Volunteer at Hopeland Dog Sanctuary near Thessaloniki, Greece 🇬🇷🐕

Volunteer at Hopeland Dog Sanctuary near Thessaloniki, Greece 🇬🇷🐕 and support the everyday care of rescued and abandoned dogs. Hopeland is a registered non-profit animal welfare organisation located near Souroti, in the Thessaloniki area.

Volunteers help with feeding, cleaning, dog care, exercise, socialisation and the daily routine of the sanctuary. Accommodation and groceries are provided at the sanctuary, with a volunteer contribution of €125 per week. The minimum stay is 3 weeks.

About Hopeland

Hopeland is a non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, socializing and finding loving homes for abandoned and stray dogs in Greece.

Our philosophy is to give our dogs the best possible quality of life while they wait for adoption. Many of our dogs live in a home-like environment rather than spending their lives confined to small cages. Socialization with people and other dogs is therefore a very important part of what we do.

What volunteers help with

Volunteers are an important part of everyday life at Hopeland. Tasks include:

• Feeding and providing fresh water
• Cleaning the dogs’ living areas and common spaces
• Dog rotations and opening or closing different areas
• Socializing and spending time with the dogs
• Walking and exercising dogs
• Laundry and general organization
• Taking photos and videos for adoption and social media
• Helping prepare dogs for adoption and transport
• Occasionally helping with veterinary trips or other sanctuary needs

Typical day and daily routine

Our daily routine is structured around the needs of the dogs.

Morning

• 07:45 – Open designated upstairs areas and quick cleaning
• 08:20 – Dog rotation between designated areas
• 08:50 – Further rotation and preparation for feeding
• 09:00 – Feeding and opening designated areas afterwards
• 10:30 – Main cleaning of the dogs’ areas and common spaces
• 12:00 – Dog rotation

Afternoon and evening

• 12:30 – Further dog rotation
• 13:30 – Exercise and enrichment rotation, “Hope’s Hour”
• 15:00 – Dog rotations and preparation for the evening
• 16:30 – Rotations and preparation for feeding
• 17:00 – Feeding, followed by cleaning and rotations
• 19:00 – Checks and securing designated areas
• 20:25 – Evening cleaning and safety checks
• 22:00 – Closing the final areas for the night
• 22:30 – Final walkthrough

It is important to explain that these times do not represent continuous working hours. Many of the tasks throughout the day are very short dog rotations, simply opening or closing a designated area, which can take only a few minutes.

The main workload is during feeding and cleaning periods. Between these responsibilities, volunteers have free time.

Volunteers normally work 5 days per week and have 2 days off.

As we work with living animals, the routine can occasionally change because of veterinary appointments, emergencies, rescues, transports or the individual needs of the dogs.

Volunteer contribution

The contribution is €125 per week.

Hopeland is a non-profit organization and the contribution helps us cover the additional costs of hosting volunteers, including full accommodation, food and groceries, electricity, water, utilities, cleaning supplies and general household running costs.

💡 Want to understand volunteer fees better? Read our guide to why some volunteer programs charge fees and what to check before applying.

Accommodation

Volunteers stay inside the sanctuary property in the house.

The volunteer bedrooms are upstairs, in an area where there are no dogs living. Rooms are generally shared depending on availability.

Volunteers have access to bathrooms, kitchen, common areas and laundry facilities.

Food

We provide full food and groceries, and volunteers prepare their own meals in the shared kitchen.

We provide a wide selection of everyday food, including vegetables, frozen foods, milk, cheese, cereals, spreads such as Nutella, juices, soft drinks and other basic groceries.

We can accommodate many common dietary preferences. However, someone requiring very specific or specialized products may need to purchase those additional items themselves.

Minimum and maximum stay

The minimum stay is 3 weeks.

Longer stays are very welcome. There is no strict maximum stay as long as the arrangement continues to work well for both the volunteer and Hopeland.

When volunteers are needed

We host volunteers all year round.

Because it takes time to learn the dogs, their personalities and our routine, we especially appreciate volunteers who can stay longer.

Number of volunteers

We can host several volunteers at the same time, depending on room availability and the period of the year.

Age and requirements

We accept volunteers 18 years old and above.

Previous shelter experience is helpful but not required. We are more interested in people who are responsible, reliable, willing to learn and genuinely want to help animals.

Volunteering at a dog sanctuary is physically demanding. Volunteers should be comfortable with cleaning, walking, bending, being outdoors and being surrounded by dogs.

You should also expect barking, dog hair, dust, dirt and smells. This is a real working animal sanctuary, not a petting zoo or a holiday with dogs.

Languages

Our working language with international volunteers is English.

Greek is not required, but volunteers need sufficient English to understand instructions and communicate safely with the team.

What volunteers should bring

We recommend:

• Comfortable clothes that can get dirty
• Closed, comfortable shoes suitable for working with dogs
• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Personal toiletries
• Any personal items or medication they require

Arrival and transportation

The nearest airport is Thessaloniki International Airport (SKG).

We provide airport pickup for our volunteers.

Arrivals should be scheduled after 08:00 in the morning and before 22:00 so that someone is available to collect and welcome the volunteer.

Flight details should be communicated to us in advance.

Facilities

Volunteers have access to:

• Wi-Fi
• Shared kitchen and cooking facilities
• Refrigerator and freezer
• Bathrooms
• Washing machine and laundry facilities
• Shared living areas
• Volunteer bedrooms

Living and working with the dogs

The most important thing volunteers should understand is that Hopeland is the dogs’ home.

Some dogs are confident, social and affectionate. Others have experienced abandonment, neglect or trauma and require patience and understanding.

Volunteers must respect each dog’s personality and boundaries and follow the instructions given by the Hopeland team.

Living at the sanctuary means that dogs are part of your everyday environment. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but applicants should understand that animal rescue is also physically and emotionally demanding.

For people who genuinely love dogs and want to make a difference, it is an opportunity to become part of their journey from rescue to a permanent home.

Internships and Erasmus+ traineeships

We also welcome students looking for university internships, Erasmus+ traineeships or practical study placements.

We have previously hosted students from different universities and backgrounds, and where possible we can discuss adapting the placement to academic requirements.

Contact details 📧🔍