Volunteers share their experiences!

Ever wondered what it is like to be part of the Labradors in Need Team? We are very fortunate to have volunteers up and down mainland UK who help with assessing, home checking and transporting our lovely dogs, but we always need more!

So if you've thought about volunteering but haven't yet decided if it's for you, maybe some words from current volunteers will help convince you!

For Alison,  volunteering for LIN was an easy choice. Here she explains why:

."LIN clearly has at its’ heart the desire and need to put the dogs first above all else. All the processes such as home checks before access to dogs needing new homes are designed to make the rehoming process quick and as stress free as possible for both dogs and owners. The ability to be able to choose when you are able to offer your time without any pressure from the LIN team is great and makes it easy for you to ‘do your bit’ without feeling guilty that you can’t do more.

I volunteer as a home-checker for LIN and have met some lovely prospective new owners from families looking for their first dog to people willing to foster those dogs in need of a little more care before moving to their permanent home. In a world where there seems to be so much negativity it’s incredibly positive and rewarding to meet people who really want to give a dog the opportunity for a fresh start in a new home".

Kitty has been with us as a volunteer since 2016 and writes:

"I began volunteering for LiN in 2016 and I've loved every minute of all the home checks, assessments and crazy transport runs I've been part of.  I am a failed foster mum, at foster no 6 I didn't let her go, but I now have several new friends around the country and its so nice to see the dogs flourish with their new families. For me, being a volunteer with LiN means hanging out with Lab people, waiting for strangers and strange dogs in motorway service stations ( transport runs, not dogging), looking after Labs in need of tlc and thinking of novel fundraising activities".

Being a volunteer can help fill a gap in your life too, as Carol suggests:

"I decided to become a volunteer for LIN after retiring from the Police. For 33 years I had worked with people in all kinds of situations and missed being out and about, meeting and speaking to people. When I first volunteered for liN,  I lived down in Lancashire and did numerous checks, all over the area.

I have always loved driving and visiting new areas so I was always happy to travel anywhere and everywhere, meeting some lovely dog people along the way. I’ve also done dog assessments and dog transporting, all of which I have found very rewarding.

Almost four years ago I moved to East Lothian and now home check up in Scotland. It was not only a great way to help the dogs, the rescue and the people but it helped me to discover the new region I had moved to. Knowing that someone you have visited has been approved by the trustees and has welcomed a new dog into their family is a great feeling and I hope to continue home checking for as long as I can".

The final words go to Alison who summarises how so many of us feel about the LiN family:

"I’m very proud to be part of the friendly and welcoming LIN team, all of us working together in our respective roles to ensure that the Labradorables that need LINs’ help get it as quickly as possible from a well organised and supportive charity".

So, what are you waiting for? Jump in and volunteer!