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Volunteers

Here at Boxer Welfare Scotland our volunteers are the very life blood of the charity, without them we simply couldn’t do what we do.  Alongside our trustees, the volunteers help in every aspect of Boxer Welfare Scotland from answering phones to helping care for our boxer babes in the kennels to fundraising. Our volunteers are spread out all through Scotland and even into England.

Our Volunteers find being part of the BWS family a rewarding experience, with most people finding really good friends with being part of Boxer Welfare Scotland.  After all who better to share all our boxer stories with than other boxer lovers.   You can’t imagine how good it feels when a boxer you have been involved with gets their forever home with a loving family.  Knowing you have been part of that is just so special.  That said, at times it really is hard being part of a dog rescue, sometimes heart breaking.  Every time we come across a case of neglect or someone’s indifference to the boxer they no longer want, it really does affect all our volunteers even those that will never meet the dog. Thankfully in the vast majority of cases we are able to find them happy Forever Homes with the help of our wonderful volunteers.

What Our Volunteers Do?

Here are some of the things our volunteers do for Boxer Welfare Scotland:

• Answering the Phones – Our volunteers take all manner of calls from people wanting to adopt, donate, give their boxer up, etc.
• Home Checks – Our volunteers carry out Home Checks for all our potential adopters.  These are just friendly visits to have a chat about the adoption process and see the surroundings in which our BWS babe will be living.
• Rehomes – The best bit of being involved in BWS!  This is when our volunteers will meet the family wanting to adopt with a boxer babe.  They will all go for a walk to see how everyone takes to each other and if all goes well, they will be waving good bye to another four legged friend going off to their forever home!
• Follow Up Check – Our volunteers pay a visit to all our BWS babes once they have been rehomed to make sure they are settling in well.
• Kennels – Our volunteers will visit our BWS babes in the kennels to walk them, assess their nature and make sure they are doing ok in the kennels.
• Vet Runs – Our volunteers will take the boxers in our care to the vets if they need any treatment.  In the thankfully rare cases where the vet decides the kindest thing to do for our BWS babe is to put them to sleep, there will always be a volunteer that stays with them throughout this.  This is possibly the hardest thing we ask of our volunteers but it’s important that our special babes having someone with them that cares deeply about them
• Bring in a Dog – This is where our volunteers meet with the people who can no longer care for their boxer to take them into our care.  This is another difficult time for everyone involved and the owners are often heartbroken at what they have to do.  Our volunteers try to make this as painless as possible and are very understanding.
• Fundraising Events – This can be anything from organising an event to turning up on the day to help out.  This is a major part of BWS.  Without these fundraising events and the wonderful volunteers who organise them and help out on the day we simply wouldn’t have the funds to keep rescuing these boxer babes.
• Microchipping – We have a team of volunteers who are trained to Microchip dogs and cats.  They will make sure all dogs that come into our care are microchipped, as well as helping out at days where we chip members of the public’s animals to help raise funds.

These are just some of the many tasks that our volunteers do.  No one at Boxer Welfare Scotland is paid for what they do.  Everyone puts in their time and love purely for their love of boxers.  We all do it so we can see that Happy Ending, knowing we have made a boxer’s life better.

If you would like to become involved please have a look here.

Liz’s Statement

I first stumbled across BWS in 2007.  After getting to know people through conversing on the forum I started to do home checks and follow up visits to various homes in Ayrshire and Glasgow. 

The first time I actually met some of the BWS volunteers, in person, was at the first ever event I attended at Rouken Glen Park in June 2008 with my family and my boxer Girlie Millie.  The volunteers were all very welcoming and friendly and it was really uplifting to finally put a face to a name.  I was amazed at the amount of boxer dogs and their families who dropped by to visit that day, there were dozens and dozens.  Now, I go to as many organised events as possible to meet up with other volunteers and of course get cuddles from all the four legged visitors.

