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ABOUT THIS INTERNSHIP:

*This position offers free, limited onsite housing on a first-come, first-served basis.*

*Interns may also receive program or course credit for this experience if approved by their educational institution.*

This internship is unpaid. The Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) is a 501(c)3, independent non-profit organization. As per the Fair Labor Standards Act, “unpaid internships for public sector and non-profit charitable organizations, where the intern volunteers without expectation of compensation, are generally permissible.” Please check with your college's internship coordinator to see if this unpaid internship meets your internship requirements before accepting the position.

 

FUNCTIONS:

To assist Wildlife Center staff in providing wildlife patients with the highest quality humane care and attention.  Duties include but are not limited to animal husbandry, cleaning, customer service, administrative, and maintenance tasks, and align with the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Wildlife Care Interns learn and perform the fundamentals of wildlife rehabilitation, including daily cleaning, feeding, and care of wild patients.  Interns assist staff with admissions, triage, and treatment procedures (such as gavage feeding, oral medication administration, and fluid therapy), releases, and possibly with rescues.  This is not a medical internship for those seeking externships or internship hours for technical veterinary programs. 

 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Ensure that humane care and proper attention is provided for all wild animals in the Society's care.
  2. Perform all duties and tasks according to Washington State laws and Wildlife Center protocols, signage, binders, and manuals.
  3. Be willing to carry out repetitive tasks.
  4. Arrive on time for shifts and work through the duration of the scheduled shift.
  5. Be prepared and willing to assist and communicate with staff and other personnel.
  6. Be flexible with scheduling, as schedules often change month-to-month.
  7. Be productive while on shift and take initiative.
  8. Understand and manage animal care priorities during the busy baby animal season.
  9. Safely and effectively handle, restrain, and care for all assigned patients.
  10. Be observant and quickly communicate changes or issues in the health status or behavior of wildlife patients.
  11. Assist in training Wildlife Center volunteers and newer interns, and take initiative in mentoring.
  12. Complete daily tasks, which may include:
  13. Completing daily opening, closing, cleaning, and facility maintenance tasks.
  14. Performing patient care: diet preparation (including dead prey and/or live insects), feeds, weights, bedding changes, enclosure cleaning, enrichment, and enclosure set-up and take down.
  15. Filling out all aspects of charts fully and correctly.
  16. Caring for any educational ambassadors.
  17. Cleaning and sanitizing the facility while meeting safety regulations.
  18. Assisting with the release of fully rehabilitated wildlife patients.
  19. Assisting with patient intakes and administrative work.
  20. Answering a high volume of telephone calls and responding to voicemails.
  21. Helping staff with admissions, triage, and treatment procedures after appropriate training.
  22. Assist with transport of wildlife patients between permitted facilities for continued care.
  23. Maintain a level of skill set once documented training has occurred.
  24. Communicate with the Wildlife Center manager or intern coordinator for all grievances.
  25. Carry out other duties as assigned.

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

  1. A humane focus in regard to all animal species and highly motivated toward the welfare and humane treatment of all animals.
  2. A strong belief in the Society’s mission and activities.
  3. The ability to work well and communicate professionally with all personnel and the public, both verbally and in writing.
  4. A high level of patience and compassion when interacting with the public, and the capacity to represent services positively, accurately, and concisely.
  5. The ability to follow and carry out all posted protocols and all verbal and written instructions in English.
  6. A willingness to learn and accept supervision and constructive feedback.
  7. The capability to work both independently and in a group setting.
  8. The ability to organize, prioritize, manage multiple tasks, and have a sense of urgency.
  9. A positive attitude, strong attention to detail, maturity, honesty, and a focus on being a team player.
  10. Readiness to adhere to specified COVID guidelines.
  11. Must be at least 18 years of age, in good physical health, possess fine motor skills, have the ability to lift 50 lbs. and pass a physical examination.
  12. Must disclose all medical conditions relating to job performance.
  13. The ability to function in the Working Conditions as described below.

 

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Be able to commit to 12 consecutive weeks between March - October 2025. Must work irregular hours including: late shifts, 8 - 10 hour shifts totaling 40 hours per week, weekends, and holidays. Be able to deal with unruly and dangerous animals humanely. Be able to work in a fast-paced environment and stressful situations. Be able to carry out strenuous physical activity, including being on your feet for at least 4 hours at a time, no guaranteed breaks, lifting and carrying heavy objects/animals, and other physically demanding tasks as assigned. Be prepared to have exposure to parasites and infectious diseases, and wear all provided PPE. Be prepared, able, and willing to work in all climates and weather exposures in Washington State. Be willing and prepared to assist staff after hours and on days off for emergencies. Be prepared and willing to work solo as well as with up to 10 people at a time, depending on patient needs.

The organization reserves the right to change the job duties and responsibilities, as business requires.  This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.  This internship is unpaid.

 

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit the 2025 Intern Application, and email a current resume and your completed internship questionnaire to wildlifevolunteer@whatcomhumane.org by March 1st, 2025. 

For more details, please see the Internship section on our website: https://www.whatcomhumane.org/wildlife/

Questions about the internship or application? Email Renata Luders at wildlifevolunteer@whatcomhumane.org and we will be happy to assist you.