to expect people NOT to be blantantly rude to me when I am offering myself as a volunteer for them?

[hereidrawtheline]

This is my first foray into AIBU as I cant stand a flaming! But I am really wanting to ask this question.

I am applying at all the vets I can commute to as a student nurse as I want to train to become a qualified veterinary nurse. Its really hard to get a job as a student nurse at the moment so I have (to date) had 7 very kind letters saying "no positions available but will keep your letter on file and best of luck etc"

I am joining the BVNA to help in my search, at a cost of £35 which I am more than happy to do - I am just saying this to point out I am just trying everything I can think of to get into this career.

Anyway I got the idea to phone the people who sent me these nice letters and say in a totally friendly no-pressure way that I appreciate they havent got any staff vacancies, but could they do with using me as a volunteer? This is just so I can get experience "working" in a surgery and have something to put on my CV and start to make contacts in the animal world. And in return I am happy to clean out shit, feed, walk, mop, sweep, file, you name it I will do it if it is at a vets!

So much to my surprise 3 people I have phoned today have been blatantly rude - one even almost hanging up on me, talking over me saying "no thank you we arent interested" when I had only got to the point of saying "I am just phoning regarding a letter she sent me" (from asking for this person from the receptionist) All I had done was ask for the Head Nurse by name and give my name when asked who was calling. What the fuck? And by the way I dont bloody sound like I am coming from a calling centre!

The other 2 people were just very very rude and saying "no we HAVENT any jobs available at the moment" totally not listening that I wasnt asking for a job I was asking to mop their floors for nothing. I would never be so rude as to phone a job up and pester them if they had sent me a letter saying there were no vacancies!! When I clarified saying (again) I wasnt after a job but wanted to volunteer they just sounded angry still and said "well no we dont need you" and then instantly got off the phone.

Now before you go thinking its all me and I smell or something, I am a perfectly normal friendly person who gets on with almost everyone! I really just dont get it.

Saying no to a volunteer is fine! but surely you can do it nicely and not shout someone down before they have even finished speaking? It isnt as if I expect gratitude I bloody dont but common courtesy, yes I must admit I did expect that.

Try going through your local CVS. Perhaps they can set you up with an animal charity that is actively seeking volunteers?

And no, YANBU, it's a great shame that your initiative is being met with such rudeness.

YANBU and had every right to ask to speak to someone higher up (not that a receptionist is lower but with these types they deserve to get a taste of their own).
If she can't be polite when dealing with a reasonable request from a member of the public maybe she could be put on dog poo duty instead? Suggest this next time. Hope you get something good soon!

Thank you Gentle, I am sorry I dont know what the CVS is I just googled and didnt get anything that looked plausible. hmm

Charity Volunteer Services? hang on will google that. No, that didnt come up with anything either. Sorry if I am being really thick!

Well to continue the issue I phoned the head office of RSPCA (as advised by their info line) to enquire about jobs & volunteer jobs, they gave me the number of my local regional office which co-ordinates all the RSPCA work in this area. So I called it and was met with a very stunned and abrupt "no we dont need anyone" (this before I said exactly what I was looking for... so the RSPCA doesnt need any volunteers or employees at any of the South East?) without being rude I asked the woman (there is a whole other story attached to her but it isnt relevant here however because I waffle I shall say - I recognised her voice and name as the woman who ages ago I took 2 rabbits from - she was breeding them to sell on which is very unRSPCA - she worked for RSPCA at the time, they referred me to her as a fosterer to get a rescue rabbit from, when I went there she 'confided' in me that the two I had chosen had been bred by her intentionally before the parents were neutered.)

Anyway, I said, "oh, really, you dont need anyone in this whole part of the country for anything?" and she then said "oh well I dont know this is just the charity shop" LOL so I said, oh alright thank you, but the RSPCA gave me your number as the Regional Office for East of England!

