• Life On Land

Dog Sanctuary Supporter

location
3 - 50 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Complete your reservation as soon as possible. This project fills up quickly and is already booked on certain dates.

Highlights

  • Experience the world of animal welfare in Greece, discovering different ways to help stray animals
  • Gain in-depth knowledge about dogs, their behavior, and boundaries through close observation in group and individual settings
  • Get an inside look into a non-profit organization, learning how to make a positive impact and bring about change in countries like Greece
  • Create cherished memories and form lifelong friendships with people from around the globe while working together as a team
  • Explore Thessaloniki and the scenic Chalkidiki peninsula in your free time, discovering beautiful beaches and cities to enhance your experience in this captivating country

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples

About the program

Our Dog Sanctuary is a place where the dogs can roam free. They live in the house where you are staying; a unique experience to learn about the dogs and connect with them

The Project

HOPELAND is from the people for the dogs. 

In our program sounds will be surrounded by dogs - day and night. This way you will learn about their behavior and their character very fast. 

Your Tasks

The activities are all day long - twice per day we feed the dogs, twice per day we clean. In ...

About the program

The Project

HOPELAND is from the people for the dogs. 

In our program sounds will be surrounded by dogs - day and night. This way you will learn about their behavior and their character very fast. 

Your Tasks

The activities are all day long - twice per day we feed the dogs, twice per day we clean. In between we have multiple changes (exchange certain group of dogs) meaning while one group is out, the other one is inside. This assures a safe and quiet time for the dogs where they can enjoy the garden, roam around and sleep under the trees. When we are not working we spend our time brushing the dogs, walking them or making sure they get a lot of cuddles. Sometimes we learn them new tricks and day-to-day knowledge for a day like walking on a leash (especially important for the younger dogs). Since the sanctuary and the dogs depend on the volunteers we take care of you. While there are little breaks in between work you will also get two days off per week where you can go to the beach or explore the cities nearby. 

The Surrounding

We have meals all together throughout the day: In the morning after the first feeding is the breakfast; the lunch and the dinner we also eat all together. We can talk about the day, get to know each other and talk about our different cultures and connect. 

Yes, it can be challenging emotionally and physically sometimes. Especially the first few days will be...a lot. But it is nothing compared to the love and trust you will gain from the dogs. You will build a deep connection that eventually happens when you spend 24/7 with them giving you warmth and comfort. You will learn everything about these special animals: from preparing and feeding the food, cleaning and maintaining their and your living area to handling and teaching them in different and sometimes difficult situations. 

One thing is sure: if you love dogs, you will never forget this place!

Typical day

A typical day in Hopeland



7:45 AM / 07:45 - 🌞 First round of dogs are let out while kitchen volunteer prepares the food for the dogs. 


8:20 AM / 08:20 - 🐶 Next dog change.


8:50 AM / 08:50 - 🥣 Preparation for morning feeding.


9:00 AM / 09:00 - 🍽️ Feeding time followed by another dog ...

Typical day

A typical day in Hopeland



7:45 AM / 07:45 - 🌞 First round of dogs are let out while kitchen volunteer prepares the food for the dogs. 


8:20 AM / 08:20 - 🐶 Next dog change.


8:50 AM / 08:50 - 🥣 Preparation for morning feeding.


9:00 AM / 09:00 - 🍽️ Feeding time followed by another dog change.


10:30 AM / 10:30 - 🧼 Another dog change and the big clean begins, where every space is cleaned throughly.


12:00 PM / 12:00 - 🐾 Next dog change.


1:00 PM / 13:00 - 🔄 Another dog change.


1:30 PM / 13:30 - 🕜 Another dog change followed by lunch break.


4:45 PM / 16:45 - 🍲 Preparation for afternoon feeding.


5:00 PM / 17:00 - 🍗 Feeding time followed by a late clean, where all spaces are cleaned again.


7:00 PM / 19:00 - 🔄 Another dog change.


8:30 PM / 20:30 - 🔄 Another dog change.


10:00 PM / 22.00 - 😴Final dog change and the day concludes. 


Throughout the day, everyone has a task, and responsibilities are fairly distributed. There's also time for cuddling, playing, and walking with the dogs. 🐶🕰️

Free-time activities

There are many possibilities! Possible activities to spend your free time:

  • You can explore Thessaloniki City, eat amazing food and see a lot of cool places. There are also other surrounding cities with beaches where you can go and relax under the sun. 
  • You can also take walks with our dogs to the ...

Free-time activities

There are many possibilities! Possible activities to spend your free time:

  • You can explore Thessaloniki City, eat amazing food and see a lot of cool places. There are also other surrounding cities with beaches where you can go and relax under the sun. 
  • You can also take walks with our dogs to the surrounding areas of the shelter
  • take walks on your own
  • climb or visit the nearby monastery/view-point.

We have good public transportation but you can also call a taxi or use one of our bikes here at the shelter. 

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

You should have a minimum of experiences with dogs. Otherwise you could quickly be overwhelmed and scared. It is not necessary to have some sort of training or certificate working with dogs (but it is also very welcome). Despite your level of knowledge and experience - after Hopeland you definitely will have more!

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 07:30 - 21:30

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Hopeland Dog Sanctuary

The fees include:

  • food for the whole meal with possibilities of special requests. The food is enough for three meals per day. The trip to the grocery store is once a week. 
  • accommodation in the shelter: it can be shared if you’re coming alone or private in case of a couple. The rooms each have one or more fans and some have a balcony. 
  • pick up from the airport or the Center of Thessaloniki on specific hours (except Sunday). 

