Responding to Challenging Members of Public

By the very nature of our volunteering duties we are often confronted by members of the public who may be:

• Frightened – “There’s a snake in my yard”
• Upset – “I have just hit a wallaby with my car on the way home from work”
• Frustrated – “No one has arrived yet”
• Annoyed – “The bandicoots are digging up my yard”

Whilst we should always have respect and empathy for members of our community and attempt to resolve their enquiries we will not be able please everyone. At no time are you, as a WIRES volunteer expected to deal with verbal abuse, nor feel threatened or intimidated. If you do experience a situation like this, it should be reported to the WIRES Rescue Office as soon as possible.

It is also worth mentioning that in this technological age, members of public often may want to take photos/videos of rescues. It is best for both you and the animal if all members of public are politely asked to leave the rescue site to allow you to focus on the rescue. An excited member of public in close proximity can present further stressors to a distressed animal and a distraction to you.