of his own.
Tommy does not let his injury hold him back and he is the most loving, sweet and goofy boy. He is very friendly and loves meeting new people. He enjoys walking with the volunteers every weekend and interacting with all the other dogs. Tommy also did very well on his cat test.
We don't know if Tommy has ever lived in a home before so he will need full training upon adoption.
If you would like to adopt Tommy or any of the Fetcher Dog beauties, start the process today by following this link.'
Thank You