Our shelter depends only in donations and these money also help with the needs for our dogs ,the shelters rent and utility bills 

Airport Pickup at Thessaloniki International Airport

We can pick you up from the Airport in Thessaloniki. The drive to shelter is about 15 minutes with the car. The arrivals must be after 7am and before 10pm and the departures from 9 am to 11 pm.Also the arrivals can be any day of the week except Sundays 

Accommodation

The accommodation is in the shelter either shared or private in case of a couple. If a double bedroom is required you need to ask for it before booking. We have no air conditioning but fans in every room. The bathroom is shared. It is never completely quiet in the night since we live with dogs but they also have to sleep sometimes. The bedrooms upstairs are dog-free except for one bedroom downstairs. It is basic but clean. 

We provide another option a stay to another room with your bathroom to the house of the owner of the shelter with food provided,in this type of accommodation you can select which days you will help to the shelter and you can have more days off to explore the surroundings .This type of accommodation is more expensive there is no barking during night as even if in the house there are 9 rescued dogs they do not bark ,you can see the life of the people who work for the shelter very close ,You can use the living room with television and the kitchen of the house and of course enjoy your afternoons in the amazing balconies of the house .If you decide to choose this type of accommodation it's the one which costs 3 weeks 1300E

Food & Beverages

Once or twice per week we bring grocery. You can write us a list but everything has to be reasonable.

For extra stuff you need there is a little shop nearby .

We provide a big variety of groceries and the cooking is made by you .


There is the option to eat in the local restaurants near the shelter but it's not included in the fees 

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Thessaloniki International Airport (SKG) in Thessaloniki. We assist you to find cheap flights to Greece. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Greece provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Greece you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Greece. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

Since our shelter runs 365 days a year, we also except and welcome volunteers all throughout the year!


In terms of arrival times and places

If you arrive at the airport or in the city we can pick you up. There are also busses driving from Thessaloniki to Souroti, where our shelter is located. It would be best to arrive before 10 pm in the evening and after 7 am in the morning since otherwise everyone is sleeping. 

Exceptions can be talked about! 

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

3 weeks (min. stay) 425€
6 weeks 650€
8 weeks 900€
10 weeks 1,000€
18 weeks 1,600€
50 weeks (max. stay) 3,000€
Average fees 100€/week

Program fees

100€ per week 3 - 50 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

3 - 50 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Hopeland Dog Sanctuary during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

Hopeland Dog Sanctuary

Excellent 4.8 rating (33 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2019

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

NATASA

Spoken languages: English

About the project

Hopeland Dog Sanctuary is the home for the unwanted where dogs live among the people the volunteers and get to heal physically and mentally

Meet your organization

Hopeland was founded on 2019 with the dream to build a place which the dogs can heal and feel loved until they find their forever home.

So many stray dogs in Greece who needs us. The idea was to have 30 dogs at the beginning but this soon changed and now we have 103 (this number varies all the time). So we needed volunteers to keep us with work. I am only one woman and the volunteers to care for all these dogs. Our sanctuary is different as a large number of the dogs live in the house where the volunteers stay, so the experience we offer it's for sure different as you will living among dogs 🐕 

33 reviews · rating4.8

julia miłek rating5

2024 at Dog Sanctuary Supporter

I stayed in Hopeland for three weeks and it's been the best time of my life so far. The first two/three days were very hard, which you have to be prepared for, due to a lot of things to learn and living closely with other people, but after a few days you become a little family. You help eachother ...
Lucie CHEFDOR rating5

2024 at Dog Sanctuary Supporter

I'm grateful for the three weeks I spent at Hopeland ; I learnt so much about dogs and I'm very proud to have contributed to meeting the needs of the shelter, which is is a haven of peace and a second chance for all these dogs. It was amazing ! Natasa, the owner, is a caring person who shares ...
Cecilia Davey rating5

2024 at Dog Sanctuary Supporter

I have come here for 26 days and let me just say it’s too short. There are so many charming, adorable, loving dogs to fall in love with, each with their own memorable personalities. I have met the most genuine, kind hearted volunteers here who have made this place feel like home for me and Natasa ...
Noah Junkel rating5

2024 at Dog Sanctuary Supporter

I had the best time of my life in Hopeland! I was picked up of the airport by Natasa and another Volunteer, who greeted me very friendly. We arrived at the shelter and all the other volunteers were welcoming me at my home for the next 4 weeks. They showed me all the rooms and caged and explained the ...
Astrid Söderberg rating4.8

2024 at Dog Sanctuary Supporter

I stayed in hopeland for three weeks and i can say it was not enough, the dogs and people were so amazing it really felt like home. Meeting Natasa and the other volunteers was so inspiring i learnt so much about dogs, other people and cultures and im so greatful for this whole experience. From the ...
izzy thake rating4.4

2024 at Dog Sanctuary Supporter

What can I say to describe this amazing place. One word to summarise would be family: the volunteers, the dogs and natasa. You become so close living 24/7 together and I think this is something that sets hopeland apart. I’ve made life long friends there and fallen in love with so many great dogs. ..

Location

Europe > Southern Europe > Greece > Thessaloniki

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Volunteer Abroad  >  Animals  >  Street Animals in Greece
Contact NATASA
  Very high response rate
English

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