At the beginning of 2021 we started to set up our FinnDomingo volunteer service. The preparations lasted three months, and our first young volunteer worked for another quarter in the animal rescue station of our Chilean partner organization Refugio Patitas Sin Hogar. She did fine. Very fine. When the head of the station fell seriously ill she even “run the shop” alone for a while.
She would have loved to have stayed longer, and the Shelter people would have loved to keep her there forever, but the pandemic and the start of her studies in Germany limited her stay. All in all, this pilot project was a complete success and a wonderful experience for everyone involved.
We want to build on that this year and are planning a new volunteer assignment for November 2022, which of course also requires months of careful preparation. This time we would like to send a young veterinarian on the trip, which means that the focus will then be on helping with the castration campaigns and the veterinary care of the rescued animals at our currently seven partner associations in the Greater Concepción and in the Región del Bío Bío.
We do not yet know whether FinnDomingo will by then be recognized by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as the supporting organization for the International Youth Volunteer Service, the application process is very complex and lengthy. So: keep your fingers crossed!