7 Ways You Can Volunteer With Animals

Choosing the right volunteer cause for you is an especially important step in getting ready for a volunteer trip. We have previously discussed this in our “10 Tips for the Responsible Volunteer” post. A good starting point, we believe, is to first think about your interests and passions.

Here’s a post dedicated especially to the animal lovers…we know you are out there!

We decided to put together a quick list of 7 amazing ways you can volunteer with animals, all around the world. If animals are what you are about – this is the post for you. And if not, we all have a great friend with a soft spot for animals who will surely appreciate the following information.

Here goes. 7 organizations –  in no particular order!

1. The Merazonia Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center located in Ecuador, South America. Located on 250 acres of rainforest land, this center rescues and rehabilitates trafficked and abused Amazonian animals such as monkeys, kinkajous, cats, other mammals and parrots. Typically, volunteers join for at least two weeks, and are asked to help with the feeding of the animals, cleaning and building of the cages, and some more general work around the site.
2. ASVO located in Costa Rica, Central America. This NGO works hard to bridge the gap between the civil society and Costa Rica’s natural areas by promoting conservational and educational projects in the area. Volunteers can join a Sea Turtle Project and help construct, monitor and register the hatcheries during their season.
3. Save the Wild Chinchillas located in Chile, South America. The organization aims to restore the essential habitat for the endangered Chilean chinchilla. While embarking on a chinchillas mission, volunteers can be found doing anything from Fixing fences, planting seedlings in restoration plots, nursery work, gathering seeds.
4. Un Poco del Choco located in Ecuador, South America is a private nature reserve and biological station in the rainforest of Northwest Ecuador. A major aim of the organization is to continuously work towards conservation of the remaining rainforest around the reserve – as there are countless different animals that depend on this area to survive. Amongst the volunteers tasks are feeding the animals, building and maintaining the trails, gardening in the Organic gardens, and more!
5. Bay Islands Foundation located in Honduras, Central America works mainly to protect and research the Utila Iguana in its natural habitat and breeding areas. The Iguana Station is successful in local awareness environmental education, discussion with decision-makers in environmental and development matters on Utila and in Honduras, outdoor research and sustainable development.
6. The Yepez Foundation located in Mexico, Central America, works primarily to protect the sea turtles of the area by patrolling the beach which is their vital nesting area. Most of the volunteer work is hands on conservation at the beaches, while some help is needed for administrative purposes.
   

   Evaluating the eggs

7. Badmash Peepal located in Dharamsala, India. The farm is sanctuary to both animals and animal lovers who want to create innovative and creative projects to help care for stray animals. There is a lot of work to be done at the farm with the animals, as well as a Stray Animal Recovery Center and an outreach program which always would love some helping hands.

   There you have it! Certainly the options here cover some great volunteering options with some amazing wildlife causes. All that’s left is for you to choose the right one for you.