Dog Walker (Blackberry Farm Animal Centre, Aylesbury)

RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals); Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a compassionate team dedicated to animal welfare as a volunteer dog walker. This rewarding role involves walking dogs, providing them with exercise and socialization, and helping them prepare for their forever homes. You'll receive training, meet new friends, and make a significant impact on the lives of dogs waiting for adoption. Whether you have extensive experience with dogs or just a little, your commitment of a few hours each week can truly make a difference in their lives. Embrace this opportunity to contribute to a noble cause and enjoy the companionship of our furry friends!

Benefits

Training provided

Reimbursement for travel expenses

Opportunity to meet new people

Fun volunteering environment

Qualifications

• Ability to read dog behavior and follow guidelines.
• Physical health to handle strong dogs.

Responsibilities

• Walk allocated dogs and ensure they are on a lead.
• Follow health and safety guidelines and report incidents.

Skills

Knowledge of dog behavior

Physical strength

Ability to follow instructions

Patience and understanding

Education

Over 18 years of age

Job description

Dog Walker (Blackberry Farm Animal Centre, Aylesbury)

Do you like long walks with a canine companion? Are you a happy to go out in all weathers, rain or shine? Would you like to help dogs who are looking for a new home?

Lots of the dogs in our care have never been able to experience life in a loving home. Whilst they wait to be chosen by that special someone who can give them a second chance in a forever home, they receive lots of love, care and attention at our animal centres.

Our volunteer dog walkers play an important role in helping our dogs find a new home. It’s important that they get regular walks and have time for interaction with people and other dogs. This ensures they get the exercise they need, and also helps them develop the socialisation skills needed for successful rehoming. Ideally you’ll be able to commit to a few hours each week. Our dog walkers also provide valuable feedback about the dogs they walk to our centre staff about behaviours and progress.This volunteering opportuntiy may also include cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining kennels to a standard of cleanliness as required, as well as coat care and grooming.

Because of the nature of some of our dogs or their history, it is important to follow instructions of the centre staff and stick to the guidelines given. Dogs should never be let off the lead (unless staff have advised otherwise). Some of our canine friends are strong, so a degree of physical strength is needed, along with some knowledge of dog behaviours. Don’t worry, we’ll help with training and ensure you feel confident before taking your first dog out.

You’ll make friends and meet new people, caring for canines whilst they wait for a new home. You may have lots of experience with dogs, or only a little. It doesn’t matter as we’ll give you the training that you need. Maybe you would like a dog but your lifestyle doesn’t suit dog ownership at the moment. This could be the right role for you. Click on the ‘apply’ button and tell us more about you.

Please note to volunteer at Blackberry Farm you need to be over 18 years of age.

Once you submit your application it may be up to two weeks before someone will be in touch.

We are looking for volunteers that can give us at least 4 hours per week.

Do you like long walks with a canine companion? Are you a happy to go out in all weathers, rain or shine? Would you like to help dogs who are looking for a new home?

Lots of the dogs in our care have never been able to experience life in a loving home. Whilst they wait to be chosen by that special someone who can give them a second chance in a forever home, they receive lots of love, care and attention at our animal centres.

Our volunteer dog walkers play an important role in helping our dogs find a new home. It’s important that they get regular walks and have time for interaction with people and other dogs. This ensures they get the exercise they need, and also helps them develop the socialisation skills needed for successful rehoming. Ideally you’ll be able to commit to a few hours each week. Our dog walkers also provide valuable feedback about the dogs they walk to our centre staff about behaviours and progress.This volunteering opportuntiy may also include cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining kennels to a standard of cleanliness as required, as well as coat care and grooming.

Because of the nature of some of our dogs or their history, it is important to follow instructions of the centre staff and stick to the guidelines given. Dogs should never be let off the lead (unless staff have advised otherwise). Some of our canine friends are strong, so a degree of physical strength is needed, along with some knowledge of dog behaviours. Don’t worry, we’ll help with training and ensure you feel confident before taking your first dog out.

You’ll make friends and meet new people, caring for canines whilst they wait for a new home. You may have lots of experience with dogs, or only a little. It doesn’t matter as we’ll give you the training that you need. Maybe you would like a dog but your lifestyle doesn’t suit dog ownership at the moment. This could be the right role for you. Click on the ‘apply’ button and tell us more about you.

Please note to volunteer at Blackberry Farm you need to be over 18 years of age.

Once you submit your application it may be up to two weeks before someone will be in touch.

We are looking for volunteers that can give us at least 4 hours per week.

More about this role

Volunteer role

Dog Walker

Volunteer manager

Centre Manager

Where you will be based

Community

Why we want you

We are the RSPCA and it's our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion. Our volunteers are incredible, they play an essential role in helping us carry out our important animal welfare work every day.
Many of the dogs in our care have never experienced life in a loving, family home. Whilst waiting for someone to give them a forever home, animals get all the care they need in one of our animal centres, and our volunteer dog walkers assist with walking and socialising the dogs, working with other volunteers and staff to ensure that the dogs receive the appropriate exercise and care.

What you will be doing

• Walking allocated dogs as directed by the volunteer coordinator or member of staff
• Ensuring that dogs are kept on a lead at all times
• Following the dog walking guidelines provided by the centre
• Following all health and safety rules and guidelines, and ensuring that any accidents or incidents are reported immediately, using the procedure in place at the centre
• Assisting with the assessment of dogs when directed by staff and where appropriate
• Attending appropriate training courses as required by the centre

The skills you need

• Volunteers must be aged 16 or over - some centres may require you to be aged 18 years or over.
• A good knowledge of dogs and ability to read their behaviour
• Must feel comfortable around dogs and have a patient and understanding nature
• Able and confident to walk dogs of all ages and sizes
• Must have the ability to follow instructions as some of our dogs can be strong and need training so good physical health is necessary

What's in it for you

• Meet new people and make new friends
• Learn great new skills to add to your CV
• A great induction and training relevant to your role
• Volunteer in a fun environment at the heart of the local community
• You’ll be making a huge difference to the welfare of animals
• We are happy to reimburse any reasonable travel expenses you may incur whilst volunteering with us

Disclaimer

Our voluntary roles are subject to an informal interview and trial period. We will ask you to provide contact details for two referees. Before you can start volunteering you’ll need to complete our simple online Health & Safety assessment At the RSPCA we don’t want you to be out of pocket by volunteering, so we are happy to reimburse any agreed out of pocket expenses you incur whilst volunteering.All volunteer dog walkers must ensure that they use the appropriate equipment that has been provided by the centre and that this equipment is returned to the centre as directed at the end of the volunteering session. If a volunteer has any concerns or questions regarding a particular dog or their role as a dog walker, they should speak to a member of staff or the volunteer coordinator, if applicable, immediately.

Blackberry Farm Animal Centre, Quainton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP22 4RJ, United Kingdom