Volunteering
At HULA the staff rely on volunteers to help with many aspects of the daily animal care.
Volunteering with the dogs
At HULA we rehome a wide variety of types of dogs of varying sizes, ages and breeds. Following a training session volunteers can gain experience of caring for them all.
- help exercise and train the dogs to walk on lead safely, without pulling and to sit on command
- train the dog to recognise its name if it is a stray
- play with the dogs, brush and groom them, and give them time out of the kennels
- work with the staff in the training programme which is established for each dog and report back all progress
- observe the dogs for signs of changes in health or behaviour and report this to the staff
Read about the experiences of volunteer dog walkers
Volunteering with the cats
At present we have no vacancies in the cattery, please check back in a few months.
Many of the cats who come to HULA are strays and therefore can be very nervous of humans.
- help with the daily feeding and cleaning of the cat pens
- help to groom and handle the cats and report all progress to the staff
- help the cats, particularly the strays, learn to trust people and be calm and relaxed in human company
Volunteering with the small animals
We have a variety of small animals: rabbits; guinea pigs; hamsters; gerbils; rats and occasionally others!
- help with the daily feeding and cleaning of the pens and runs
- handle the animals to help them be friendly when handled by their new owners
- observe animals for signs of changes to their health or behaviour and report this to the staff
- help with the grooming of any of the small animals who have long coats
Homechecking
We are currently adding to our database of home checkers and would love to hear from you if you could help us out.Before leaving our care all potential adopters for cats and dogs are visited at home. This allows us to assess the location and environment and be sure that it will be suitable for the animal in question. It also allows the potential adopters the chance to chat to an independent third party about the responsibilities of taking on a new pet.
You would need to be a pet owner or have experience of handling or working with animals. You may have home checked before for other rescues or had a home check yourself and understand the process from the other side. Don’t worry if you are only a dog person and not a big fan of cats or vice versa, we have some home checkers who do both and others who specialise in their favourite species. Time commitment is usually low, around an hour or two a month maximum. You would need access to a telephone or email that you check regularly so that the office can get in touch with you. You will give us the area you are able to cover and travel to and we will contact you when potential checks come up in your area. You will then contact the potential adopters yourself and arrange a time to visit them that suit both you and the adopter. You will then let the office know when you will be going to do the check and the end result afterwards. All training and paperwork will be provided by HULA.
If you would like to help us out with home checking please drop an e-mail to us for the attention of Heather. We would love to hear from you and look forward to your help in the adoption process.
Fundraising
We have a dedicated group of fundraisers at HULA however we always need more! The fundraising group meet once a month and meetings are very informal. Please don't worry if you have no previous experience.
- help out at Open Days (run a stall, erect gazebos, manage car parking - the list of jobs is endless)
- help with the administration of mail shots
- sell raffle tickets
- distribute posters
Maintenance
At HULA, we have many jobs to keep our maintenance person very busy. Volunteers, if they have the appropriate training and qualification, assist staff with daily checks and repairs around the site. These jobs include:-
- electrical checks
- plumbing work
- building and repair work
- upkeep of the grounds, weeding, pruning, grass cutting and general tidiness
HULA Charity Shop
Under the supervision of the shop manager volunteers in the Woburn Sands charity shop can assist with:-
- the daily intake of donated goods - sorting, cleaning and presenting the goods for resale
- dealing with members of the public
- following training they will also work on the till
All volunteers who work at HULA either at the sanctuary or at the shop have a desire to help the charity and ultimately help the animals that we care for until they find their new homes. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please print off the relevant application form below, complete it in full and return it to the volunteer co-ordinator at HULA. Alternatively visit HULA between 10-4 Sunday to Thursday and pick up a form from staff. Applications can take a little while to process so please be patient and you will be contacted for your induction if your application is successful. All applicants must be over 16 years of age.
