1. Volunteer Role Description for: Location: Main contact:
Volunteer Dog Walker
Shoreham Rehoming Centre
Chris Barnard
Volunteer coordinator
Purpose of the role: To support and assist the Canine Carers in providing daily enrichment by walking, socialising and spending time with the dogs in Shoreham’s care.
Skills/experience required:
Passionate about dogs, dog welfare and experience of handling them.
Working with or owning dogs.
Good level of fitness for walking and handling dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Excellent face to face communication skills with the ability to listen.
Confident and friendly manner.
Ability to work comfortably in a close knit team or alone.
Conscientious with a can-do attitude.
Ability to follow instructions.
Key tasks:
Work within the Centre’s health and safety protocols and policies highlighted by your volunteer coordinator with regards to walking dogs and conducting kennel sessions with the dogs in Shoreham’s care.
Provide exercise and enrichment to dogs as allocated by centre staff.
Socialising dogs and puppies.
Monitor each dog’s health and welfare, reporting any concerns to centre staff.
Adhere to centre protocols for collection of dogs, walking routes and use of exercise compounds.
Undertake basic dog training in accordance with Dogs Trust training methods (if required). Volunteers will be given full training.
Use centre approved equipment e.g. leads, harnesses, muzzles, etc. when instructed.
Complete animal records to confirm exercise and feeding as required.
Report any faulty or damaged equipment to centre staff.
Report any behaviour related incidents to your volunteer coordinator or any of the management team
Time commitment:
Any time you can give.
Ideally we are looking for volunteers who can commit to at least one shift per week and come regularly .
Volunteer Appointment Process:
Volunteer application form
Interview
Selection (successful / unsuccessful)
References taken
Induction session (1 ½ hours)
On the job training
Three month review meeting

2. Volunteer Role Description for:
Volunteer Canine Assistant
What you can expect from Dogs Trust as a volunteer:
A staff member main contact who will manage your tasks, answer your questions and help you with the volunteer rota.
On the job training sessions with your volunteer coordinator; 3 to 4 depending on your development.
A buddy (either another volunteer or a member of staff) who will help you through your first few weeks at the centre.
Induction and ongoing role-specific training, guidance and support.
An opportunity to feed back to your main contact about your experience volunteering with Dogs Trust.
Recognition of the role that you are carrying out in support of Dogs Trust through our Volunteer Merits Scheme.
Opportunities to try new things and learn new skills, where appropriate.
A message from the CEO
Without our dedicated volunteers we couldn’t hope to achieve as much as we do for the dogs in our care; the support from our volunteers is absolutely vital to our work.
The work that volunteers help us with may not always be easy, but I know that volunteering with Dogs Trust is a rewarding experience.
Adrian Burder
Chief Executive
What we expect from our volunteers:
Support Dogs Trust in its work and carry out your volunteer role to the best of your ability.
Complete a Rehoming Centre volunteer induction session, this will be held at your centre and complete any other additional training as required.
Make new people welcome and work well within the team.
Recognise the importance of our members, sponsors and donors in supporting the work of Dogs Trust.
Support Dogs Trust procedures and standards by:
Being aware of your own health and safety and of that of others.
Respecting others and treating people equally in line with our Equal Opportunities Policy.
Ensure all activities undertaken in the name of Dogs Trust achieve the charitable aims and objectives and do not bring the organisation into disrepute.
Be accountable and accept constructive comments.
Maintain confidentiality regarding Dogs Trust activity, the dogs in our care and our team.
Meet time commitments and standards agreed, and give reasonable notice when unavailable, so other arrangements can be made.
Be a positive representative of Dogs Trust, ensuring you are polite and friendly to all visitors to the centre.
Dogs Trust
Shoreham Rehoming Centre
Brighton Road
Shoreham By Sea
West Sussex
BN43 5LT E: T: @:
Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity. Through our network of 20 rehoming centres across the UK and one in Ireland we care for almost 17,000 abandoned and unwanted dogs a year. No healthy dog is ever destroyed.