Dirty Work! Sanctuary Volunteer.

Italy

5

MAA was a truly eye opening experience, hard work and a learning occasion! The shifts are respected and you can ask for a precise day off. Would recommended

5 months ago

Lina replied

Thanks so much Laura for coming back again and again, thanks for your huge support and your true commitment ! We can't wait to welcome you back again

Poland

5

It is unique experience, dogs at the shelter are really lovely and amazing. The only small minus is accommodation. For me it was okay but I am not sure if everyone would feel okay with cold showers f.ex.

5 months ago

Germany

5

I really loved volunteering for MAA. The animals are amazing and sooo lovely. The work is super dirty and can sometimes be a lot emotionally. Living in the staff house is not always easy, but if you're fine with cold showers, WiFi that's not working every now and again, and occasionally locking yourself out of the staff house (happened to all of us sooo many times 😂😂), you'll not have problems at all. The other volunteers and the general work make your stay really really nice. I loved my time there and will definitely come back. I'll miss all of the amazing animals so so much ❤️❤️

6 months ago

Lina replied

Hello Hermine, thanks for your kind and funny feed-back! It was a pleasure to have you with us and we definitely hope to welcome you back again, with hot water we hope lol!

Colombia

3

The shelter has too many improvement opportunities. The dogs come in poor condition from the streets, and the people give their best to treat them and provide them with a better life. However, this is something difficult to achieve due to the resources management. The staff house is a house like any house in the world. If you go, don't wait for someone to clean after you. The manager is not there. There are rules, and you have to follow them by yourself, even if other people don't. This experience broke me for many reasons. But every experience is different. I hope you have a better one.

about 2 months ago

Spain

3

Well, this volunteering was not for me. I knew they were going through hard times, but it end charging too many responsibility on you. The more experienced volunteers at the shelter (called Team Leadres) that are supposed to teach you don't take the time to. I learnt the most from another volunteer that had arrived a week before me, to who I am very grateful. The house were you stay is really dirty, some dogs inside pooing and peeing, rotten food on the fridge… Don't blame anybody, but it is not a comfortable living conditions for sure. Dogs really need your help, but I advice is rough work!!

3 months ago

Lina replied

Hello Laura, it's truly not for everyone as you said. Team leaders are not experienced volunteers but workers, choosen and paid for this position. For the staff house there is a schedule for all the volunteers living in for the cleaning of the common parts, unfortunately only few respect it. Same thing for the dogs, there is a schedule for the Dogs needs, they to be teached to pee and poo outside during the daily hike. We made the rules, but volunteers are the ones who makes them exists.

Canada

2

MAA is in poor shape. The owners are away from the organization. There are few trusted staff on site. The shelter lacks proper management. Standard practices outlined in the FAQ doc are not in place, like new crew shadowing an experienced team member, or being paired up with an the organization buddy. The team is small, only the necessities are done. Scooping poop and feeding in the AM. Odd jobs in the PM. Sometimes walks in the PM. Resources are spread thin. Food is mixed with moldy bread. Groups of 7-9 dogs are kept in 8'x10' pens. MAA could really use the help, but be prepared if you plan to volunteer here.

5 months ago

Lina replied

it's true that we are in a big storm, so volunteers are one of the key for animals to go better, thanks for your time and commitment.

Germany

3

U need to have fire in ur heart for the work u need to do at the shelter. I have to say, I saw more bad stuff then good stuff and thats because theres a lag of money. On top no one is really willing to put the dogs that are perfectly fine on the website for adoption. The house was really just doable because of the people there. I would still come back (maybe).

5 months ago

Lina replied

Hello Emilie!

I hope you are doing well and happy to know that you still wants to come back and your welcome.

but please be fair, you can't say that "no one is willing to put dogs .. for adoption" that's false and a heavy accusation, we need someone who wants to take the adoption coordination position but we have not found one so moment, if you want to apply for the job then welcome. Adoption processus is much more than only putting a photo on a website, it means a lot of logistic behind

United States

3

For starters, the hosts aren't even in the country, and on top of that they didn't even tell me before I arrived. So finding the location was stressful. I feel there was a big lack of communication between hosts/workers and the volunteers. I didn't really learn all that much because I wasn't taught by the staff. It was essentially volunteers teaching other volunteers, and for that I felt like it was very unsafe for the volunteers, the dogs, and even the locals. If you can emembrace chaos and disorganization this is the place for you. If you have a big heart, the animals make up for it:)

5 months ago

Lina replied

Hello Jayce, Thanks for your feed-back. We are not all in Morocco as this an international organisation but main people are on site, some of us are not here at the moment and you know that's it's not by choice. We have still many things to improve, and we are sorry that you feel unsafe as we are making all we can to make you feel safe and happy in this organized chaos. Thanks for your time here and your big heart.

United States

3

Some recent events have transpired and that is leading to a lot of problems here. The people that you talk to before getting here are not in the organization at all. The kitchen is really difficult to use and the house is dirty most of the time. The work is hard but fun with the dogs. There aren't really cats and working with the horses is rare. The work is disorganized and the other volunteers are the ones teaching you what to do. The animals defiantly need our help but I think the state it is in now is unfair to the volunteers and the animals. I loved the other volunteers and the dogs.

5 months ago

Lina replied

Hello Ana,

I am the only person who talk with volunteers before your arrival and I am in Morocco, in Agadir. I was in Paris for a time, then in Brussels for work, but travelling is still possible when you can be a nomad worker like me. Anyway, the staff house is run by volunteers so the property depend on them..even if we have a maid daily for the common spaces, we hope that all these adults can clean their own place. Our cat's are in the "cat House", but only for workers as it's far.

Morocco

4

My excperience at MMA was nothing but new nd appreciable, even tho i stayed a short time (a week),i enjoyed my stay,the animals were lovely and i made so easily so many freindships and memories i couldn't excpect,but there is still so much to unpack here.There is a huge lack of supervision as you arrive you dont get much explained many aspects and details of the tasks,so you can easily get lost and feel unuseful and frustrated for my part i did not mind at all i do adapt quickly but seeing so many of my freinds and the dogs getting hurt and bitten because of the lack of guidance was uppsettig.

5 months ago

Lina replied

Hello Merry,

We will be happy to have you back in cha Allah! As you saw on site we are living a very hard time and we need more people for the lack of supervision as willing is not enough, we noted what you said and we are working on it! The fire of our shelter made us reunited the two shelters in one and that's why dogs are excited lately... it's not easy for them and us, but we will handle it

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