It’s midday and Mack is impatiently waiting for his daily walk. Mack barks fixedly at the foot traffic passing the front of his kennel until he captures the attention of Paul Bennett. “Alright Mack, let’s get you up and moving,” Paul says in a sing-song voice.
Cutting across the car-park and into Lonsdale’s memorial garden, Mack’s behaviour begins to settle. The barking stops as he sniffs intently at a nearby hedge. Paul relaxes his grip on the lead and begins to share his thoughts and feelings about that morning’s schedule.
“It was bucketing this morning. You really have to be a dog lover to get out of bed on a day like this,” he laughs.
Losing a best friend but gaining 40 new ones
Now retired, Paul has found volunteering to fill a big hole left in his life. “In 2020 my dog passed away and I decided to reach out to RSPCA and see if they needed anyone to help walk dogs. It’s really filled my heart to be able to spend so much time here with the dogs. I lost one but now I have 40 to look after.”
Paul smiles at Mack, who is now blissfully sprawled on the grass. “A big reason I keep being pulled back here is seeing a dog like this brighten up after I take them for a walk. You give them love and see it in their behaviour that they appreciate it and know we are here to care for them,” says Paul.
“I feel it’s important for people to know that this job isn’t all just cuddling dogs. You spend quite a bit of time cleaning and maintaining the kennels and it can be pretty hands-on, but at the end of the day it’s those small moments of brightening up a dog’s day that make it all worthwhile.”
It’s an enriching experience, especially when you help a nervous dog
Daniel’s face brightens as he sees a waggy-tailed Staffy cross named Nardi great him at the kennel’s gate. Daniel started volunteering close to a year ago, after looking for something meaningful to fill his time with. He’s quickly settled into a routine of cleaning kennels, walking dogs and making new furry friends.
Nardi darts excitedly back and forth on his journey from Lonsdale’s kennels to the big, grassed exercise yards at the bottom of the property.
Daniel smiles, “It’s an enriching experience, especially when you are interacting with a nervous dog – you sit down beside them inside a paddock and after a while, they begin to warm up to you. I want to take so many of them home with me but I already have two dogs and don’t have the space for any more.
“Aiding a dog through its journey at Lonsdale is something else.”
While Daniel poses for his photo with Nardi, she jumps up excitedly and tries to lick his face. “It’s these little moments that keep bringing me back each week,” he says.
At 23, Daniel is one of the shelter’s younger volunteers and he says he has thoroughly enjoyed meeting and making friends with people from all walks of life.
“The staff and volunteers are all very friendly. I feel like I’m part of a community when I arrive each day – it’s nice to have a sense of purpose and belonging.”
Working to give RSPCA’s cats a second chance at happiness
Walking the halls of the cat adoption room, Meredith is busy greeting each whiskery face she encounters. It’s a lull point in the day, between cleaning cages and feeding, where she can sit and interact with the cats one-on-one.
Calming music plays on a speaker in the corner, while the cats pace back and forth, pushing their heads into Meredith’s hands while they purr contently – a complete juxtaposition to the hustle and bustle of the dogs section.
“I love all animals, but I definitely see myself as a cat person above all. It’s great here in adoption because I have time to give them treats and extra care. I see it as the final chapter in their journey to finding a new home, so it’s fun and happy,” smiles Meredith.
A potential adopter enters the room and Meredith halts the conversation to assist them. Meredith is excitedly introducing the customer to a trio of playful kittens, before moving her on to the adult cats.
“That woman was more interested in an older cat – yay! My favourite thing is having someone coming in asking to adopt the oldest cat we have in care, or they see a story about a cat who’s gone through months of rehab on the news and want to adopt them,” she says.
“I work across a number of areas and see the cats come in frightened and scared and then watch as they slowly come out of their shells and finally find a new home.”
We need more volunteers to help care for the increasing number of animals in our care.
With our Lonsdale shelter bursting at the seams with cats, kittens and dogs, we are currently looking for more volunteers to don the vibrant green tops and help make a difference.
The more helping hands we have, the more time everyone has to cuddle a kitten or take a dog for a walk – all that vital socialisation that boosts wellbeing (ours and theirs!), improves behaviour and increases our animals’ chances of finding forever homes. Will you join our Volunteer Team today and help change the lives of animals for the better? Sign up .
