VETERINARY SCIENCE
As an aspiring veterinarian, life is about helping innocent animals live a longer, healthier life; and it is also about educating people on how they can make life better for all animals. Meanwhile, the approach to animal health and welfare in Latin America is significantly different, and animals are often poorly treated due to limited resources and cultural misconceptions.
International veterinary internships provide direct exposure to the challenges of professional animal healthcare in developing countries and the systems and practices that are in effect today. Internship placements are with veterinary doctors, small clinics, rescue centers, and zoos.
Requirements
- Must be 18+ Years of age
- Must have valid passport
- Intermediate Spanish may be required for some programs
- Minimum 4 weeks for Internships
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Breakfast & Dinner
- Exclusive Trip Coordinator
- Program guide
- Guaranteed Interview
4 Week Internship Starts at:
Portugal - $793
Costa Rica - $1,995
Peru - $1,595
Guatemala - $1,595
Additional Week - $200 - $300/week
Animal Rescue Center
Algarve, Portugal
This Animal Rescue is located in the beautiful, peaceful National Park on the South-West tip of the Algarve about 3kms away from Vila do Bispo. They provide a safe haven for animals in refuge. Interns are so important to help with feeding and walking the animals; cleaning their areas and houses; photographing them so they can be advertised on social media; generally caring for and spending time with them; maintaining/cleaning our garden area & buildings.
We have two lovely large, renovated caravans and a small renovated caravan. All of our caravans have electricity, beds, storage cupboards and places to sit. The pet friendly caravans have caged/fenced areas where dogs can be outside and safe. We also have a large tent under a sheltered camping area which has electricity, two single beds, 2 chests of drawers and a small storage unit.
Animal Welfare
San Jose, Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to wildlife conservation. However, up until very recently there was no serious legislation that protected animals.
The Animal Welfare Bill, updated in June 2017, now includes punishment for violence against both domestic animals and wildlife. Clearly, the country is making significant advancements in animal welfare and this makes it a great place for veterinary internships.
Give pets a new life
Antigua, Guatemala
60% of Guatemala’s population lives below poverty line, which means pets and other domestic animals suffer many hardships, due to the lack of financial resources to properly care for them. Culturally, dogs are used mostly for protection and this means are often bound by leashes and are underfed.
Veterinary care is very expensive for the average family, so when a pet falls ill, it is easier to abandon the animal than to seek proper treatment.
Animal Rights
Cusco, Peru
Peru only recently approved an Animal Protection and Welfare Act in November 2015. Although classifying animals as sentient beings and taking legal action against those found guilty of animal cruelty is a move in the right direction, Peru still has a long way to go to guarantee the welfare and rights of domestic animals and wildlife, and specifically to manage the country’s stray and abandoned animal population.