I first heard about Islay dog rescue through my big brothers wife as before that I had no clue it existed. She had mentioned about going but didn’t want to herself so I thought why not as I love dogs.
I started volunteering 29th September 2021 and from I started I loved walking and meeting the new dogs. I started volunteering as I have always had a love for dogs and thought I would enjoy doing something like that as at the time I had no clue what I wanted to do as a career.
I started volunteering when I was 18 and I am now 21.
I’m not 100% when I became a senior but think it must be at least a year since I become one or more. While there I help with kennel cleaning, harnessing the dogs for walks, inductions (sometimes) poo picking and the list goes on
My biggest buzz is to meet all the dogs and get to know their different wee personality traits. A few of my favourite personality traits have been Gaille who is one of Lorraine’s dogs. She is lovely and once you are in her circle of friends she will do a little “awoo” when excited to see you, Another one is prince the shitzu because although blind he still can some how smell me and then I talk, then he runs all over and barks at me until further notice lol I call him “wee old man”.
I also really enjoying helping all the nervous dogs as they can go from being all scared in the corner growling, trying to climb up the walls to get away from you to then having a waggy tail and wanting to spend time with you instead of running away to hide in the corner.
An example of a dog like this recently as there has been many in the past is wee Hugo from Romania. He as first was so shut down didn’t want anything to do with me would just hide in his bed. Now fast forward a few weeks he is as I call him “my wee friend”. He wags his wee nubby tail when he sees me and he now willingly lets me put the lead on him. Just recently he has let me put a harness on him and has been on a few walks with me. He enjoys the road walks very much. He is just tiny so I don’t think he would enjoy the field as I think the wet grass is too cold on his wee belly.
Personally, I gain a lot from helping at the rescue. I am able to spend everyday doing what I love and seeing all those lovely doggy faces, it makes it worth it. It makes me feel as if I am helping these dogs get into there forever homes as we try to get them as confident as we can and learn that not all humans are bad (although some are lol). Not us though! I find it rewarding when the ones that have came back multiple times finally get there forever home that they have been longing for.
We once had a dog at the rescue called Chance and I think he will always be my special, forever dog. He was a big white dog with brown spots from Romania originally.
When he arrived he was not interested in people at all, never wanted anything to do with them. It took me weeks and weeks to gain his trust and one day I finally had earned his trust he let me pet underneath his chin which felt so great and rewarding. After that he was really starting to gain my trust so his collar then got changed and I was able to clip a lead onto him. Then he got his first walk and loved it. After a wee while he had gained so much trust that it got to the point he could be handed to any one to go a walk. He was a star.
He was adopted out earlier in 2024 by a lovely guy and I instantly had a good feeling about this. After Chance had settled in his new home the guy put up a video on the Facebook Adopters Page of him playing with Chance and I thought this was meant to be. Then not that long ago he was dropping of a crate that he didn’t use for him and guess who was in the car?? Chance! So he got him out but the cheeky dog was not interested in us at all I know it can be sad but it means we have done our job when he was with us he had us to look after and care for him but now he has his owner so doesn’t need us. He was looking great and handsome had more small brown spots on his ears as well.