On arrival at the shelter around 9.00 in the morning the volunteers recieve a warm welcome from the dogs (the dogs line up along the inside fence, with their tails wagging and barking). The dogs are separated into 3 main groups, there are around 25 dogs in each group, although this varies. There are also some separate pens where dogs are kept on their own, i.e. large males, new dogs and groups of puppies.

When greeting the dogs we realised that a new dog had been dumped and was tied in the kennel at the front of the shelter. Nearly all new arrivals are dumped at the shelter overnight, some are tied to the fence or thrown over the main gate, some are even chucked over the fence into the yards with the other dogs (this is obviously very traumatic for the new dog!). A new arrival is nearly always very nervous, skinny and covered in fleas and ticks. The first job to be done is for the new dog to be de-flead, de-wormed and fed. We then find a spare pen where the new dog can adapt to its new environment. It usually takes a few days for the dog to settle in and its true character begins to show. We were very surprised at how friendly and affectionate the dogs are, especially considering their pasts.

All the volunteers help to scoop the faeces from the main yards and then move onto their own individual pens and areas. Once everything has been cleaned we feed all the dogs. All the bowls are cleaned and then re-filled with food and water.

Between May and September there are visitors to the shelter and many of these people want to walk the dogs, the volunteers must get the dogs out for people and answer any questions they ask. The dogs are walked on a rota system to ensure that each dog gets out as often as possible.

Towards the afternoon things begin to quieten down and the dogs enjoy cuddles from volunteers. By the time the volunteers are ready to leave, the dogs are all very content and relaxed.

The shelter does not have much local support, but there are a few people who are willing to lend a hand when things are very hectic. The island is a beautiful place and our accomadation was perfect for us. Working at the dog shelter was an amazing experience and Helen is a truly remarkable lady. The work can be very upsetting especially when an abused dog comes in, but there is no better feeling than when you watch that dog become stronger each day until finally it is back to full strength and is happy. Another great feeling is when a dog is rehomed and finally has a home and family of its own! Working at the shelter is very worthwhile and I'd recommend it to anyone who has a real love of dogs!

(by Donna H., former SFA-volunteer)