Cross posted from Dogzonline, because it’s just. so. cool.

Deck The Halls, at Hawkesbury

Hawkesbury Shelter have an angel, that’s for sure!

Theresa who works intimately with the animals at Hawkesbury, caring for, cleaning, feeding, coating, giving medications, nurturing and goodness knows what else, has had a dream this year:

To have a Christmas display for the animals, where her friends are celebrated, their urgent plight recognized and very much considered.

This dream has been discussed vigorously with imaginations running wild for 12 months.

Kelly, Hawkesbury’s team leader has passionately supported Theresa’s dream and has been an integral part of the shenanigans and wild brain storming. (Not to mention climbing around on the Shelters roof last night for ages adding decorations and lights)

Last night there was a huge amount of secretive work underway once the Shelters doors closed. A great effort that continued until after 9 pm. It was very much a family affair with Staff, Mums, Husbands, and kids working away with fabric, props, lights, Tinsel & decorations.

And just look at the result!!

See the rest of the great pics here.

Vix, JB and I were meant to spend the last few days of our yearly catchup brainstorming our plans for 2009. However, we’ve been so excited by the gathering momentum of rescue in Australia, mostly we shared stories about the very cool people we’ve had the pleasure of meeting and talking to recently.


One thing we did discuss however, was the missed opportunity a lack of encouragement and support for the next generation of rescuer presents. Rather than someone to be regulated, stifled – and often actively disparaged – fresh rescue industry recruits present a huge resource for good and can easily be directed to best practice animal rescue given the right resources. The added bonus is, that without the baggage and ‘bad old habits’ of distrusting the public and treating potential adopters with hostility, the new blood are brimming with energy, new ideas and are able to engage their communities to generate pet homes, help and financial support.


However, not all of these new recruits are caring for animals directly. When planning No Kill communities, it’s vital recognise the value in taking on speciality volunteers in administration,  fund-raising, finance, PR and management. Plus, it’s a great ways to get pet lovers from outside the rescue industry involved.


The groups who will thrive in the future will recognise the value of their communities and look to bring together people of all ages and skills for the benefit of animals.  They’ll work to allow people to use and develop their strengths. They’ll work to bring out the best in people, keep challenging conventional thinking and offer a welcoming, adopter-friendly environment. But most importantly, they’ll recognise the key to saving the lives of pets is just as dependent on good communication skills, negotiation and teamwork as it is on the physical act of busting pets out of the pound.


We simply cannot rescue effectively, working in isolation. Volunteer involvement and cherishing new rescuers for the amazing resource that they are is vital to creating a No Kill community.

Most rescue groups have some sort of call for volunteers on their website:


Do you love animals? Can you spare some time to meet new people and learn new skills? If so we are looking for you! Become a volunteer at our shelter. For more details give call…


And this ‘throw the net wide’ kind of approach brings in a mix of people with varied skills and interest levels. Great – if you have unlimited time to train people and feel your organisation should be represented by any Joe Blow. But if you’re serious about getting exactly the right volunteer for your group, then you have to be specific.


A normal business looking for an accountant to work 5 days a week for $40,000 wouldn’t put an advert on their corporate website saying “do you love accounting? Can you spare some time?”


No, they’d say: We’re Company X and we’re looking for someone with X skills to work for us. We can offer you X.


And that would bring in applicants who knew exactly what was on offer, what was required of them and what they’d get in return.


Company X would then get a shortlist together of suitable applicants and interview each one to see if they were appropriate.


But! I hear you say. We’re desperate for volunteers and we can’t pay them anything!


Wrong. You’re desperate because often you’ve taken on the wrong volunteers and they’ve made things harder for everyone, or they’ve left… or the right volunteer hasn’t approached you in the first place because they didn’t know you were looking for them. And you’re going to pay them with the satisfaction that comes from working on something altruistic that suits their personality, skills and helps define who they are.


Think of the last time you got a really good volunteer. One worth their weight in gold and who made everything better for having them on board. They’re who you’re going to start attracting from now on.


Some groups are already seeing the value in choosing, interviewing and giving their volunteers the ownership that comes from being ‘hand-picked’ for a particular role.

Care for abandoned animals. Work outdoors with donkeys

ROLE: Volunteers assist in general paddock maintenance, donkey grooming and care and with fundraising.

VOLUNTEER PROFILE: Reliable, confident with large animals, fit and able to work, once trained, without direct supervision or support. No experience of working with donkeys is required, but a genuine desire to relate with and care for animals is essential. Volunteers must be happy to work as part of a team, carry out instructions and be physically able to contribute to outdoor activities. The paddocks are rough and volunteers need to be very steady on their feet.

COMMITMENT: Commit for at least 12 months. 10:00am to 2:00pm on Tuesdays or Saturdays, committing themselves weekly or fortnightly to build a relationship with the donkeys under care. Consistency is vital as team chores are dependant on numbers of volunteers who are rostered to attend. Fund raising activities are held from time to time.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS: Contact the manager to arrange a trial session.

TRAINING & SUPPORT: Training on the job under supervision is undertaken with the option of further training so that volunteers become Welfare Sub-Committee Officers.

This ad was on Seek Volunteer, but I’d recommend putting your ad in the local paper with the paid advertisements or on the main Seek website. Not everyone with the skills you are looking for will necessarily be looking for a volunteer role – until you suggest it.


So now the big question is… who do you need?