Our volunteers are essential to our operation and for Cabanita to work as effectively as it does and to have the record of rehomings it enjoys is categorically down to the number of dogs and cats per handler. We aim at a ratio of no more than 7/8 dogs per handler which normally allows for every dog to be walked daily outside the shelter in the nearby rural surroundings This ratio also allows for socialising time in the kennels and/or in the free-range parks. This can only be economically done with a large number of volunteers.

We do have a few daily local volunteers but one of our main features is that at any one time we can accommodate a large number of volunteers in four portacabins and a house. The vast majority of these volunteers come through WorkAway (an international volunteer programme).

These volunteers receive free accommodation in exchange for a few hours of work each day, the rest of the time is managed by them and they often choose to spend a lot of their free time socialising the animals, both in the kennels and in their own rooms.