Since October last year, I bugged my boyfriend to come with me on a volunteering holiday – and for no other reason than to help dogs in need, and a story to tell for years to come. Of course, he very quickly caved (back story: we both own two gorgeous dogs who are both rescues!) and I soon began researching into dog shelters abroad that might need some extra hands to help out. I was looking for something in particular – I didn’t want to be one in a long chain of people that will have had the same experience as me, and where I’m just another number coming through the gates so I can take some photos for Facebook and get another mark on my CV. Let’s face it, my CV days are over (for now, anyway…you never know!) and so to each shelter I messaged, I wrote out a personal message explaining how I want to make a difference. And not just to the thousands of dogs abroad that need help, but also to the people who are struggling to cope with the upkeep of so many stray or abandoned animals. After speaking to quite a few dog rescue shelters in different countries, I finally found some lovely contacts in Cyprus and the next day booked flights.
Why Cyprus?
Cyprus is overrun with stray and abandoned dogs, sometimes too many for independent rescues to help. Many will end up at the dog pound on death row, unless these rescue shelters receive the funding they so desperately require to cover medical expenses, shelter running costs and to help rehome the dogs in their care.
The run-up…
A lot of people I spoke to about this volunteering holiday said ‘Well done, I couldn’t do it!’. It was a fairly similar reaction to when I told people I was going to be skydiving, and that turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life so far. However, I knew this trip was going to be a lot more difficult – physically, mentally and especially emotionally.
It is now less than a week before we leave – and I’m trying not to do what I normally do before every holiday I’ve ever been on. I cram in as much work as I definitely cannot manage; I leave packing to the very last hour; and I get totally stressed out, resulting in my crying on the floor among a pile of clothes. I know that even the pre-holiday process is going to be a challenge, let alone the actual 2 weeks we’re spending volunteering. I’m trying not to have too many preconceptions about what I’m going to be seeing/doing/feeling out there, yet my negative mind always draws me back to expect the worst. I think in a way this is a good thing, but I’d like to keep open-minded.
Even though we’ve classed it as a volunteering holiday, it’s not really a holiday at all. We’ve paid for our own flights and are not receiving anything but a bed and perhaps a cooked meal now and again from the people we’re helping out. We’re staying at a farmhouse in the mountains near Larnaca, with a lady who owns a horse sanctuary and disabled dog shelter. So Tom & I will be spending our time at the sanctuary, able to take a look into dog shelter life in Cyprus and meeting the people behind it that keep it all running. I’m not yet sure how to document it – maybe I’ll write a short diary entry each day, or I’ll record some video on my phone throughout the trip. But I do know that I want to be challenged, I want to experience everything, and I want to remember it for the rest of my life.
I suppose what I mean is that I’m mentally prepared to pick up poo for two weeks – now THAT should be on my CV.
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Read about and donate to Moonacre Dog & Horse Sanctuary here: moonacresanctuary.org
Special thanks to Emma from Robert’s Dog Sanctuary, who helped us set up our trip. Read about and donate to Robert’s Dog Sanctuary here: robertsdogsanctuary.com
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