Welcome to Shelter Help, our section dedicated to helping animal shelters, workers and volunteers.

Animal sheltering is a demanding and challenging area in which to work. For the uninitiated, the breadth of skills needed to do this work successfully may come as a surprise. Staff and volunteers require knowledge and understanding of animal behaviour, health, nutrition, hygiene, safe and defensive handling, matching animals with new homes and great people skills, to name but a few. All too often shelters find it difficult to teach their staff the requisite skills. This is where Talking Dogs can help.

Talking Dogs is driven by a desire to provide practical skills and support to animal shelters. By combining behavioural and training skills with the practicalities and challenges of shelter environments, Pam Mackinnon has learned how to adapt and maximise the benefits she offers. As such, Talking Dogs can help shelters save time and resources by passing on these skills, thus improving the lot of shelter animals, shelter workers, and the public. Talking Dogs delivers practical, skills-based knowledge that is pre-adapted for shelters. Having worked in this challenging environment, Pam brings first-hand knowledge of the difficulties and joys of working in animal shelters.

Clients include Dumfries & Galloway Canine Rescue Centre, RSPCA Millbrook, RSPCA Radcliff-on-Trent, Worcester Animal Rescue Centre, Friends of Animals League and National Animal Welfare Trust. Popular course topics range from safe and defensive handling, canine body language and dog assessment to customer service, post-rehoming support and volunteer training.

Talking Dogs can design courses that specifically address your needs. If you would like to arrange a tailor-made course for your shelter, please contact Pam Mackinnon on 01733 204118 or by email from the contact page.

Click here for details on the Canine Carer Certifcate