**Your shifts.** Work is per shifts, 5 days a week, starting from the second day after arrival — if you arrive on a Monday, you start working on Wednesday. At the beginning you will be asked whether you want to work your 5 days in a row or spread them differently; once you decide, that is your schedule for the whole of your stay. You can always swap shifts with other volunteers, as long as you agree on the new schedule between you.
Shift times change with the season:
- Winter: morning 8:00–12:00, or afternoon 12:00–16:00
- Summer (mid July – mid November): morning 8:00–12:00, or afternoon 14:00–18:00
In summer it is impossible to walk the dogs between 12:00 and 16:00, so afternoon volunteers start with other activities and go out with the dogs from 16:00 to 18:00.
**What the work is.** At the shelter you walk the dogs, following a walking list so that each of them gets their turn. When it is too hot to walk them, or when they have all been out already, you spend time with them, cuddling them in the big internal halls or in the outside compounds.
**Getting there and back.** Our staff car goes to the shelter in the morning and comes back to town at 4 PM, and you can ride along for free. Morning volunteers make their own way back to town: on foot, by bicycle, by public transport (easily available) or by taxi (3 euros). Afternoon volunteers do the opposite, they get themselves to the shelter and come back at 4 PM with the staff, in our car. Most volunteers love the ride on our open truck with the local staff, sometimes with a couple of dogs on board on their way to the shelter or the clinic.
**Examples of working shifts**
Morning shift
- 7:45 — leave the hostel with our car
- 8:30 — start walking the dogs
- 12:00 — finish work; back to town on foot, by bicycle, taxi, public transport or hitchhiking
- 12:30 — arrive at the hostel. Or stop in town for lunch, or go straight to the beach
Afternoon shift — winter
- 11:30 — leave the hostel by public transport, bicycle, taxi, on foot or hitchhiking
- 12:00 — start work at the shelter, walking dogs
- 16:00 — finish work, back home with our car
- 16:30 — arrive at the hostel
Afternoon shift — summer
- 14:00 — start with various activities at the hostel: cat shelter, computer work, reception, small maintenance, or any other task needed
- 15:45 — leave for the shelter with our car
- 16:00 — start walking the dogs
- 18:00 — finish work; back home by public transport, bicycle, taxi, on foot or hitchhiking
- 18:30 — arrive at the hostel
**Eating.** If you work in the morning, have breakfast before you go, or take something with you: after a couple of hours walking energetic dogs in the fresh sea air you will be very hungry. Most volunteers prepare something the day before so they can eat as soon as they get home, rest, and still have time for the beach, for town, or for visiting another village on the island. Volunteers often organise kitchen shifts and cook for each other. If you would rather not cook, meals cost very little in the many small local restaurants, you can stop at the market place on your way back and have lunch there before heading to the beach for a nap.
**Free time.** Everything is so close and easy to reach that there is almost no need to organise free time. Public buses go back and forth all day between town and the 4 coastal villages, with the last ones coming back at about 5 PM. What you can do depends on the season: in winter it is not so hot and you can go around all day, while in summer it is difficult to do anything other than rest or be at the beach between 12 and 4 PM.
**Choosing your shift.** Shifts are allocated according to the needs of the shelter and the wishes of the volunteers. Some people prefer the morning because it is cooler, though night life suffers from that schedule. Others prefer to go to bed later, rest in the morning and work in the afternoon. In general volunteers work one per shift, or more when available.
Whatever shift you choose, keep your phone or your camera with you.
**NOTES:**
- The information given in the Time Commitment section of this program is only indicative and not binding: for animal supporters, the free days can be on any days of the week (maybe on the weekend, maybe not) and the working time is per shift.
- Changes in shifts must be communicated with due notice and be authorised.
- Changes in shifts can't leave shifts uncovered.
