Description

Do you enjoy taking care of your pets? Have you always felt a special bond with animals? Becoming an animal caretaker volunteer at P.A.W. is one way you can be use your love and interest in animals and if you decide to make this your career you can put this experience on your resume.

The volunteer position involves helping out about two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon but some volunteers put in many more hours playing and taking care of the animals.

Taking care of animals is very important work, if an animal gets sick, the volunteer caretaker is often the first to know. And the close relationships you develop with the animals under your care can make that work deeply satisfying.

Volunteer Animal caretakers make sure that animals are clean, healthy, and happy.

Duties could include:

- Feed and groom animals
- Clean cages, catteries, wash beds
- Socialize & supervise animals at play
- Bottle-feed a litter of abandoned kittens
- Risk bites and scratches of animals
- Nurse sick and injured animals
- Assist vets during clinics
- Give medications to animals
- Help us trap feral/homeless cats to sterilize
- Feed our cat colonies
- Bathe our rescue dogs

Highlights

We have a choice of 3 different on-site accomodations at reduced rates for volunteers. You will live on the sleepy fishing village island of Caye Caulker where you will enjoy excellent diving, snorkeling, alligator and manatee watching, plenty of sunshine, white sand and tranquility.

You will help to support the cats through your work as we receive no outside funding.

Qualifications

No specific qualifications are required, but we are looking for:

- Sanctuary volunteers to assist on site with the animal's needs and other miscellaneous duties
- Veterinarian and Vet techs
- Marketing to help promote our organization and our accommodation and volunteer vacations
- Fundraiser to help raise money for the organization through corporate and business sponsorship, gathering of auction gifts and private donations.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

100 USD

Program Fees Include:

Program cost is USD 100

Self catering accommodation options can be arranged separately. Ranging from USD 25- USD 75 per night. Discounts available for volunteers.

Experience Required

yes

Compassionate, patient, perceptive, flexible, responsible and be very sensitive to any changes in the behavior of the animals you work with, such as if an animal is not eating, that may signal a health problem. The work we do here with the animals is very unique and we have many requests from volunteers to participate. As space is limited we ask that only responsible, serious minded individuals apply as we would not want to waste your time and vice versa. Keep in mind that this is not for everyone. If you are looking for a place to hang out and party all night or something of that nature, then this is NOT the place for you. Our animal residents come first and we do not want anything disrupting their environment. Please think very carefully if this is what you would like to do so you do not take up a space that a person who really wanted to be here could have had.

Volunteer Types

• Animal Welfare
• Veterinary
• Volunteering

Typical Volunteer

Animal lovers who are looking for an adventure.

Age Range

18-65

This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Dormitory

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently

Application Process Involves

• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

P.A.W. Cat Sanctuary and Humane Society's Mission Statement

P.A.W. Cat Sanctuary & Humane Society is a non-profit organization which has been in operation since 2003. We are located on the island of Caye Caulker (pronounced Key Korker) in the country of Belize. Caye Caulker is a rustic fishing village with about 1,200 inhabitants which can be reached in 45 minutes by water taxi from Belize City. Belize is an English speaking country which is borded by Mexico on the north and Guatemala on the South. We boast the world's second largest barrier reef and many diving locations such as the famous Great Blue Hole first explored by Jacques Cousteau. P.A.W. provides food, shelter, sterilization procedures and medical care to homeless cats. Our sanctuary haven supplies all the basic needs, coupled with lots of love and personal attention to each of our residents. In addition to attending to the needs of the animals, P.A.W. was also founded to establish educational programs for children and the public, in order to promote humane treatment of animals. Fostering strong human-animal bonds will hopefully result in much less animal suffering.The goal of our educational programs is to promote responsible animal care and guardianship, to make our community one where the relationship with animals is guided by compassion and respect for the intrinsic value of all animals. P.A.W. is located on a beautiful beach-front property surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The animals love their freedom as they run up and down the coconut trees and hide under large bushes - all in the safety of the securely fenced sanctuary ground. It truly is a "sanctuary" for all who live here! P.A.W. is not funded by government or other organizations. We rely entirely on your help and assistance.

Year Founded

2003