hahah..wow! working as a volunteer at a wildlife hospital sounds really nice, indeed!
It is... in lots of ways. But I think folks who join don't expect it to be so gorey and frequently, mucky (not to mention all the diseases and/or parasites that can be transmitted!!). It is, after all, an animal A&E (ER in America!!) so we get a LOT of pretty darned horrific injuries: road traffic accidents, deliberate cruelty, dog and cat attacks, etc.
Also, these animals are wild, terrified of humans and even when horribly injured, can and will bite, kick, scratch, etc.
A lot of potential volunteers can't stomach that and leave. Fair enough really, it's not for everyone.
I work in the Intensive Care Unit, so we get everything that comes in through the door first. (There is also another part of the hospital where treated animals are prepared for release.)
The worst bit is when something dies in your arms or if you have to help the vet euthanise some poor creature.
That stays with you.
BUT ... sad as the circumstance is, Orphan Season is 'fun' (provided you don't mind the evening shift going past midnight!!) because it's babies everywhere!!! Baby birds (billions of 'em!!), baby squirrels, hedgehogs, fox cubs, badger cubs, fawns (they need specialist care), mice, rats, the occasional frog, one year we had 80 baby Grass Snakes, you-name-it!!
It's chaos! The feeding rota goes MENTAL and everyone is yelling for food non-stop!!
You get covered in a LOT of poo though...
The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
hahah..wow! working as a volunteer at a wildlife hospital sounds really nice, indeed!
It is... in lots of ways. But I think folks who join don't expect it to be so gorey and frequently, mucky (not to mention all the diseases and/or parasites that can be transmitted!!). It is, after all, an animal A&E (ER in America!!) so we get a LOT of pretty darned horrific injuries: road traffic accidents, deliberate cruelty, dog and cat attacks, etc.
Also, these animals are wild, terrified of humans and even when horribly injured, can and will bite, kick, scratch, etc.
A lot of potential volunteers can't stomach that and leave. Fair enough really, it's not for everyone.
I work in the Intensive Care Unit, so we get everything that comes in through the door first. (There is also another part of the hospital where treated animals are prepared for release.)
The worst bit is when something dies in your arms or if you have to help the vet euthanise some poor creature.
That stays with you.
BUT ... sad as the circumstance is, Orphan Season is 'fun' (provided you don't mind the evening shift going past midnight!!) because it's babies everywhere!!! Baby birds (billions of 'em!!), baby squirrels, hedgehogs, fox cubs, badger cubs, fawns (they need specialist care), mice, rats, the occasional frog, one year we had 80 baby Grass Snakes, you-name-it!!
It's chaos! The feeding rota goes MENTAL and everyone is yelling for food non-stop!!
You get covered in a LOT of poo though...
You have a relevant education/experience to be able to volunteer there I s'pose? I've volunteered at a cat shelter before but my work just involved cleaning the cages and giving the cats food, anyone could do that. I would like to do more volunteer work with animals but I suppose there isn't much use for people who can only clean, give food and don't have much experience with animals apart from hamsters and the like...
Nope, when I joined, I was the same as I am now: a video editor.
I was taught by my shift leader as I went along. I have no formal vet qualifications of any kind, so by law I cannot diagnose or treat any animal. I can administer medications as prescribed by the vet and can perform basic triage (as required by law)
But honestly, if you can cope with the bad bits, working with wild animals is the best thing ever!! It's so rewarding to see the damage done by man (or dog, or cat, or chav) reversed and the animals released back to where they should be.
All you need is enthusiasm and dedication. Your past experience of volunteering would DEFINITELY be relevant!!
The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.