- Association PEGADAS & BIGODES - friend of animals
The most important job of all! We need volunteers at the shelter every day to care for the dogs.
What is involved?
The duties are varied but always include feeding, cleaning & refilling water bowls, ‘picking up’ after the dogs and giving medication. Additional duties depend on the day and the time available but might include things such as fixing shade that has come down, basic grooming, some extra deep cleaning etc. Oh, and cuddling. There is always lots of cuddling! 😀
What do I have to commit to?
We are short of regular volunteers at the moment – those who do a shift every week – so are looking for people who can make a weekly commitment for a particular day. The time taken varies but is usually no more than 4 hours.
However, if you can’t commit every week, we also need volunteers who can be called on for occasional shifts to cover holidays or illness.
I’m interested! What next?
Please get in touch! We can arrange a trial run so you can learn the ropes and work out the details of future shifts depending on your availability.
Getting out for a walk makes such a huge difference to our dogs – not only does it make them VERY happy, it helps to build the confidence of the nervous dogs, to socialise with dogs outside their groups, socialise with new people and get some experience of being on a lead. And of course they – and you! – get some exercise. We’ve really noticed a difference in the character of some of our dogs who are being walked regularly – those who were wary of strangers or anything new are confident, happy dogs now. Not only does it make life at the shelter happier for our dogs, it helps with adoptions too – happy, confident dogs are much easier to find homes for!
What is involved?
It really is as simple as just taking a dog for a walk!
You don’t have to commit to anything. We have a regular group of walking volunteers who come once a week, but the more volunteers we have, the more dogs can be walked. If you can offer a couple of hours per week that would be fantastic! But otherwise you could just come when you have free time – sometimes we have groups of family or friends who are in the area for a holiday, or who live locally and want to get together for a walk and a natter.
I’m interested! What next?
All we ask is that you check with us before coming, just to make sure that the shelter volunteers on duty that day know to expect you and can arrange to get the dogs ready.
Get in touch.
We regularly have puppies abandoned with us and always need people willing to offer them temporary foster homes.
Paul and Carol have fostered 15 puppies, in addition to have three dogs of their own;
“It’s so gratifying to take in frightened young puppies and see them develop into confident, playful young dogs.”
The shelter is a dangerous place for young puppies – even 24 hours there puts them at high risk of fatal illness, and the socialisation and experience of living in a home they receive while being fostered is important for their development into happy family pets.
Here are some of the questions we are asked most often about fostering puppies.
What is involved in fostering a puppy?
The puppies will need the usual every day care – feeding, taking out to the toilet, taking to the vet when needed etc. But what they really need more than anything is to play, to be loved and to feel safe.
How many puppies would I have to take?
Sometimes we get single puppies, occasionally litters of as many as eight. You wouldn’t need to take that many, although we do like to foster litters in groups of two or three to help with their socialisation and early development.
How long would I have to look after the puppies?
It could be anywhere from 1-12 weeks, depending on how soon we can find permanent homes for them. If you can’t commit to that long, don’t worry – we also need fixed period homes for when other foster carers go away. Once the puppies are old enough, they can go into the shelter although we avoid that wherever possible.
Do you provide the food?
Yes, we can provide the food, but if you can afford to buy it yourself, that would help our funds enormously!
“It’s worth a try at fostering to see how you get on. No two fosters are the same as the pups/dogs have different characters. The sense of achievement when fostering is overwhelming. Knowing you are starting the journey for the pup/dog to have a fresh start and new home.”
What about all the bits and pieces a puppy needs?
Puppies don’t really need as much as pet shops would have you think! We can provide a crate for them to sleep in and can usually provide collars and leads. Feed & water bowls can simply be old ice-cream/margarine containers and an old towel is perfect for warm bedding.
Do I need to take them to the vet?
All our puppies need vaccinating as soon as possible and may require other treatments which require vet visits. We work with Zoosaúde who have clinics in Penela, Miranda do Corvo, Ansião, Cabaços, Figueiró dos Vinhos and Castanheira da Pêra and also visit the shelter (near Avelar) regularly. If you are able to take the puppies to one of these locations it would help a great deal, otherwise we should be able to arrange for another volunteer to help with transport. All treatments go on our account.
Could my own dog catch diseases from the puppies?
As long as your dogs are fully vaccinated, there shouldn’t be any problems. If your own dogs are not vaccinated, we cannot place puppies with you as the risk to the puppies would be too high.
Can I take the puppies out to meet other dogs?
The puppies need to be fully protected from their vaccinations before they can go out. Until then, your garden/courtyard will be perfect for them to play in.
