Volunteering in an animal welfare project in Hungary

Your tasks

Depending on the number of volunteers, you will work in one to five teams. Each team specialises in a specific area. For example, one team might look after the dogs one day, while another team is responsible for training the animals in the sanctuary. Tasks are rotated within the teams every day, and as there are five working days in the week, you will have the opportunity to try out all the different activities during your week. For your own safety, you will always work in a team; no one works alone with the animals. However, some tasks, such as cleaning the animal kitchen or preparing food, must be done alone from time to time.

A typical day

Your day starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. There is an hour's lunch break and two short breaks, one at ten o'clock in the morning and one at three o'clock in the afternoon. It is very important that you remove earrings, piercings, rings, etc. before starting work and leave them in the volunteer house, because the animals like to play with bling-bling and this can end up being extremely painful for you.

Location and leisure time

The administrative centre of the Baranya region is Pécs. This city has existed since Roman times and has been a World Heritage Site since 2000. A cemetery of early Christians was found near the cathedral. The first Hungarian university was also founded in this region. The protected area is located in a very rural area in a village. Here you can go hiking, for example, thanks to the hiking trails in the surrounding area. There is a shop in the village where you can buy everyday items.
In the Baranya region, you can relax in a spa, visit a wine-growing region and castles, stroll through chestnut forests or attend summer festivals and carnival in Mohács. The largest city in the area, Pécs, is half an hour away and offers restaurants, bars, cinemas and shopping centres, among other things.