Shelter
Our shelter is where we look after the dogs and cats that have entered our care. Shelter volunteering is a very hands-on animal facing role and some of the work can be quite physically demanding. Our Animal Attendant Assistant volunteers are involved in the cleaning of pens and enclosures, feeding and providing essential enrichment activities such as walking and play. It can be emotional work, but it’s incredibly rewarding as volunteers get to have a direct positive impact on the animals in our care as they wait for their owners to claim them or be adopted into new homes.
Customer Experience
If you have a passion for customer service and enjoy interacting with members of the public then our Customer Experience Assistant volunteer role may be perfect for you! In this role you will assist in answering phone calls, booking appointments, data entry as well as spending time in our cat and dog adoption areas helping people choose their new family member.
Behaviour
In our behaviour department we’re dedicated to helping the animals in our care who need assistance with their behaviour prior to going out to adoption. As a Behaviour Trainer Assistant volunteer you will assist the team in providing training and enrichment through positive reinforcement training. This is a great role for a volunteer who already has a qualification in dog training and is keen to gain some practical experience.
Clinic
Our busy vet clinic sees us treat thousands of animals in our care as well as private clients. Volunteer roles in this department are quite specialised and we welcome the assistance from qualified veterinarians and vet nurses, as well as providing placements for vets and nurses currently studying for a qualification. If you’re a retired vet or vet nurse, or still working, but would love to support our work please email us at volunteering@dogshome.com
Pathways
The Pathways team at LDH has a very special role in providing temporary, loving homes for pets who are recovering from surgery, undergoing behaviour training, are too young for adoption, or need some extra TLC outside of the busy shelter environment. As a Pathways Assistant you will assist in helping with the administration around our foster and rescue programs. The kinds of activities you may be involved in include answering phone calls, data entry and processing forms as well as packing food and equipment for foster carers, with time for also providing play and affection for our animals.
Administration
If you’re passionate about helping animals, but looking for a volunteer role that’s not directly hands-on with the cats and dogs in our care, getting involved at the LDH as an Administration Assistant is a great way to make a significant contribution to our work. We have a variety of admin roles in fundraising and community engagement with tasks including data entry, mail outs, packing orders and general admin duties.
Photography
One of the key elements of our adoption program is having fantastic photos of our animals that we can post on the website and social media. As a Photography Assistant volunteer, you will play an important part in showcasing the wonderful pets we have available for adoption. As the role calls for some expertise successful applicants are usually qualified photographers or photography students.
Maintenance
We’ve got extensive grounds and gardens at our North Melbourne and Cranbourne sites and can always use the skills of Maintenance Assistant volunteers to help us out. This is an ideal role for a handy person who’s retired and enjoys doing a variety of maintenance and gardening activities. Although you’re not hands-on with the animals, you’ll be making a huge contribution to their environment and the facilities for staff who are doing the hands-on care.
Foster Care
Becoming a foster carer is such a rewarding experience. Not only do you provide shelter pets with a temporary home to grow, rehabilitate and recover – you’re also given a sense of fulfillment knowing you have played a special part in their journey to adoption and a forever home.
Pets of all breeds and ages require foster care. For more information about how our Foster Care Program works, please click here.