Animal Volunteering

What is a good way to get into this?

I have had no dogs or cats as pets ever but have had many other animals (rabbits, Guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, chipmunks).

These were all years ago now. Mostly in childhood.

I would prefer to volunteer somewhere with cats and dogs. I am generally OK around dogs and cats but only familiar animals of friends.

Also I would like to get a pet can't really convince my Dad / landlord of a cat.

Thinking of getting 2 rats in the future but they seem expensive.

I used to be scared of dogs years ago but am OK with them now. Any tips?

Yes. Look for rescue organizations in your area by doing a search online, and call a few. Most are in desperate need for help, usually starting out with litter box emptying and dog walking.

There is one local to me who look for volunteers for walking around their own facility and cleaning out the kennels.

There is one charity called The Cinnamon Trust that I've seen posters up for and I think they are national. They help those who can't get out to walk their dogs like the elderly. They pair up a couple of volunteers with someone so you can rota walking the dogs.

Have a look on the Do-It website to see what is advertised but you could always just look for local charities and give them a call.

Good luck. I think it's great you want to do this. At the group I used to attend there were people who were volunteers for animal charities and they said it was really good for their mental health recovery too.