Volunteer with us
An experience to remember
We need volunteers all year and we DON'T charge you
Want to leave the beaten track and have a very different travelling experience in Thailand? If so volunteer at Headrock Dogs Rescue where the dogs are free to roam in our large compound. You'll be part of a team who works tirelessly to improve the lives of abused and neglected animals in Bangsaphan's vast district covering 800sq km. It'll be a life-changing experience you will never forget!
Putting in time and effort while not asking for anything in return is a surefire way to feel great about yourself. By contributing to the solution you'll love the work you'll be doing. Forget all your problems and live in the here and now surrounded by waggy tails. What more could you ask for?! Even better you'll be on some of the beautiful unspoilt beaches of Bangsaphan.
Owned and run by a Thai and UK husband and wife team for the past 16 years, we've been working tirelessly to improve animal welfare in our district. When you volunteer with us we'll ask you to join in our endless hands-on work to improve the lives of stray and rescued animals.
We are always grateful for dog-loving volunteers who are willing to dedicate their vacation helping our rescue dogs and puppies. We always give our heartfelt thanks to volunteers who sponsor their favourite dog.
If you have any special animal care skills we would especially love to welcome you. Your knowledge would be put to great use for our special needs dogs.
No less than 10 days
We cannot accept volunteers for less than 10 days, this is because we invest a lot of time in helping you to get to know our dogs and teaching you our daily routine. There is a lot of hands-on work with the dogs and they must feel confident with new volunteers.
you will undoubtedly feel proud of your accomplishments with our dogs after experiencing the many facets of animal care you have given them.
Besides, you wouldn't want to leave before you have got to know all our beautiful dogs, would you?
How to get to us
Bang Saphan is at the beginning of the South of Thailand. From the north the best form of transport is by train. Thai trains rarely run on schedule so bear this in mind! Find train times online 2023. We recommend planning a daytime arrival as transportation late at night can be challenging. Bangsaphan has no taxi service late at night.
If you want to come by bus the journey is quite arduous and not advisable. The Southern bus terminal is far out of central Bangkok and taxis can be expensive. The arrival time in Bang Saphan is often very late and the bus does not take you into the town which is about 15 km from the dropping-off point. There may be motorbike taxis still around but this is not ideal if you have heavy luggage, and you may have difficulty finding a place to stay for the night.
Where to stay
There are a number of beach bungalows in the 'Suan Luang' area and a few beach bars and restaurants. Prices have increased considerably since Covid and they now range from 500-1,000bht per night.
These bungalows are located about a 30-minute walk along the beach or a short motorbike journey to our Healing Centre. We recommend renting a motorbike as there are no taxis in the area and walking back in the midday heat after a morning volunteering can be challenging. You can rent a motorbike at the bungalow or Why Not beach bar.
If you wish to stay in the Mae Rumpeung beach area on the other side of town about 5km from us, you will need to hire a motorbike.
What to wear
We ask volunteers to wear suitable dog proof clothes which will protect you against scratches when they jump up for a cuddle.
No skimpy shorts and tops please… that attire is for the beach. Strong shoes and in the rainy season you will need a pair of boots. These can be bought in the local market.
A must is a hat to protect you from the sun. Please keep your nails shortish so you don’t scratch the dogs and only essential jewellery.
What to expect
We ask volunteers to work every morning from 8.30 am until 1 pm and a full day finishing at 5 pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Lunch will be organised on these days. If volunteers want to work the whole day every day to help our staff we'd be very happy. There's always lots to do.
You will hear the dogs before you arrive at the small entrance to the centre. There you will see a large group wagging their tails waiting for you. Don’t be nervous they will bark at first but that will soon turn to want to sniff you and make friends. Walk in and sit down on the nearest doggy bed and they will come and jump up on the bed beside you.
The shy dogs will take a little longer to feel confident enough to come up to you which is normal so please take it slowly with them. During the first day, we ask you to take time to get to know the dogs and them to know you. You will be doing a lot of ‘hands-on’ work with them so bonding is very important. This is great because you get to cuddle the dogs all day!
YOUNG / SOLO VOLUNTEERS PLEASE NOTE
Bang Saphan is a beautiful paradise but it is not a tourist town and is extremely quiet with mostly retiree ex-pats. We strongly recommend younger volunteers come with a friend for company and we ask you to consider this when committing to volunteer for a minimum of 10 days.
Please read the thoughts of past volunteers to hear about their experiences.
What you will do
The first couple of days you will concentrate on making friends with the dogs and doing general cleaning. There'll be lots to do each day. Pens need to be cleaned, eating areas need to be swept , dog beds and bowls need to be washed and the kitchen area needs to be kept clean too.
We give a lot of dogs vitamins in rice with fish. This task is quite time consuming so once you feel confident with the dogs we’ll ask you to help. We will get you to join us in treating the dogs with bad skin conditions. Brushing and shampooing will also be a major activity.
And of course, you'll be doing lots of cuddling and socialising with the dogs.
