Love animals and want to make a difference while experiencing the beauty of Greece? Join our dedicated team at our shelter near Thessaloniki!
Make a change as animal rescue volunteer – requirements & tasks
Be part of something meaningful:
Help care for rescued dogs, cats, and farm animals in Greece. You’ll live right at the shelter and learn all about how to look after animals responsibly. Our shelter is special – the dogs aren’t kept in cages, they have lots of space to run around and be happy.
Find your purpose and passion by connecting with animals on a profound level – this opportunity awaits you!
And of course, we all pitch in to keep our own living areas clean and comfortable.
Get to know over 100 dogs!
We’ll introduce you to each dog and their unique personality. They can get pretty excited at first, but we’ll show you how to keep things safe and calm. Spending time with them will help you learn the ropes quickly, and you’ll see how much they love being around people.
Work and play:
You’ll work 5 days a week (around 27 hours total) and have 2 days off to explore Greece. We can figure out the best days off together.
Typical tasks include:
- Caring for the dogs: This includes cleaning their living spaces, feeding them, giving medication when needed, and keeping a close eye on their health.
- Building bonds: You’ll have plenty of time to interact with the dogs, play with them, and take them on walks in the peaceful countryside or even to the beach!
- Learning & growing: You’ll gain valuable experience working with dogs of all kinds, with support from the shelter founder and other local volunteers.
- Looking after goats: In the afternoons, you’ll continue to care for the dogs, and might even get to take the goats out for their evening graze, usually around 6 pm (or 3 pm when daylight saving kicks in). This involves making sure they stay safe and don’t wander onto the road or into the neighbor’s olive fields.
What to expect:
- You’ll need to be able to lift and carry heavy things, like buckets of food and water.
- It helps if you’ve been around dogs before, as they might jump up to greet you.
- We start the day around 6:30 am.
- No special equipment is needed, just dress for the weather. It gets cold, wet, and muddy in winter, and hot and humid in summer. Make sure you have comfy shoes with good support, no matter the season.
Make a change as animal rescue volunteer – what we offer
We’re a small shelter, so we only have living space for the animals and our founder. But we can welcome up to 2 volunteers at a time in a separate, cozy house right next door. It’s about 60 square meters and has: a bedroom with a double bed, a bedroom with a single bed, a separate bathroom, a fridge and a washing machine.
Our sanctuary is located in a quiet countryside area, away from busy towns and cities. The volunteer house is also home to six friendly foster cats who are always up for cuddles and playtime!
You’ll also have 24/7 access to a landline phone with Wi-Fi in the volunteer house.
We’ve intentionally kept the guesthouse free of TVs and radios to help you relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. We just ask that you keep the noise down, especially at night.
More volunteering opportunities in Europe
- Work exchange on a farm in Denmark
- Travel and work at a hostel in London
- Volunteer for animals at a camel park in France
