STUART Frankland lives in Glasgow and has volunteered at Dogs Trust Glasgow for 12 years. He is currently working with the team to get everything ready for their Fun Day tomorrow at Chatelherault Country Park in Hamilton
AS a lifelong dog lover I had always wanted to have a dog of my own, but living alone and having a full-time job meant that this seemed an impossible dream. When Dogs Trust opened a rehoming centre near me in Glasgow it was the perfect answer! I signed up in 2007 as a volunteer dog walker and have never looked back.
You get to walk all sorts of dogs, from the tiniest Chihuahua to gorgeous crossbreeds to the largest St Bernard’s and mastiffs, and I also help out at events such as the fun day.
I get a huge feeling of satisfaction from walking the dogs and helping out at events such as the summer fun day. It is a great buzz to know that you are giving up your time for such a good cause. Walking the dogs is great exercise too!
Dogs Trust looks after dogs until they find their forever homes, however long that takes. If it takes that bit longer for a dog to find their special someone, it gives me a great chance to build a bond with them, which is really rewarding. When they see you’re the one to take them for a walk their tails wag with such a speed they could take off! You can’t ask for more than that! I have now provided a home to a rescue dog as I have adopted Cocker Spaniel Charlie, who is wonderful.
It’s great to be a part of a team of people committed to doing their absolute best for every single dog that comes to Dogs Trust Glasgow.
This is my first experience of volunteering and I would recommend it to anyone. In fact I do! Recently I spoke to someone who is interested in training dogs and they are just about to start as a volunteer with Dogs Trust Dog School here in Glasgow.
By volunteering most weekends when we are often really busy, I free up the staff so they can spend more time with the dogs and speaking to prospective adopters.
I am passionate about Dogs Trust so I also help to raise awareness by talking about the work of the charity as much as possible, whether that’s their education work in schools or encouraging others to volunteer in different ways, to perhaps become foster carers. I also and sell raffle tickets too. In an age where people seem increasingly concerned about themselves and the popularity of their social media profile, there’s a lot to say for doing something for others rather than yourself.
To find out more visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/
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