Culturally speaking in Latin America, dogs and cats are not looked upon as integral members of the family the way they are in many other countries. This often leads to neglect and abandonment. The projects we work with protect these animals and provide human company, medical treatment, and playtime for the animals. Animal Care volunteers may be placed at an animal shelter or a small zoo run by the Zoology and Biology departments at a local university. Please note that due to availability and seasonal needs at our projects, we cannot guarantee any particular type of facility. However, all the projects we work with promote the values of care and conservation for animals and your participation is valued. Volunteers may have the opportunity to work with animals such as dogs, cats, crocodiles, snakes, geckos, turtles, and a variety of other wild and domesticated animals.
Depending on the project, volunteers may be asked to:
- Bathe and/or groom the animals
- Provide basic obedience training
- Clean cages, feed animals, maintain the project area
- Interact with and host visitors to the project (often children)
- Play with and walk the animals
- Assist with small construction projects
- Photography, administration, and fundraising
- Educational programs about conservation work
This project is very physically demanding.
