Volunteers form a firm friendship thanks to a love of dogs
A HUGE round of ‘appaws’ to the 62 wonderful volunteers who help support homeless hounds at Glasgow by giving more than 620 hours of their time each month.
As the UK celebrates the invaluable difference that volunteers make during National Volunteers’ Week – from 1st to 7th June 2026 – three Dogs Trust Glasgow volunteers are sharing their story of a firm friendship forged thanks to a love of dogs.
Liz McDonald, from Mount Vernon, Jeannette Boland, from Cumbernauld and Lynn Moffat, from Uddingston, who are all in their 60’s, met when they began volunteering at Dogs Trust Glasgow three years ago.
The common thread in their fulfilling friendship is their joy in helping the “amazing” homeless hounds, the reward it brings, and the thrill of having gained friends for life along the way.
Volunteering at Dogs Trust is a pure buzz. I can’t believe three years have passed already. Time flies when you’re having fun with friends.
Jeannette, Volunteer
Liz McDonald, age 66, said: "Jeannette and I started volunteering on the same day. Soon afterwards, we met Lynn, and we have been good friends ever since. It’s great working together, whether on the day-to-day tasks or helping at a fundraising event at the rehoming centre. We always have a laugh. Together with the support and help from everyone at the centre, it's a great team to be a part of, and the dogs are amazing.”
Jeannette Boland, age 62, said: "Liz and I met on our volunteer induction course, and we soon realised that we had both worked for the same company for over 30 years, although we didn’t know each other. It wasn’t long before we met Lynn, and we have enjoyed our Dogs Trust journey together ever since. We are a similar age, we all love dogs, and we get on great. Volunteering at Dogs Trust is a pure buzz. I can’t believe three years have passed already. Time flies when you’re having fun with friends.”
Lynn Moffat, age 62, said: “Volunteering at Dogs Trust is such a rewarding thing to do. You get to meet some amazing dogs, and better still, see them go to their forever homes. It’s also a great opportunity to meet other volunteers and form fantastic friendships. Jeannette and I volunteer on the same day. We discovered that, as well as loving dogs, we both love walking, so we now meet up to climb hills together, which is wonderful.”
Volunteer for us
Fabulous volunteers, including Liz, Jeannette and Lynn, give more than 620 hours of their time every month – helping with all manner of tasks, including walking four-legged friends, gardening, making sure the pooches have clean beds, and fundraising. There really is no end to their dedication and talents in support of the daily work at the Glasgow rehoming centre.
Nationally, we have over 3,600 volunteers who play a vital role in helping the charity care for over 11,000 dogs every year. Volunteering is one of the best ways to support rescue dogs, and there is every breed of opportunity to get involved to match all manner of interests and skillsets.
To find out more about volunteering check out our roles and current vacancies.
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