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

5.0
(60 reviews)60

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.

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

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

What you get

2 days off per week

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

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.

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

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

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

Program Details

We ask for help in taking care of the dogs in our shelter - clean their enclosures, give them food and water, take them on walks, and play and cuddle with them. We might also need help with general maintenance on the property and enclosures at times and with general housekeeping activities.
We welcome any talent you may have to offer to help in our mission of improving the lives of strays in Sicily. Maybe you know a lot about social media, photography, organizing, graphic design, or are familiar with organizations that work with shelters to find homes for abandoned dogs in other countries. We welcome everyone who is willing to work for our dogs with passion and creativity.

The occasional general maintenance would include tasks such as mending fences and maintaining dog enclosures. We might also ask for help with yard work. Picking up branches, clearing brush and debris, etc.

Activities & Shift

Caring for our dogs is time-consuming and unpredictable. Daily activities will depend on the weather as well as the needs of the dogs, but most days we work from 7-8 in the morning till 1-2 pm, with free time in the afternoon. During the hot summer months this changes to working early in the morning and late afternoon, with a break in between.
We also ask help with ad hoc tasks in the afternoon sometimes. These could include vet visits, picking up new dogs from the street, giving medication or random emergencies.

Please keep in mind that the work is very physical, and while you will be provided with gloves and the proper tools, cleaning up after dogs involves removing dog poop from their living area, among other things. Please do not contact us if you are not willing or able to work hard and get dirty.
We have high standards and give our all to taking care of our dogs. Should you decide to offer your help we would be happy if you did too.

Rules

General housekeeping activities are common sense and everyday practices: cooking and food preparation, washing the dishes after eating, sweeping and mopping regularly, cleaning the bathroom and maintaining a tidy and sanitary inside environment in general.
You will be sharing a space with several other people in the countryside so paying attention to cleanliness and maintaining a sanitary environment is essential.

Food is not included except for Sunday lunches, as we are a non-profit and can’t afford to cover it, unfortunately.

We have a communal closet with clothes for you guys to borrow. It's always a good idea to pack some clothes you don't mind getting dirty but you can also use ours.

How to reach us:
- Palermo airport: there is a train that leaves directly from the airport to Palermo Centrale, where you can take a bus to Calatafimi. We will pick you up at the Calatafimi Segesta stop.
- Trapani airport: take a bus to town, then another bus to Calatafimi.