Help at our dog shelter and experience life in rural Sicily!

Top Host: This host receives lots of worldpackers and has a high average rating, being recognized by the community as a Top Host.
Help a sustainable project: 37 travelers confirmed that this host is actively contributing to a more sustainable future for everyone!
Higher chance of approval: This host has recently approved volunteers and is looking for more applications.
Connect with international travelers: 51 travelers recommend this host to meet travelers from all around the world
Connect with nature: 49 travelers recommend this experience for reconnecting with nature
Accepts couples and pairs of volunteers

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What you offer

25h

Hours per week: Help out and collaborate with your host only a few hours per week.

Animal Care: Help look after and take care of animals.

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What you get

Days off per week: Have some time off for yourself, go explore the city or rest for a while.

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Support: Get help from the Worldpackers support team in case you need it, at any point of your trip.

Verified Host: This host has been verified by our team before joining the community.

WP Safeguard: Did something not go as planned? Contact our team.; Learn more

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Availability

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Stay at least: 3 weeks

The Experience

We welcome volunteers in our countryside home in Sicily where they can be part of a community of travellers and make a difference in the lives of the dogs in our care - by helping to clean their enclosures, give them food and water, take them on walks, and provide as much individualized attention as possible. Our NGO, with the help of a passionate community of volunteers, strives to cure and find loving homes for the many strays in our area.

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Requirements

Beginner English or Beginner Italian
Over 18 years old
Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

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Talk to those who have lived the experience

In our community, you can talk to worldpackers who have already collaborated with this host and get your questions answered directly.

You can ask things like:

a) How was your experience with this host?
b) How was your day-to-day routine?
c) How much did you spend on this trip?

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Connect with those who will also be there

Become a Verified Member and exchange ideas before your trip with other worldpackers who will be volunteering in the same place as you.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

Join the host in pursuit of these goals and contribute to building a better and more sustainable future for all.

Good health and well-being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

Peace, justice and strong institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.

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60 Reviews

5.0

Host & Team

4.5

Hours & Tasks

5.0

Animal Shelter

4.5

Learning & Fun

5.0

How this experience will transform you

51 Meeting international travelers
49 Get in touch with nature
34 Meeting locals
34 Immersing in the local culture
31 Creating true social impact
22 Developing social awareness

This host contributes to Sustainable Development Goals

28 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
25 15. Life on land
23 3. Good health and well-being

Anna-Lena

Austria

My stay at the Shelter was great. Nelly and Franco are amazing hosts, and their dedication to helping dogs is truly inspiring. Unfortunately, a few volunteers had left before I arrived, which made the workload a bit heavier. However, Nelly was always checking in on us to make sure we were doing okay. The work is quite physical, and there are a lot of stairs. But the experience was absolutely worth it. For Sunday Lunches, they cook the most delicious Sicilian dishes for the volunteers. This was my first volunteering experience, and I loved it. I would definitely recommend it to others.

24 days ago

Elena

Austria

Such an amazing experience! Nelly and Franco are lovely and made me feel super welcome from the start. The dogs were the best part—spending time with them just brought me so much joy everyday ❤️ The accommodation is simple, but being with the other volunteers really made it feel like home. Especially waking up to the beautiful view over the Sicilian countryside was incredible. It was peaceful, quiet, and exactly the kind of break I didn't know I needed. I felt truly comfortable here and can't wait to come back. It was an experience I'll never forget.

about 1 month ago

Kiefer

Ireland

I really enjoyed my 3 weeks spent at the shelter. Every day the sun was scorching which sometimes made the work difficult but it helped starting at 7am so you could skip the hottest time of the day. The dogs in the shelter are literal angels on earth and i'm going to miss them all so much. The weekly Sunday lunch was delicious. The fellow volunteers from all corners of the world were amazing, every night was spent playing cards at sunset. Overall, I would really recommend this place to everyone, it can be tiring but it's worth it to spend even a second with the sweet doggies at the shelter :)

3 months ago

Emmet

Ireland

This is an amazing place to volunteer and help out. I stayed here for 3 weeks but now wish I had stayed longer. Neli and Franco are both great people and it's an amazing thing they are doing. The work is enjoyable, keeps you healthy (from all the walks) and is good for the soul(you spend all day with dogs). Every Sunday Neli and Franco cook beautiful sicilian lunches and sometimes there is even a sweat treat after. For anyone wanting to da meaningful and purposeful thing I would definitely recommend volunteering here.

3 months ago

Andriana

Greece

Nely and Franco have created the most beautiful and inspiring safe place for dogs who have had some bad luck in their lives. The shelter is very well organised and built to prioritise the dogs' well-being, even though it solely relies on donations. Yes, the work is physical but time flies when working with these beautiful creatures as well as with the volunteers. I really felt at home and can't wait to be back! Overall, if you are looking for a fulfilling experience, a source of inspiration, contact with dogs and an opportunity to actually make an impact, then this place is ideal❤️

5 months ago

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About the host

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Hosted by Dalma

Top Host: This host receives a lot of worldpackers and has a high average rating.
Response Rate: This host usually answers to 80% of the messages
Response Time: This host usually writes back in 1 day
1 published videos: This host has 1 published videos showing a little bit about their place

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