Does anyone know/have any experience in volunteering work here (in english)? I have a good job and everythings is fine with life, but I still feel something is 'missing' and would like to take some time out in the evenings/weekends to work in animal shelters/teaching kids (english) without pay. The problem is my german is not fluent and Switzerland being what it is, with 'laws' ad nauseum, I dont know if anyone would take me in as a volunteer.

Would be nice to hear if anyone has had any experience in volunteering out there?

Sorry to be negative:

Before SWMBO got a job, she looked at volunteer work.
Without fail, fluent German was needed.
Which we effectively read as "fluent Swiss German".

You offer to help, for free, and still you're not good enough...

Good for you!

Most of the Tierheim (animal shelters) are desperate for volunteer help, especially during the holiday season when so many pets are dumped.

You don't need fluent German - just enough to call your local shelter and vounteer for 'Gassigehen' (dog walking) - I'm sure you will be welcomed.

Also, rescue groups working outside of Switzerland are in dire need - fundraising, transport, training, fostering, general organizational skills are needed... with most of these organizations English will be no problem.

Do you have a particular interest (dogs/cats/rabbits/horses, etc.), or are you limited to a specific area?

Hmmm...just as I had suspected...I guess I just have to look somewhere where I dont need to open my mouth then (or work with animals who dont care)!

Thx meloncollie, this does raise my hopes! I do love dogs in particular, but it doesnt matter, cant stand it when ANY animal is mistreated, so I guess I am open to working in any kind of animal shelter.

Off the top of my head, why not try the following?

In Winkel, just out of the city:

http://www.tierrettung.ch


Tierheim Winkel (near the Zürich airport)

http://www.tierambulanz-verein.ch/Gassigehen.htm


Near-ish Bhf Oerlikon:

http://www.tierheim-surber.ch/


A good group in Valais needing help, just in case you find your way there sometime:

http://www.lvpa.ch/refuge/refuge.htm

In the Basel area:

http://www.tierschutzbund.ch/assets/...schutzbund.ch/


A Swiss group helping dogs in Italy:

http://www.tierhilfe-italien.ch/Home.htm


Other rescue group helping dogs here and from other countries:

http://www.sos-strassenhunde.ch/

http://www.hundehilfe.ch/phpwcms/index.php?home

http://www.tierschutzbund-innerschwe...rmittlung.html

http://www.tiere-in-spanien.de/

http://www.tierschutzengel.de


And, a few groups close to my own heart:

http://collies-suchen-ein-zuhause.de/

http://www.sheltie-in-not.de

http://www.collie-in-not.de/

http://sos-colley.forumactif.com/


Also, to find other Tierheim in your area take a look at :

http://www.tierschutz.ch

This is the national homeless animal database. You can do a search by canton, and under the individual animal listing click on 'Anbieter' to find the contact details of shelters - just give one near you a call and offer to help.

Edited to add:

http://www.oasis-des-veterans.com/index2.html

This is a group primarily in the French-speaking part of Switzerland who specialize in helping older dogs - they also work with rescues in France and Italy.

Good luck in your search...

Wow. Thanks a lot, meloncollie. I did look up some of the links and I am going to call up some of the numbers to find out if I can volunteer (taking the dogs out for a walk would be a good start).

Thanks a lot!

Thanks as well.

I'll pass this to the better half in case she ever fancies a career change.

I'm interested in volunteering, perhaps for a cat shelter, and preferably with the animals (I don't speak a great deal of german either, but I love cats!)

If someone could point me in the direction of any cat rescue centres near central Zurich (and any advice on what to ask for/about in german) that would be very much appreciated.

Vix

A quick internet search resulted in many demands for volunteers who can walk shelter dogs. I've found nothing about cats, they probably have other needs than dogs and are mostly in the hands of professionals... I don't think the language barrier is much of a problem if you know basic German - The Swiss German of dogs isn't accent free either, everything sounds like bark, bark, bark to me.

Hi everyone, I am looking to find a similar shelter for dogs in the Thun-Bern area. If anyone has any contact information or websites for this it would be of great help.
Cheers.

The bigest animal shelter of the canton is in Oberbottigen, a good 30km from Thun... They don't mention that they search volunteers for walking the dogs or helping in the shelter, but you could ask them by mail (info@bernertierschutz.ch) if there is need for some helpers.

The canton's animal protection club also maintains a list of volunteers who are ready to look after the pets of those who have to can't look after them short-term (because of vacation, hospital stays etc.) for no or little compensation. The registration form is on the website.

Hello does anybody know any places where I can do community service (e.g. helping out at an animal shelter,the homeless,a soup kitchen,the elderly,orphans,handicapped etc) in the Bern area?

Welcome to the Forum.

I'm sure someone has asked this before - perhaps not for Berne, but there's is probably some info on here somewhere.

Have a go a searching for likely words - voluntary etc. and see what comes up.

Good luck.

Why don't you try in Kanton Police of Bern ?

They can give you some guides (I guess).

I went to two different Gemeinde offices and at first they thought I was looking for a paid job but overall both seemed quite flabbergasted by the idea of community service, as if they'd never heard of it before! I also went to the Senior Citizen Home near where I live but they refused me on the grounds of my not being able to speak Swiss German. (they too thought I wanted a paid-job).

Is community service not a common practice in Switzerland?

OP, I've sent you a PM containing a search link.

No, it isn't. But usually it is rather organised by private organisations and not by the public administration, prolly the reason why they were a bit stunned.

You could try to contact these people:

http://www.benevolbern.ch/


Not speaking swiss german may make things a bit more complicated though.

Or you could drive too quickly, receive a huge fine then take the community service option instead. My Husband had great funs spending two weekends peeling potatoes in an old folks home ;-)

Unsure of Berne, but in many Gemeindes / Stadts in Canton Zurich, there are special programmes under Asyl Koordination / Sozialdienste departments that a person with elementary German and perhaps with English can contribute to.

Such programmes are run by private organisations with support of both departments and deal with asylum seekers, refugee integration ( teach them IT literacy, job hunting etc. ) as well as assisting the youth groups and perhaps one can also be an observer in classes ( e.g. First Aid courses offered by the Samariterverein ) and then volunteer subsequently as the level of German increases.