Several animal ambulances in the Netherlands are struggling with a volunteer shortage, possibly because there is so much paid work to be found. Trizin Hof, who works for the DAR Dierenambulance Drenthe / IJsselland foundation, also sees this shortage. “But this is an essential profession,” he responds.
According to Hof, the volunteer shortages cause some animal ambulances to get into trouble when driving out for reports. “Then a notification comes, but no one is available to pick it up. That’s definitely not what we want, you don’t want to think that we have to sell no.” This is, for example, a huge problem during the nighttime hours, because then it is “always about emergency reports”.
Hof is also chairman of the Federation of Animal Ambulances Netherlands (FDN). The Dierenbescherming drives about thirty animal ambulances through the Netherlands, and there are also many other animal ambulance organisations. A large part of them is affiliated with the FDN.
He sees the reason for the low unemployment of today. “People who would normally volunteer on the sidelines can now get a well-paid job.”
Hof has been arguing for some time that animal ambulances should be officially recognized by politicians as the fourth branch of aid. He hopes that more people can then be hired. “We are still not taken seriously, that worries me. Acknowledge us, see us. We are already very skilled and professional.”