Page 4 - Dog Walker

Aims

To assist the Animal Shelter and its staff with the exercising and socialising of dogs.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• To walk dogs as directed by a member of staff and as agreed by the Manager/Deputy
• Ensure the dog is kept on a lead unless agreed it may run freely on the exercise field or as directed by a member of staff
• Assist with the assessment or training programme of a dog as directed by a member of staff
• Follow the dog walking procedures
• Follow all health and safety rules and procedures and ensure that all accidents or incidents are reported immediately to the Manager/Deputy
• Use all appropriate equipment as instructed and provided and return it at the end of your session
• Work with staff members, other volunteers and trainees

Additional Notes

• All dogs must remain on site at all times unless permission to walk dogs off site is given by the Manager/Deputy.
• Volunteers must only walk dogs allocated by a member of staff and must be aware some may be unsuitable for walking due to temperament or illness.
• The Shelter reserves the right at any time to place a stop on dog walking for the purposes of preventing cross infection and the spread of disease.

Is Dog walking really for you?

Dog walking can be a rewarding way to volunteer. However we would ask you to consider the following points before applying. The following list of positives and negatives has been drawn up by current volunteers and RSPCA staff so is a true picture of what is involved.

Positives

• Spending time with different dogs and getting to know their personalities
• Keeps you fit
• Rewarding, especially when a dog's behaviour shows improvement
• Dogs enjoy it and it makes their day more interesting
• Provides a good opportunity to learn about and observe dog behaviour
• Provides a good opportunity to learn about equipment and training aids
• Builds up your confidence of handling different dogs
• Opportunity to talk and learn from RSPCA staff

Negatives

• Tiring / physically demanding
• Cold and wet in winter
• Too hot in summer
• Dirty
• Sore hands from dog leads and pulling dogs
• Dogs jumping up – bruised arms and legs
• Need to be strong to handle some of the larger dogs
• Picking up dog mess
• Smelling of dogs etc. at the end of the day
• Dogs can sometimes be aggressive with one and another
• Torn clothes
• Can be frustrating if a dog won’t respond to you

Please click here to download the Volunteer Application Form.