Jim has been volunteering for Canine Partners for over 10 years in various roles across the charity. He has fostered over 60 dogs during this time. This is his story:

I volunteer for Canine Partners in three ways – I am a regular Fosterer for dogs in Advanced Training; an Office Volunteer two days a week and I’m also a trained Speaker. I began to volunteer for Canine Partners after I lost my 11-year-old chocolate Labrador. Although I missed her, I did not want another pet dog. My daughter did a week of work experience in the kennels at the Southern Training Centre prior to her BSc and raved about it for the next month, so I found the concept of a weekend dog was just too appealing.

I have been a Fosterer for over 10 years, taking a dog home at the weekend for rest and relaxation. During this time I have to keep it safe and healthy, maintain all of the rules, protocols and disciplines put in place by Canine Partners, and I have to report the dog’s weekend behaviour to its Advanced Trainer on Monday morning. I normally foster a dog for about 17 consecutive weekends before starting over again with another dog that is new to the Advanced Training programme.

After a while during my weekend dog collection and delivery, I was asked to ‘look at’ a broken spreadsheet. This turned into my role as an Office Volunteer on Mondays and Fridays, which I have been doing now for over nine years. Not only do I absolutely love dogs, I also have a lifetime of working in the IT industry and a fondness for showboating with spreadsheets. I help with database administration as well as designing, maintaining, amending and fixing spreadsheets. I also help with relocating spiders and making tea too!

Around 18 months after I became an Office Volunteer, I attended an internal speaker training course. I now help to raise awareness of Canine Partners as part of the charity’s Volunteer Speaker Network. I deliver one hour talks to community groups in my area, such as Masons, WI, U3A, Probus and Rotary clubs. These are usually to a group of 15 – 70 people. I have experience of giving talks at conferences and a love of talking about my passion – I relish showing slides of cute puppies and amazing dogs, plus watching money going into a collection box for the charity!

The most rewarding thing about volunteering at Canine Partners, other than being ‘cared for’ by fantastic staff and being around gorgeous dogs, has to be seeing, first-hand, the incredible bond between a partner and their dog. Knowing that I may have been an incredibly small cog in the transformation of someone’s life is a privilege that money can’t buy.

I think others should volunteer for Canine Partners because it is an extraordinary charity, a very welcoming work environment and it provides an opportunity to make a difference to other people’s lives. Having worked for the charity for over 10 years, I have never experienced an ‘off-day’. I relish all my volunteering roles – and have a lot of fun!