Some people vacation at full speed, packing their schedules with tours and activities, restaurants and museums. And while those folks get to do and see a lot during their allotted vacation time, I find that style of travel to be incredibly exhausting. What’s more, when my vacations are filled with activity, I find it hard to even remember the experience after the trip.
Instead, I like to plant myself in one spot and really “soak up” the community. To take my time exploring, allowing for down time to relax and strike up conversations with people I meet along the way. Over the past several years, I began craving a non-traditional vacation experience. What if my husband and I stayed in one place long enough to temporarily become part of the community? To make connections and engage like a local rather than a tourist. What would that look like?
Pictured here from left to right: Mable, Kringle and me, Finn.
Sadly, we said goodbye to our dog Chops a year ago. When Chops and her sister Shiloh were in the final year of their lives, they needed a lot of care, and staying home with them became a priority over travel. Now that it’s just the two of us again, my husband and I have the freedom to explore.
We chose Anchorage, Alaska as our first non-traditional vacation and are blessed to be spending a full month here. My husband works remotely during the day, and I spend my time volunteering at the local animal shelter. We explore on evenings and weekends, and even enjoyed a few days in Homer, several hours from the Anchorage area.
I love hiking around Taku Lake and the surrounding nature trails with Kringle!
Volunteering in Anchorage
Before arriving, I worried that the animal shelter wouldn’t want to go through the process of training me since I was only going to be there short-term. In my area of Washington state, most shelters ask for at least a six-month commitment because of the staff time involved in on-boarding new volunteers. Thankfully, the Alaska SPCA welcomed me with open arms! I completed their online training in advance so I could hit the ground running as soon as I arrived. The entire experience has been incredible, and I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity.
I had originally planned to volunteer three or four days a week, but I find myself there almost every day because I love it so much. When my husband has free time, he joins me in taking a dog on a hike.
This little kitten was adopted right after we had time playing together.
Alaska SPCA is a small non-profit in Anchorage that has an adoption center, vet clinic and resource center for families in need. My involvement has been with the adoption center, where dogs and cats receive lots of love and care until their forever families can be found. Some of the animals have been surrendered by people who live in the area, but many of the dogs have come from remote villages in Alaska where they were found as strays. The dogs are flown into Anchorage so Alaska SPCA can provide care.
Every day is slightly different, but most of the time when I volunteer, I first chat with staff to see which dogs are priorities for me to take out. The staff do a fantastic job getting each dog out at least a couple of times a day for potty breaks and play time in the fenced yard. They also incorporate enrichment activities, such as nosework and chewing opportunities, when they can. But the staff rely on volunteers to take the dogs on walks away from the shelter since staff need to stay on-site.
I start every walk in the SPCA’s “Couch and Cuddle Room,” a small room with dog toys, treats, and a couch for hanging out. I let the dog burn off a little energy and play with some toys or snuggle for a bit before we head out on our walk. Once they’re ready, I slip the harness on and we’re off! If the dog is new to me, they’re reactive to other dogs, or when I just want to get a lot of dogs out in a short amount of time, I walk around the shelter’s neighborhood. But when I can, I like to go to a local park. Anchorage has a fantastic parks system with trails connecting for miles.
Walking a dog at the park helps expose them to bicycles, children, other dogs, people and wildlife. It allows me to see how they respond in those situations, so the shelter can say with confidence that the dog interacts well with other dogs, as an example. Plus, getting out in the community is excellent exposure, letting people know that the dog is available for adoption. And of course, the best benefit of hiking in the park is how enjoyable it is for the dogs (and for me)! The dogs get physical exercise and loads of mental stimulation while on the trails. I think that hiking is one of the best activities we can offer to help reduce the stress of staying at the shelter.
Such a lover, Sprites enjoys strolls through the park and lots of snuggles! He’s now part of a family with three kids and is having a blast!
My primary focus is on the dogs because they need my attention more than the cats. But I still enjoy playing with the kitties when I have extra time. During my volunteer stint, I’ve also helped by photographing animals and crafting profile blurbs to help promote the pets on the website and social media.
I know that I’m very blessed to be in a position where I can live in Alaska for a month and spend all my time volunteering with animals. Not everyone has this freedom. But I will say, if you have the opportunity to spend at least part of your vacation time volunteering, you’ll enjoy a rich and meaningful experience that greatly enhances the traditional tourist vacation. As beautiful as Alaska is, and as much as I have enjoyed exploring the area, what has really made this trip a special experience is my time spent volunteering. I wish there was a portal connecting Washington and Alaska so I could continue volunteering for the Alaska SPCA! They are phenomenal!
Sammy is sweet and independent. Once she settles into her tower, she doesn’t want to come out!
Other Volunteer Vacay Opportunities
Do you know of specific organizations that welcome visitors to spend some of their time volunteering? Share them with us! Have you participated in a volunteer vacation? Tell us about your experience! I haven’t done it yet, but next time I’m in Maui, I really want to participate in the Maui Humane Society’s Dog on Demand program where you can sign up to take a shelter dog on a hike while you’re visiting the island.
In fact, if you’re interested in visiting any of the Hawaiian islands, check out the Kanu Hawaii website for a list of upcoming volunteer opportunities, including restoring forests by removing invasives and planting native plants, collecting trash, and sorting and packing food donations for the food bank.
The Washington Trails Association hosts work parties where volunteers maintain, or in some cases create or repair, trails across the state.
Some days I enjoyed walking with a fellow volunteer, also named Laura. Here she is with Ace by the lake.
If you do a Google search for “volunteer on vacation” or something similar, you’ll see countless businesses that are capitalizing on this voluntourism idea. Since I haven’t participated in any trips led by these groups, I honestly can’t recommend or discourage someone from partnering with them. However, I am wary about businesses like this for a number of reasons. Mostly, I’m concerned that many of these trips are created as a “feel good” money maker that, in reality, aren’t actually helping the community you’re meant to serve. Instead, these trips feed the idea that “we” are coming in to “save the day.” I’m sure there are some legitimately good options out there that provide opportunities to partner with local organizations and really make a difference. Do your homework. If possible, try to work directly with the organization to better understand their needs and how you might be able to help during the time you have available.
Keep in mind that getting a new volunteer started can, in some cases, require a lot of staff time, particularly if safety is a major consideration. As a volunteer, you might be expected to complete training before you can begin work. As an example, for my volunteer position at Alaska SPCA, I completed an online course that focuses on understanding animal body language and ways to interact with animals in a fear free manner, particularly considering the stresses they experience in a shelter environment. I didn’t track my time, but I’d estimate that it took me twelve hours to complete the training. This was lengthier than most volunteer trainings I have participated in, but the information gained was invaluable! No matter what, remember that you’re there to help! I have been walking dogs because that’s where the shelter needs me, but I would have been happy to scoop litter boxes and do laundry if that’s what would have been most helpful.
