Around the clock volunteers in Guernsey are helping animals whether at the GSPCA or other animal charities.
Every single night of the year a volunteer helps ensure that at the GSPCA we can provide around the clock emergency cover.
The volunteers that make up this fantastic group come from all walks of the community and help ensure every night between 6pm until 8am the next someone can go out to rescue an animal in need.
Matt Hill-Smith and Jen Bradshaw are two of our volunteer wardens and help cover on average two nights a week.
Each night cover starts at 6pm and if any emergencies come in between then and 8am the next day it is our wonderful night wardens that respond.
The calls can range from stray dogs to baby birds, seal pups to horses in the road, injured pigeons to myxi bunnies, road traffic accident cats to a strimmer injured hedgehog.
Spring and Summer with the light evenings and early mornings are often the busiest times of year with all the young being born, on a late sunny summers night the wardens can often find themselves going from call to call rescuing animals in need.
Matt and Jen have been helping out for nearly two years at the GSPCA with covering Night Warden duties and all of the team really appreciate their time, caring nature and commitment to animal welfare.
Jen Bradshaw GSPCA Volunteer Night Warden said 'My partner and I have been wardening for the GSPCA for about two years.'
'We started when my dog that was originally from the shelter had to be put to sleep.'
'The staff were fantastic with me at the time and so we decided to give something back.'
'We do two nights a week and no two nights are the same.'
'Because we are emergency wardens, we often see things that aren't very nice, RTA cats, injured wildlife stray dogs and phone calls from the other emergency services.'
'However we see the nice side of things too, people being reunited with their dogs and cats, people who have found kittens and baby animals.'
'It's a very rewarding thing to do and for that reason we don't mind giving up our time to help with a much needed service.'
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said 'Our Volunteer Night Wardens are real stars and are invaluable in the operations of the GSPCA ensuring that we can provide 24/7 rescue response.'
'Like many of our wonderful volunteers at the GSPCA Matt and Jen don't just cover night wardening, but help in many other ways such as fund raising and Matt loves to help feed the baby birds we have in the Shelter when he is calling in with a rescued animal or bird.'
'We always have someone on the road and someone at the Shelter to ensure day or night we can help animals in need around Guernsey.'
'If ever you find a sick or injured animal out of hours you can call 01481 257261 and choose the emergency option or pop it up to the Shelter.'
'We have a web page full of advice on what to do if you have a sick or injured animal in Guernsey.'
'Our wardens have additional training as they can be faced with a broad range of situations and we always encourage those interested in this role to spend time helping at the Shelter to gain experience with rescued animals and birds.'
To visit our page on helping Guernsey Wildlife please click here.
Find out more on our warden service - please click here
There are many ways a business can get involved with the GSPCA and to find out how your business can get involved please click here.
To see more on volunteering please click here.
To visit the Guernsey Volunteers website please click here.
To view previous stories of our fantastic volunteers and staff -
Amazing People Doing Amazing Things for Animals in Guernsey - Results of the Staff Member & Volunteer of Summer 2013
GSPCA Masquerade Ball a wonderful evening and success at the St Pierre Park Hotel - Thank you to all involved
GSPCA Staff Member Yvonne from over 5000 nominations is a finalist at the Petplan & ADCH Animal Charity Awards 2014
Staff and Volunteer Awards Autumn Winter 2013/14
A night full of gratitude at the 131st AGM of the GSPCA days before our 141st year
Volunteers & Staff at the GSPCA Nominated for Spring Appreciation
Volunteers Week - Ferreting at the GSPCA - Meeting Hayley Malpas
Volunteers Week - Meeting helpful businesses - Thank you to Barclays - CSR with animals in Guernsey part 1
We have lots of animals in need of homes. Could you help us advertise them? To download a the posters please click here. or to share them on social media please click here.
To download a poster to advertise the Hedgehog Competition please click here.
To download a poster to advertise the Hedgehog Awareness Poster Competition please click here.
Create a GSPCA Awareness Poster for Hedgehogs
Age groups –
4 – 7 years old (infants)
7 – 11 years old (juniors)
Some ideas could include:
Watch out for hedgehogs on the road waking up from hibernation
Hedgehogs out in the day time could mean there is something wrong
Please put out clean drinking water for hedgehogs over the summer
Check for hedgehogs before cutting the lawn/grass
Discard of rubbish properly - especially netting/wires
Make sure your swimming pool/pond is easily escapable
Do not put slug pellets down as they are poisonous
Don't touch a nest until sure you need to intervene
Cut holes in fence bottoms to allow hedgehogs to pass through gardens
Watch your dogs around hedgehogs- either one could get hurt
Other points to add:
Phone GSPCA for advice/emergency: 01481 257261
Advice on the GSPCA Webpage- www.gspca.org.gg
BE AS CREATIVE AS YOU LIKE!
Prizes for the top 3 in each age group.
Send your posters with your name, age, contact number and school on the back to [email protected] or to the Shelter at
Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Rue du Truchots
St Andrews
Guernsey, Channel Islands
GY6 8UD
Closing date 6/6/14. Winners will be announced on the 13/6/14
Build a Hedgehog House
2014 Competition
Design and build a hedgehog house to be used in your own or friends garden!
There are two age group categories:
7 to 11 years (Junior age)
11 to 16 years (secondary age)
The top three from each group will be contacted to be judged and there are PRIZES for the top 3 designs in each group!
The house structure must be:
- Waterproof
- Big enough to make a nest
- Safe from predators
- Camouflaged
What could you use to build the house?
- Logs
- Old plastic box
- Bricks
- Wood
- Pots
- Anything else - Be as creative as you like!
Try the internet and our website for more inspiration!
www.gspca.org.gg
Last thing to do is take a beautiful photograph then email it to us along with your age, full name and contact number to:
[email protected]
Closing date 6/6/14. Winners will be announced on the 13/6/14
Good luck and have fun!
Please be careful when building your hog houses
Work with an adult to put it together as you may need to use grown-up tools
We currently have two stunning cats called Trio and Trouble needing operations. To donate to help them please click on this link www.justgiving.com/Gspca-Trio-and-Trouble, call 01481 257261, by post or popping into the Shelter.
GSPCA, Rue des Truchots, St Andrews, Guernsey, GY6 8UD
To find out about our Events, how to become a Member, Sponsor an Animal Pen, our Wish List, Corporate Sponsorship & Volunteering, , our New Build & Redevelopment Appeal and much more please click here.
To find out about GSPCA training and courses at the Shelter please click here.
There are many ways to support the work of the GSPCA and you can even donate online by clicking the paypal link below.
Have you liked us on facebook yet or joined us on twitter?
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