Help at an animal shelter in Našice, Croatia

The experience

Imagine a haven where the warmth of a dog shelter combines harmoniously with the rustic charm of a farm - it exists in Croatia. This unique sanctuary is home to a diverse community of furry companions and friendly farm animals alike.

What you offer

5 hours of help per day

Cleaning: Help clean the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas.

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

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

What you get

2 days off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

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

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

Requirements

Fluent Croatian or Intermediate English

Between 18 and 70 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

At a dog shelter, help is typically needed with tasks like feeding, carrying the water to and cleaning kennels, walking dogs, grooming, administering medications, socializing dogs, taking pictures and making videos of them so their future families can find them and assisting with adoption events.
At a farm animal shelter tasks may include feeding and giving water to animals, cleaning stalls or pens, providing medical care, assisting with animal rehabilitation and maintaining the overall welfare of the farm animals.
Both shelters also benefit from volunteers who can help with administrative work, fundraising, and promoting adoption or rescue efforts. We have a lot of greenery so help is also needed with maintaining the environment. Mowing the lawn, watering and planting the flowers, etc.

Activities & Shift

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

Rules

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.