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Host rating
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12 Apr 2024
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Details
Description
Our wolf-dog sanctuary is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, where grey wolves once roamed free. We rescue wolf-dogs from euthanasia and provide them with a semi-natural environment where they can chase each other and run at full speed, climb atop their house to survey their territory, and nap under the shade trees. We need help to care for our resident animals and to keep their enclosures and the facilities maintained. Fundraising is needed as we rely solely on donations to fund our sanctuary operations, and experience with a nonprofit is helpful, and experience with large canids is also helpful.
All of our wolf-dogs were formerly someone's pets. Part of our mission is to educate the public about responsible care of wolf-dogs as pets to reduce the number of abandoned and neglected wolf-dogs, and to discourage people from having them as pets. We are not open to the public, but we offer private tours by appointment, and we need volunteers to lead these tours. (We require English as your first language in order to be able to lead the tours). Tours are a great way to increase our educational outreach.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will learn about wolf-dogs who are a misunderstood and wrongly feared animal, about their behaviors and why they do not make good pets. You will learn about running a nonprofit organization and fundraising. You will be able to explore the local area on your time off, which includes the Great Smoky Mountains as well as Knoxville. Please Note: We are located in a rural area and there is no public transportation nearby.
Help
We are a small nonprofit organization run mostly by volunteers. We need help with animal care, socialization, grounds and facilities maintenance, marketing, fundraising and general office work. Experience with large mammals/canids is preferred but not required. Wolf-dogs are naturally fearful of humans, and for this reason, we request stays of 3 months+ to give the animals time to get to know you and be comfortable around you. This will help us accomplish animal care tasks such as scooping poop, mowing and weed-eating, as well as husbandry tasks such as brushing, nail trims, socialization, leash walks.
The daily schedule will vary, but the animals need to be given fresh water and food daily. Weekly enclosure cleanings and maintenance including mowing and weed-eating in warmer months. Some errands need to be run, and a drivers license is necessary. Correspondence with donors such as sending Thank You's and newsletters. Experience w/ fundraising and/or office work including marketing, social media & website updates would be helpful, as well as general administrative experience with Word, Excel, etc.
Other responsibilities and will include cleaning the Visitors Center where Workawayer is housed (Must keep kitchen, bathroom and main areas clean at all times).
We are not open to the public but we offer private tours by appointment. Workawayer will learn about our sanctuary and our resident wolf-dogs in order to effectively lead the tours and engage with visitors while providing them with education about wolf-dogs.
Must be self-motivated and be able to work independently. Must be ok with living by yourself (The housing is located in the Visitors Center, and is not located in a private residence). Must be ok with handling raw meat and getting your hands dirty. Must be ok with living in a remote area. Listening to the occasional howling of our wolf-dogs is a bonus! We are located on Douglas Lake which you can enjoy on your day off, and we are near Great Smoky National Park where there is an abundance of outdoor activities.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Bedroom with full-size mattress, full bathroom and full kitchen. 1-2 adult persons. No smoking on the property. No pets. No children.
What else ...
Located in foothills of the Great Smoky Mtns near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge - lots of outdoor activities nearby. We are located in a rural area of TN approx. 15 mins to local town of Dandridge, 1 hour drive to Knoxville, 45 min drive to Pigeon Forge, 1.5 hrs drive to Asheville, NC.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Smaller campervans are possible, with prior approval from Director. Electricity and water may not be available.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week
