Animal Shelter & Veterinary Care in Fiji

I had an amazing time at the animal shelter! Cuddling with puppies and kittens was definitely a highlight. In addition to the cute moments, there was also plenty of hands-on work like feeding, cleaning cages, and walking the dogs. I also got to help out in the animal hospital, where I cared for animals after surgeries and helped nurse weaker animals back to health. The best part of all was the puppy bath party – absolutely adorable and so much fun! I also had incredibly kind and helpful colleagues, with whom I had lots of great exchanges. This gave me a real insight into life in Fiji. The experience was not only enriching in terms of working with animals but also culturally invaluable. The accommodation was lovely, and the food was delicious. The animal shelter was easy to reach with the express bus, which made commuting simple. Masi and his wife are incredibly kind and always there whenever you need help. They really made my stay even more special with their warmth and hospitality. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves animals and wants to have a meaningful, enriching time in Fiji!

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Looking after dogs, cats and puppies was my main task. Taking them for a walk and giving them lots of love is the best thing you can do. Some of them went through a lot so they needed you much more. So grateful for the everyone I got to know the last two weeks! Accommodation & food were great!

I enjoyed working at the animal shelter, and being able to use my experience in veterinary to help the shelter. My favorite week was when I was working at the shelter and they let me do an outreach clinic in RakiRaki for one week. At the outreach clinic we met with the Ministry of Agriculture and facilitated a spay/neuter and release program. It was very remote, and we stayed in a ‘bure’. The property had a private beach and pool! It was incredible! The stay was an AirB&B, and it had many feral cats on the premises. One day when we got done early we asked the owner if he wanted us to de-sex his cats, and he happily agreed. So we desexed animals on the porch of our bure in view of the ocean. I really liked the people that I worked with at Animals Fiji and they made me feel at home. At the end of my trip, they threw a little party for me, with pop and treats. They gave me a tote bag and thank-you note that everyone signed heart-felt messages. Even after I was done with the animal shelter program, I met a shelter employee in Suva for dinner after a day of health checks. At the nutrition outreach It was sad to see the high blood pressure and blood glucose levels. It was rough to see some people with hypertension, because they had already had multiple strokes. During the project I got the sense from a lot of people that they were not going to take my advice, but many people really seemed to want help, and that made all the difference! The Team: Danielle, Masi and Mere, and the Animals Fiji Team were great and very helpful. The accommodation was very nice, comfortable, and clean. It was actually much nicer than I expected. I got to try many new things. Some I really enjoyed, others not so much. It is about what I expected when eating a diet completely new. I really got homesick for foods that I am used to, but I knew that when I went to Fiji I would eat completely different things. Mere always had the house stocked with food, and made sure that I knew I was welcome to It.

Volunteering was excellent, I got to experience what it was like to be working with animals in Fiji. I had conversations with locals which gave me great insight into religious and cultural beliefs which impact animal control. Being immersed in local culture was fantastic and gave an experience which I would not have had the chance outside of this project. Our home stay was lovely, always willing to help out and teach us about the local culture.

I loved getting to know the locals and experiencing what it’s like in a shelter/clinic in Fiji. Comments on local team, food and accommodation...... Food was great. Great to try more traditional meals.

I learnt so many new skills and have seen a new perspective on the animal industry in a third world country. I loved being apart of both the shelter team and clinic and applying my own strengths to them as well as developing my weaknesses. My highlight was being able to observe and help at the Loutoka desexing drive.The team were lovely. The accomodation was good. There was only one night where there was no food provided. This would have been fine if we had known in advance.

The volunteering was amazing!! I really enjoyed my time in Fiji working with all the staff members at Animals Fiji, they were all amazing and made us feel so welcome. During the volunteering I spent time in the shelter working with the puppies, dogs and kittens, the tasks included health checks, cleaning, walking the animals, feeding, and giving medication. Within the clinic I spent time in the hospital, working with the vet assistants and vets. I learnt so much during the trip which included checking vitals, administering medications and how to conduct an initial consultation. One of the highlights for me was definitely attending the desexing clinic in Laukato, and working with the staff. The team at the shelter were extremely welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly. They made the transition there very easy and helped whenever they could. The food and accommodations were lovely, with the family and other volunteers there were very welcoming. Having other volunteers with us, made the transition easier as we were able to discuss our experiences as well as meet a variety of different people from different backgrounds.

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