In November 2008 I finally took a big step and adopted my BWS boy Digger as a companion to my girl Millie.  They have had their disagreements, but two years on I think it’s fair to say they are totally inseparable.  This is one of the best decisions that I have ever made.  Other boxer minded people have commented on them looking like a wee old married couple.

Early in 2009 I received a call from the “boss” to say that Glasgow Kennels had offered BWS space and would I be interested in being involved there?  I jumped at the chance. From that day on I can honestly say that every boxer that has gone through Glasgow has enriched my life in one way or another.  Back then there was only me, two years on I co-ordinate four teams consisting of 14 volunteers who are all dedicated in caring for BWS boxers with our ultimate goal of finding them their Forever Homes.  Every dog is given love, attention, exercise and some require just that little bit extra tlc.  There is nothing more rewarding that going down to the kennels and the dogs are so happy to see you that they knock you over with excitement.  That’s what makes it all worth while and such a pleasure.

Life at the kennels is like riding a roller coaster, has its ups and downs and can be very emotional at times.  It is sometimes difficult to remain professional when dogs come into us in a terrible state.  Once in our care these poor dogs don’t look back, they ask for nothing but give you so much, it’s heart-breaking at times.
I would like to thank BWS for enriching my life with each and every dog I have been fortunate to meet and care for and for the many new friends I have made.  These friends are all boxer minded and will be firm friends for life. 

Liz Miller, BWS Volunteer, mum to Millie and BWS Digger

Shona's Statement

Being a volunteer, where to start? I became a volunteer through sheer chance, having lost my beautiful boxer babe I was heartbroken and there was such a huge void in my life, I contacted BWS for no particular reason other than I needed to talk to someone who would understand the pain of losing a very much loved dog.

From there on I became more familiar with what the charity aims to do, I felt compelled to give something back to the breed in honour of Olive who I still desperately missed. I adopted Archie from BWS, the love he gave made life so much more bearable, it was at this point I was keen to help the unfortunate dogs in kennels, such a simple thing as walking the dogs and getting to know them on a personal level gives such joy, and a sense of being part of something, the trust and loyalty the dogs give you is overwhelming. I then made a choice that perhaps I could foster, so in time four dogs came to reside with us, two deaf boys, a young pup and a girl Doris who is now part of our family. We felt she'd had an awful life and maybe in time she'd learn to trust us. Now she is just the happiest wee lass with the quirkiest of nature, she still has terrible trust issues with the outside world, but on the whole she knows she's very much loved by her family.

Being a volunteer can constitute to so many different things, from being creative and making things for fundraising events, crafts n home baking etc., taking in a dog who needs fostering, walking the dogs at the kennels, doing vet visits, taking part in events, microchipping  and many more things. No matter how much time you can contribute every bit of support is valuable to the dogs and of course the charity itself. BWS is a team of likeminded people who come from various back grounds, lifestyles, ages and interests but what we do have in common is a mutual passion for the welfare of boxers. Not everyone shares this enthusiasm so the BWS web site is the perfect place to find people who are welcoming and more than happy to share their knowledge and stories, photographs etc. with you. One of the personal things I have taken from joining the forum and becoming a volunteer is that i have met many wonderful people whom I would regard as friends. Friendships have grown like an extended family.  I would recommend to anyone who feels compassionate towards the boxer breed to read through the BWS website, you will find all the information you need to know, perhaps you may be in a position to give a babe a Forever Home, or help with fundraising, whatever your reason I'm sure you will enjoy the site.

Being a volunteer has many many up's and from time to time downs. The up side is the simple things like walking with the kennel dogs, getting to know their temperament and the look of joy when they finally jump in the car ready to leave for their Forever Home. Seeing photographs of how happy they are doing and how happy their new family are! Hearing how well the volunteers have done when they have tirelessly fundraised, been sponsored and raised a contribution towards the welfare of the dogs, so many positives. With everything there is always the occasional down side, for me personally it is always the horror of hearing we have lost a dog through neglect and abuse. This is sadly something that does happen and with all the best efforts will invariably happen again. BWS works tirelessly to educate and pass on information via the website that will give as much knowledge on the breed as possible, hopefully this will encourage even a few people to abstain from breeding etc.

