Volunteer with rescued and abandoned dogs in Cusco, Peru, on a programme run by Globalteer, a registered UK and Peruvian charity. You'll spend weekday mornings (about 8.30am to 12.30pm) at dog shelters supported by our PAWS veterinary team, with your afternoons free to explore. Spanish and salsa classes, weekly trips, accommodation, food and airport pickup are all included.

Why Cusco's dogs need help

Roaming dogs are part of everyday life in Cusco and the villages around it. Many are abandoned, injured or born on the streets. The shelters you'll support give rescued dogs food, refuge, vaccinations and veterinary treatment until they're healthy, socialised and ready for adoption. Through PAWS, Globalteer's own animal welfare programme, we bring veterinary care, neutering and vaccinations to dogs and cats around Cusco, helping around 3,000 animals a year, and we work with local communities to reduce the number of roaming dogs.

Your role

You'll work alongside the shelter's local staff, helping wherever you're needed most: feeding and preparing food for the dogs, walking and playing with them, socialising shy and nervous dogs, cleaning kennels, helping with basic care, grooming and health checks, and helping with small repairs around the shelters. You may also support PAWS sterilisation, deworming and vaccination campaigns and join the PAWS team on visits to rural villages, when available. No animal-care experience is needed. Shelter staff show you what to do and you always work under their guidance.

Why volunteer with Globalteer

Globalteer is a registered charity (England & Wales no. 1119706, Peru no. 11159055), founded in 2006. Our own team lives in Cusco and looks after you from your first email to your last day, and through PAWS we support the shelters you'll volunteer at with veterinary care. We publish independently examined accounts every year. Animal welfare comes first: you follow the staff's guidance on handling, feeding and care so every animal is treated calmly and safely. Our founder, Jim Elliott, lives in Cusco and answers volunteers' questions personally.

Culture, Spanish and travel, all included

Your afternoons are free for Spanish class, San Pedro Market or a café. Evenings bring salsa, cooking and dinners with your housemates. Every week includes a trip or activity with a Globalteer team member: typically a Pachamama ceremony (week 1), a Peruvian cooking class (week 2), a Rainbow Mountain day trip (week 3), a Cusco city tour (week 4) and a Sacred Valley day (week 5). Weekends are free to travel.

Location and hours

You'll be based in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cusco in Peru's Andes Mountains. Volunteers work Monday to Friday mornings, usually from 8.30am to around 12.30pm, with afternoons free for sightseeing or Spanish classes and weekends off. Programmes start on Mondays, so please plan to arrive on a Monday.

Before you arrive

Speak to your doctor or a travel clinic 6 to 8 weeks before you travel, mention that you'll be working with animals and ask about the rabies vaccine. Cusco sits at 3,400m, so take it easy for your first few days. We send a detailed packing guide, including sturdy shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty.

Quick answers

Is this ethical? Yes. You volunteer at shelters run by local teams and supported by our PAWS vets, and volunteers support the staff rather than replace them.

Do I need experience with dogs? No. Shelter staff show you how to feed, handle and care for the dogs.

Can I combine this with the children's project? Yes, if you stay at least two weeks. Just tell us when you apply.

Is Machu Picchu included? No. It's an optional extra that our team can help you plan.