So I phoned RSPCA up (they were all absolutely lovely by the way) and spoke to another really nice lady. I explained to her what happened and she confirmed it was indeed the Regional Office number so but at any rate she is going to tomorrow contact all their places herself and ask if they want me for anything which is very helpful as the RSPCA centre nearest me have a policy of not answering the phone and taking up to 14 days to reply to emails so she will get to them a hell of a lot quicker than I could. Anyway then she is calling me back with any information she finds.

In the meantime tonight I am looking at wildlife hospitals and shelters/rescues in the area as well. I am not discouraged at all just happy I know if I keep plugging away I will get there and I know it is the right career for me so I am not worried.

hereidrawtheline there is a volunteer website called do-it.org.uk which links you up with organisations in your area. I'm sure they have a section on there for people wanting to work with animals.

Also The Blue Cross, and PDSA ?

oh thank you! I will go on all their sites tonight!

I think Gentle might have meant CSV. Here

Have you tried volunteering at local kennels or catteries to show experience with working with animals? Picking up poo, cleaning kennels or moving the animals around should stand you in good stead and wouldn't be too dissimilar to working in a vet surgery .

I don't know if this would be the right area for you or not, but the Wood Green Animal Shelter says on its website that it welcomes volunteers:

Wood Green volunteers

Oops sorry hereidrawtheline! Hassled is right, I meant CSV.

Good luck with the RSPCA.

Another thought - any private boarding kennels near you? Kennel hands get lots of animal experience and a smidge of payment!

thank you catsmother, they look great but are too far away from me. I will do the kennel thing as well next if the animal hospital/sanctuary/rspca dont want me as I am already dealing with them tomorrow.

That CSV site looks really helpful too! MN is an ever reliable source of information!

Volunteers at animal shelters are normally co-ordinated from the shelter itself. They are normally extremely welcoming, especially if you can come during the week and you are happy with cleaning/poo shovelling.

If you have big animal experience, riding stables might be another avenue to try as well.

YANBU to follow up your letters with a phone call. It shows that you're keen and have initiative. Chalk it up to experience and move on - the receptionists were probably busy and didn't know how to deal with your request.

you stick with it, drawtheline. It is very very hard trying to get a little bit of experience in an area that interests you when you have no connections to get a foot in the door.

Stick with it, pester as many people as possible and you will get something eventually. Good luck.

thanks I know it will work out I am determined not to let it go.

Funnily enough I had to take one of my cats to the vet today! He came in (again) with blood on him - I was furious as this same cat keeps attacking him, this cat is truly something out of a Stephen King novel and not neutered and very aggressive, has attacked me, DH, and both cats many times. Anyway we came to an agreement a couple of weeks ago with his owners that they would let him out from 5 onwards and our cats could go out in the day. So Yang went out this morning and 30 mins later came back with blood on his neck and I was furious as this was his "shift" to go out. Anyway we rushed him to the vets after I cleaned him up a bit and gave him some metacam we keep around as he is very accident prone. They had to shave him as he is very long haired (pic in my profile from when he was shot, yes it is the same poor cat) anyway turned out when they shaved him to see the wound there wasnt one. but some poor pigeon in my vicinity is no more for which I am truly sorry.

Its very strange though because Yang is old, and slow, and goofy, and totally hopeless in all things, and we have had him since he was a baby. To date he has never managed to catch anything at all so I must admit I wonder if he just found the poor thing and tried to have a nibble [boak] because I really think every single pigeon within 100 miles is far quicker than him. Anyway I was suitably ashamed for thinking neighbouring cat had been let out on our cats shift.

I am just looking forward to the next chance to sit down and work away at finding a job! I guess a lot of places will be closed at the weekend but I will see if I can find ones who arent for me to enquire with.

just to give you an idea of Yang's general baby helplessness, when you put a cat sweet on the floor in front of him you have to guide him with his body to get him right in front of it! So it is literally under his nose. But he isnt blind or any other physical problems he is just constantly off with the fairies.