Animal Rescue Volunteering: A Harmonious Equilibrium between Two Species

Volunteering, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary is ‘to offer to do something that you do not have to do, often without having been asked to do it and/or without expecting payment’ or generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial or social gain.

What are the Types of Volunteering?

As the world becomes more connected through technology, volunteering opportunities are creating pathways for people to help each other and their communities through numerous categories and opportunities such as volunteering as utilized by service learning programs, skills-based volunteering, volunteering in developing countries, community volunteer work, volunteering at major sporting events and many more.

One of the most crucial and desired types of volunteering, also the most interesting, exquisite and heart-warming experience in any animal welfare enthusiast’s life is to become an animal rescue volunteer abroad.

Why Become an Animal Rescue Volunteer Abroad?

Currently, as per the species directory on WWF, more than 75+ species of animals on our planet are either critically endangered, near threatened, endangered or vulnerable to extinction.

These organisations, normally non-profits, may not have a large budget and need volunteers who are willing to pay to help. The volunteers receive an experience with an animal they have never seen, or in a culture or country that is very far from their home.

It is no surprise that governments throughout the world do not have enough time to care for the environment or save animals because they are concerned with so many other things. This has put a limitation on the amount of money that is made available for conservation activities for the environment and animals. This makes is all the more important by groups and individuals who care to come forward and help save the rich biodiversity and its numerous life forms because it is worth protecting.

Of such example, Oceans 2 Earth (O2E) volunteers, an organisation created by volunteers for volunteers focused on animals, wildlife and conservation, believe that the answer to the problem of mistreatment of animals and that of environmental destruction is to allow people to contribute by interacting so they develop their own culture of responsibility to the environment to help global conservation. By exposing people to the challenges first-hand, they will use their personal experience to help them continue to grow and solve all issues related to biodiverse environment.

What are the Kinds of Volunteer Care of Animals?

The three major types of international animal work include;

1. Domestic animal rescue (mainly cats and dogs)

2. Wildlife rehabilitation

3. Studying wildlife with scientific teams

Currently, some of the top projects for animal rescue volunteer abroad opportunities include:

– Sea Turtle Conservation & Research

– Elephant conservation and care

– Dog rescue

– Primate conservation

– Lion conservation and rehabilitation

– Marine conservation

– General wildlife conservation

– Equestrian

However small the work effort is from one volunteer, if we combine the actions of many such volunteers as a whole, the result becomes quite significant, bringing about a necessary change in our planet.

Volunteer work with animals has the potential to make you experience the full cycle of life—breeding, birth, rearing, socialising young, elderly animal care, and death or euthanasia. If you have never been exposed to the entire sequence, it can be an overwhelming experience if not mentally prepared. Regardless of where and what species volunteers choose to work with, they, undoubtedly, have the experience of a lifetime while making a lasting difference in the lives of animals around the globe bringing about a harmonious equilibrium between humans and animals.