Can I adopt one of the puppies?
Of course! You wouldn’t be the first volunteer to adopt a puppy they were fostering, but there is absolutely no obligation to do so.
What if something goes wrong?
You will have contact numbers for other volunteers and the vet in case of anything going wrong.
In addition to regular foster volunteers, we are looking for people who are able to be a ‘buffer’ – available to take the puppies as soon as they arrive at the shelter wherever possible, you would only have them for a few days while we organise longer term fostering for them.
If you are able to help or would like more information about fostering puppies, please call Paul on 916616355.
If you would like to share this information with friends, HERE is a printable leaflet;
Don’t live locally, but still want to help?
We always need donations of cash or equipment – bedding, leads & collars, medication, food etc. Please get in touch to find out what our current needs are if you would like to make a donation!
One of the easiest ways to support our shelter is to make a donation. As well as our every day running costs – just food and vet bills cost us €1400 per month – there is always maintenance to kennels etc that needs doing and we have plans and dreams for upgrading the conditions at the shelter and therefore improving the lives of the dogs who live there. But it all costs money and we rely wholly on donations and adoption fees.
If you live locally, you can make a donation in kind – contact us to find out what we need! If you don’t live locally, you can make a financial donation direct to our bank account or PayPal, using the details below;
PayPal: paypal.me/pegadasebigodes
Every donation we receive supports the work we do to rehome unwanted dogs and give them the best life we possibly can.
We have an increasing number of dogs being adopted to other countries, in particular Belgium and the Netherlands. We need to fly them to their new homes but of course they can’t travel on their own – they need a flight companion!
What is involved?
Very little for you, just a little bit of your time! You need to make your booking available for us to reserve space for the dog’s transport box on the plane. Our volunteers will get the dogs to the airport and will help check the dog in with you – you need to be present to sign the paperwork. The dog is then taken to the special baggage area in its transport box.
At the other end, you will need to collect the dog from the special baggage area and wheel it through to arrivals where you will be met, either by the adoptants themselves or one of our representatives. That’s it!
What does it cost?
All the costs relating to the transport of the dog will be met by us.
Routes and airlines
We can only transport dogs on certain routes and with certain animal-friendly airlines. At the moment, we are looking for companions who are flying on any of these routes/airlines;
Lisbon – Brussels (TAP only)
Lisbon – Eindhoven (Transavia or KLM)
Lisbon – Amsterdam (Transavia, KLM or TAP)
Porto – Amsterdam (Transavia)
What do I need to do if I am interested?
Please get in touch as soon as you know the date of your flight – we may already have a dog who has already been adopted and is waiting for a flight, or we may be able to arrange an adoption in time. Either way, you will make a dog and its new family very, very happy!
We have an increasing number of dogs being adopted to other countries, in particular Belgium and the Netherlands. As well as needing flight companions to accompany them, we need volunteers who are able to get the dogs to the airport and checked in.
What is involved?
Working with another volunteer (one as driver, one as co-pilot), you will collect the dog or dogs from either the shelter or their foster home and transport them to the airport they are flying from. Your vehicle will need to be able to accommodate enough travel boxes for the number of dogs on that flight – we will need to know how many you can transport so we can match you with a suitable flight.
Once at the airport, you will meet with the flight companion and will be responsible for checking the dogs in. If you have flown with your own dogs in the past, you will have experience of this but if not, we can pair you with one of our more experienced volunteers initially so you can see what is involved – it isn’t too complicated! Don’t worry if your Portuguese isn’t up to scratch, the airport staff speak English and are generally very good with the dogs. If you are able to take photos too, all the better!
The whole process usually takes about 6 hours – 2 hours to the airport, 1 ½-2 hours at the airport and 2 hours back but some flexibility is needed.
What does it cost?
Fuel costs, motorway tolls and parking costs are all reimbursed for the driver.
Airports, dates and times
Our dogs often fly from Lisbon but there are also some flights from Porto. Flights are arranged as we find flight companions for the dogs so we would contact you to see whether you are available on a particular day. Please note that some flights can mean a rather early start!
What do I need to do if I am interested?
Please get in touch – we often have a number of flights that we need transport for and the dates are also published on our Facebook page. Either way, you will make a dog and its new family very, very happy!
Fundraising through participation in fairs with our pop-up store.
Raffles, used items for €1, T-shirts, crafts, and anything else you can imagine to help our beloved dogs!
We’ll be at several local fairs.
Follow us on our FACEBOOK page!
If you’re unable to make donations, volunteer, or offer other forms of support, follow us on social media and help spread the word!