Essential information

General information
== >> (Important to read for any student who wishes to participate) << ==

As largest specialist in Europe, every year we get several hundred applications from students of Veterinary Medicine, but also from graduate veterinarians who wish to gain additional experience in a foreign clinic. We want everyone to help as good as possible and have nearly 10 years built up a great experience.

However, it is important to know beforehand what to expect and that you only pay for any accommodation and this is not a guarantee of some operations, but for an opportunity to work with an official veterinarian in a (shelter)clinic, but often have to improvise to have to deal with too many animals and too little money.

The local vet is usually very busy and has limited time to explain all techniques. You will, to get the most out of your internship, have the skills, at least theoretically and preferably have performed a spay and/or neuter operation already one or more times at the university or elsewhere else like at a vet-clinic.

Although you can start your own Internet search for such a clinic, experience shows that this often leads to a disappointment. I've heard stories where a vetstudent was most of the time busy with cleaning. Also I had to stop with a number of clinics in recent years because it did not meet my demands.

All clinics where I currently work with are carefully selected and have shown over the years that there can be worked well by students of Veterinary Medicine and official veterinarians, but there are differences in capabilities. Underneath is a list a clinic so you get a more specific idea of ​​what you may not expect.

This is therefore primarily intended to provide more dexterity and general practice.

It is not always possible to immediately operate completely independent. The decision whether or not this is allowed, always depends on the accompanying veterinarian. His/her decision may depend on various factors, such as whether the animal is owned by an individual or one of the shelter's. Also, there may be differences in the level of control from local authorities. And supply of animals offered for operations can heavily depend on the time of year.

I try as much as possible to provide updated information about these situations. I have enjoyed excellent communication with almost all the shelters/clinics mentioned on this website for many years.

In various shelters there are opportunities (after approval) to carry out operations (particularly sterilizations/castrations) in a small treatment room by yourself with the official vet. Or, this can happen in an associated local clinic. But sometimes there are also straightforward TNR projects where you will have to make the best out of working on a 'kitchen table'.

There are also places, where there is not always a local veterinarian continuously available, but only a few days a week or only in the morning hours. They try as much as possible to accommodate your wishes and take proven experience into account. This is indicated by me underneath per shelter.

It is highly recommended to go to a shelter for two weeks instead of just one week. That suggestion I hear virtually from every student I talk to after their internship. Only then will you get there the most out of it.

During most internships you will be asked to participate in different operations or just watch. In certain cases, you can also be asked to check for various medical issues in shelter animals. For comparison, this will be on average 50/50% ratio..

Moreover, if you stay for a period of longer than one week, you have a minimum risk of having a disappointing number of animals on the operating table, because the shelter depends on third parties for the supply of animals to operate on. For addresses outside Europe I recommend to stay for three weeks or longer.

This volunteer work is very educational, especially in order to gain more practical experience. On the other hand it is also very useful, because it helps reducing the stray population.

Most shelters we work with, will only reinstate a dog or cat if they are spayed/neutered.