We welcome volunteers

If you are able to give some time we'd love to hear from you. Click on the cat and dog picture below to take you to our Volunteer Enquiry form. There's lots that you can do - walk dogs; spend quality time with cats; help with fundraising; help on fair days, or perhaps you're able to offer specialised help in your field. Working with the animals at the shelter is limited to 9.00am to 1.00pm seven days a week.

The Shelter urgently needs volunteers who are available weekday mornings on a regular basis to come and walk the dogs and/or spend a little time with our cats.

Click on the picture at right  to go to the Volunteer Enquiry Form

The dogs so enjoy their short time out of their cages being walked and cuddled and the cats appreciate visits when they can enjoy a little one-on-one time being stroked and cuddled.

Volunteer Job Page

Click here to go to our Volunteer Job Page where you'll find a listing of jobs that volunteers can apply for. These are jobs that will need people who can give short amounts of time on a regular basis or one-off jobs that we're hoping a volunteer can help with.

Volunteer Update

Keep up to date with what's happening in the world of volunteers at Sydney Dogs & Cats Home. Our Volunteer Update is published on a weekly basis. Each Friday we'll let you know about the latest adoptions, and any happenings around the shelter.

Friday 22 August

Hello!

Adoptions and thanks

What a fabulous week for the cats - with fifteen adopted, some of whom were our long termers. Jasper, Nemo, Jacinta, Mika, Cleo, Benny, Jasmine, Tiger, Monkey, Anastasia, Luna, Biscuit, Wesley, Mystic and Matilda.

Wonderful to see Jacinta and Jasper who had been with us for more than three months go to great homes. Jasper went all the way to Yass. And dear little Matilda who had had a horrid start to life, was adopted by one our volunteers and gone we believe, to live a very spoilt life, just like little Biscuit who had been found and adopted by her finder.

And nine dogs found their forever homes. Buzz, Ravi, Timothy, Dodo, Patchie, Lucie, Goldie, Simon and Lucky.

It was wonderful to see three of our Golden Oldies get homes - Patchie, Lucie and Ravi, two of them having been sadly surrendered. Ravi's owner had had her for two years and was extremely distraught by the situation, but circumstances beyond her control meant she couldn't keep him. This sweet little dog found a new home after just a couple of weeks at SDCH - he's going to be a lap dog and a beautiful companion for a retired lady.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who came in this week and those of you who braved the miserable weather today.

Thanks to everyone who has so generously donated food, towels, blankets and many other items for the cats and dogs this week.

A sad situation

The photo says it all - these two dogs were brought in as a pair five days ago. It is hard for us to estimate their age which is done by looking at the teeth as the Rotti is very threatening and extremely protective of his friend.

It is a girl and boy story but while a true relationship is obviously physically impossible they are inseparable. She sleeps on him all the time.

Fortunately our Kennel Supervisor (Lion Tamer), Tiffany, is developing an understanding with the Rotti and when he charges at her with his teeth bared she just calls his bluff but he won’t let her near his mate. The microchip details are not correct so we cannot contact the owners, but we are hoping someone sees this and knows who the dogs belong to, and we are also sending the story to the media in the hope that one of the newspapers will pick up . Hopefully we we will be able to convince the owners when found of the need to have the Rotti desexed.

Fair Days

If you haven't already put your name down indicating that you can help out on either the Kogarah Fair Day or the Woollahra Fair Day (or even both), we'd love it if you could help out for even just one hour. As we mentioned last week, we are having stands at the Charity Bed Race Day on Saturday September 6 which is held in the main street of Kogarah and the Fair Day on Sunday September 14 at Woollahra.

We'll need some help at both days and in particular at the Woollahra fair. They are having a huge BBQ and all the proceeds are being donated to SDCH. However, they have asked for help with cooking and selling.

If you can help at either of these, there is a form on the notice board in the Volunteers' Nook for you to put your name down on. It would be great if you could indicate how much time you can give on the day so that we can organise a roster.

Both days mean lots of exposure for SDCH and our dogs and cats - and having volunteers there telling visitors about the animals helps tremendously.

We'll also be taking some small dogs to the fairs and they'll be proudly wearing their new neck scarves, embroidered with Sydney Dogs & Cats Home and the phone number.

Raffle

Don't forget to get your tickets in the raffle that's being drawn on September 13. Your chance to win a great prize for your dog or cat - on sale in the front office - 3 for $2 or 10 for $5.

Some reminders for volunteers

The front Cat Isolation Room is off-limits to all except staff and vets. Please remember that this is a sick room.

SDCH On-Line Auction - UPDATE - DATE CHANGE

If you didn't read about this in last week's update, we'll just mention it again - to coincide with a fabulous new advertising initiative that is being created for SDCH by a major advertising agency, we have put the date for the On-Line Auction back to 30 September.

Don't forget if you can help with the donation of some goods to auction, we'd really appreciate it.

We have some great goods including a fabulous Digital Camera donated by the Digital Camera Warehouse at Canterbury, and a weekend at a pet friendly cottage at Hawks Nest.

New opening hours - a reminder

Don't forget the new hours - Monday to Friday 9.00am to 3.00pm and Saturday and Sunday 10.00am to 2.00pm.

Dog walking is still 9.00am to 1.00pm - 7 days a week - we encourage volunteers to come and walk the dogs from 9.00am on the weekends. The side gate will be open for you to come through that way.

Next Update ...

Friday 29 August 2008