Carol's Statement

Tasha (our first BWS babe) came into my life at the beginning of 2009. At first Tash was a scared & thin wee lass who struggled to trust anyone and now after lots of training she is a happy healthy girlie with the best smile ever.

When we collected Tash from her foster Mum's, we were advised that the BWS online forum would be a great place to meet & talk to like minded people. The forum is fantastic as I learned about health problems of the Boxer breed, localised walks that were arranged and all the fundraising events which were planned for future months.

Bubba (our second BWS babe) originally came to us a foster in the summer of 2009. After a month or two we just couldn't bare to part with him and he became a very loved member of our household. Two years on both Tash and Bubbs are totally inseparable, they simply live for one and other.  Life without either of them is just unimaginable.

After helping out at a few BWS micro chipping events, I decided to try my hand at doing some fundraising events of my own. With the trusted help of other BWS volunteers we have now ran several successful coffee mornings, table sales ,Christmas Fayre's and Car Boot Sales. The volunteers at BWS are just fantastic, everyone here has the same goal and that's to do the very best for the breed that we all love so much.

BWS has many ups and down's with the dogs that come into their care and unfortunately not every story ends up being a happy one. This is the sad side of the rescue but when you see one of BWS babes in the new forever home, it makes it so worthwhile and rewarding.

When I learned about the tragic life of Hope, a wee lass that had been left for dead after her owners had used every inch of her ageing/ill body in order to make a few quid, I decided to try and do my best to raise awareness and hopefully some extra ££ for this wonderful charity. Hope was let down and used by people all her life and without the intervention of BWS that poor girl would have been left to die on the streets alone and in extreme amounts of pain. A story like Hope's hit everyone hard but her injustice in life just fuelled BWS and it's volunteers to help as many Boxers as they possible could.

BWS work tirelessly to help every dog that comes into it's care & I like to contribute by helping out at fundraising events. You never know we might see you at our next one ;0)

Amanda's Statement

It's almost 3yrs since my first post on the forum. I can't believe that! I remember surfing the web looking at Boxer images as you do when your boxer daft, I stumbled upon the BWS Website and thought oh ho! this is interesting...

I read every paragraph on the site and looked at all the Happy Ending photo's sittin' greetin' like a big wet lump when I watched the montage video. That moment was an education in itself that not all Boxers were spoiled cuddled and loved like Misha or the happy bouncy dogs you meet slobbering playfully and bounding round the park! I felt it in my gut that I wanted to help do something to change the lives of the less fortunate dogs I was looking at in the video. It broke my heart when I looked at Misha safe, well fed and loved. I thought simple basic things they need, they give you so much and only want simple basic things in return. How can anyone be rotten to those poor dogs?! Lucy, Kai... All the dogs?

It took me a day or two to pluck up the courage to actually register to the forum, I was a bit scared of "online chat" I thought of chatrooms and forums as being full of weirdo's.  From that first introduction post saying hello and the immediate warm welcome I knew I'd done the right thing. So many people all talking my language and just as boxer daft as me.

3yrs on and I am sitting here now listening to the comforting snores of my big adopted Strong Man Samson, Misha's soul mate, Ayden's best pal! Without BWS he wouldn't be in our lives, I wouldn't have had the joy of sharing re-home stories, the help advice and comfort when one of my babes is under the weather, the fun of joining in events, walks, fundraisers, making many good friends and last but not least actually seeing and helping BWS make that all important difference to those less fortunate dogs!!

Sounds a bit sentimental but I couldn't imagine not being a part of that now, not having BWS in my life, I love it!