Abused Animal & Veterinary Assistance, Cape Town
Abused Animal & Veterinary Assistance, Cape Town
Duration: from 2 Weeks to 6 Weeks
Countries: South Africa
Low rate of pet sterilization and pet care is a big problem in most parts of Cape Town. On this project you will work alongside experienced veterinarians who will train you in veterinary practice, help educate people from the disadvantaged communities on animal care, and be part of a pro-life rescue organisation whose main focus is to assist distressed pets from the townships. Your role will be varied and incredibly hands-on. During your volunteer placement you'll also have the opportunity to explore the beautiful Cape coast, soak up the stunning scenery and enjoy a wide variety of leisure activities like shark cage diving, learning to surf. Or you could simply choose to kick back and relax at the volunteer house, or experience some of Cape Town's vibrant night life!
On this project you will work alongside experienced veterinarians who will train you in veterinary practice, help educate people from the disadvantaged communities on animal care, and be part of a pro-life rescue organisation whose main focus is to assist distressed pets from the townships. The animal rescue shelter was established in 1999 and is a pro-life, non-profit organization whose core aim is to rescue, rehabilitate, re-unite and re-home lost, abandoned and abused neglected dogs and cats. Responding to calls for help from the general public, rescuing lost and stray animals in our community and beyond and acting as an unofficial pound by caring for the animals until they are claimed or re-homed is all in a day’s work!
The shelter has both a busy on-site clinic which serves animals of surrounding disadvantaged townships as well as a mobile clinic which travels into the surrounding township areas daily to provide assistance to animals in need. The shelter is pro-life and animals are only euthanased on the advice of a veterinarian, when they are incurably ill with absolutely no hope of recovery.
If you are interested, studying veterinary care or have any veterinary experience you will have the opportunity to assist in both the on-site and mobile clinics. From sterilisations to accident victims, you will have the opportunity to work closely with the shelter staff and the vets are highly qualified and will be happy to share their wealth of knowledge with you! They are also keen to get you as involved as possible, and will enjoy teaching you all that they can to equip you to contribute to the health and well-being of animals.
The shelter cares for, at any given time, upward of 300 animals (approximately 150 dogs and puppies and +150 cats and kittens), providing them with food, shelter and positive interaction with people.
The love and attention that you give these animals not only improves their quality of life but enables them to be adopted into a loving home.
In addition the shelter has a Feral Cat Programme which traps feral cats at business premises, restaurants, schools, clubs, complexes etc., sterilizing them and releasing them back into their habitats.
While our prime focus is the rescue of domestic animals, the shelter is also called upon to rescue other creatures such as otters, porcupines, buck, genets, snakes, sea birds, owls and various other terrestrial birds.
On this project you will work alongside experienced veterinarians who will train you in veterinary practice, help educate people from the disadvantaged communities on animal care, and be part of a pro-life rescue organisation whose main focus is to assist distressed pets from the townships. The core aims of the animal shelter are to lessen the suffering of abandoned, injured and abused dogs and cats by rescuing them, providing for their well being and placing them into loving homes; as well as reducing the number of unwanted animals by providing free sterilisations in disadvantaged communities and provide humane education to the people to create an awareness of the moral and ethical treatment of the animals whose world we share.
The shelter strives to meet the needs of the underprivileged communities it serves by:
•Providing primary health care such as vaccinations, deworming and parasite control
•Offering free sterilisations for their companion animals
•Providing a scheduled, daily Mobile Clinic offering basic health care (vaccinating, deworming, parasite control) and food to the animals six days a week
•Establishing an essential working relationship with the residents to protect the rights of the animals and empowering and supporting them through effective education, guidance and follow up
•Providing a registered clinic on our premises offering veterinary care for pets for any condition, illness or injury
The love and attention that volunteers give the animals at the shelter really does improve their quality of life and future prospects of adoption and integration into a loving home. It has been said “the best shelter is a caring community!” With your help and the help of enough volunteers, we can make that statement come true! Rest assured your work will be necessary, rewarding and exciting!
This placement would suit:
Anyone who is passionate about animal care or is keen to learn more about veterinary practice. This is a very hands-on project and you will also be assisting on cases of animal cruelty and traveling into townships to assist with sterilization.
Do you accept non UK citizens?
Yes
Do you accept applicants with disabilities?
It would depend on the severity of the disability.
User Comments:
“I greatly enjoyed my experiences in Africa and it has been the single great veterinary experience I have had thus for in my preparation for veterinary college. I have learned a lot and feel that I have gained perspective and humility about my life in the States. I will definitely be telling stories of this trip for years to come and will treasure my journals and photos that I have taken while here. “
~ by Alan Brus
Inclusions
accommodation, food, airport pickup
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African Impact
African Impact is a multi-award winning volunteer travel organisation offering meaningful interactive volunteer projects throughout Africa. Founded in 2004 at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe, we have over 8 years’ experience and having facilitated over 10,000 volunteers in over 12 countries across the continent, making us the largest on-the-ground African specialists in volunteer tourism. We offer a range of conservation and community volunteering and internship programs and also facilitate group and family travel. To us, volunteering is a two-way thing. It’s not just about the hands-on help and skills that volunteers bring; it’s also about what this amazing continent, its people and its wildlife can give those volunteers in return. We want to empower our volunteers to make a difference and have them bring about long lasting positive change on local communities and the physical environments in which we work.
