Internship | ColonialCapitalHS

Internships are a great opportunity to start a career in animal care and to develop an understanding of volunteer organizations and non-profits. Gain introductory experience in shelter management, animal care and handling, facility and shelter functions, non-profit organizations, and volunteer and community interaction.

This internship is an 8 week-long, 200-hour program (the length of time to complete the program is flexible within reason). 100 hours of this time will be spent working with the cat shelter with the second 100 hours working in the dog yard. Upon completion of the program, you will have, not only a foundational experience to start your career or further education, but also a certificate explaining the internship requirements, applied work experience, and references.

This is an unpaid internship, designed to provide introductory experience and skills for individuals seeking to pursue a career in animal care and/or non-profit management. It is the responsibility of the intern to determine if the program meets educational credit requirements towards a degree program. At the end of this internship, interns are provided a certificate of completion. Our organization does not offer or guarantee a job with us at the end of the internship.

Various responsibilities will include:

Provide for food and water for animals, to include special diets for those that require it.
Observe and monitor health and well-being of animals and report any abnormalities to Wellness Technician or Internship Program Supervisor.
Provide behavioral enrichment and stimulation daily.
Occasionally assist the Evening Wellness Volunteer in medications and animal wellness checks (cat shelter).
Complete general housekeeping tasks.
Clean facility and kennels which may include lifting items of 20+lbs, climbing indoor step-stools/ladders, crawling under fixed kennels in the facility.
Work with volunteers and community members.

Please apply to join us if you meet the following requirements:

Must be18 years old or older.
Able to meet established requirements (listed below) with or without any reasonable accommodations.
Solid interpersonal skills and ablility to maintain professionalism.
Strong personal work ethic.

REQUIRED INTERN CAPABILITIES

Physical Capabilities

· Quick reflexes and ability to use both hands simultaneously (example: open cage door while handling animal).

· Ability to walk unaided, or with reasonable accommodation, on unpaved and slippery surfaces.

· Ability to bend and squat in order to pick up containers and clean in hard-to-reach areas.

· Ability to stand and/or walk for significant periods of time.

· Average vision (with or without correction) to move safely around the building, to be able to observe animal body language without difficulty, and to be able to read notes on animals’ tags.

· Ability to respond to management teams and technicians via cell phone.

· Must not have strong allergies to cats, dogs, or chemicals used for cleaning that can’t be managed by medication.

· Ability to deal with unpleasant odors (not a common occurrence, but necessary).

· Ability to wash dishes and put items away in cabinets at ground level up to eight feet in height with use of step stool as needed.

Mental Capabilities

· Ability to understand, remember, and follow instructions and procedures.

· Possess problem-solving capability.

· Ability to judge an animal’s reaction.

· Ability to be aware of potentially hazardous situations when working with or near the animals; ability to remain calm with animals who are upset, behave sensitively and confidently, show good judgment and act appropriately in these situations.

· Once trained, must be able to work with minimal supervision, yet must recognize limitations in knowledge and abilities, and ask for help when needed.

· Ability to work independently for long periods of time, as well as work within a team atmosphere with other volunteers and staff.

· Understand the limits of internship responsibility and role, to include not being in a position to make decisions about intaking an animal; must refer to Management Team or Technicians regarding care of sick/injured animal, etc.

Emotional Capabilities

· Ability to cope with unexpected animal behavior with or without assistance.

· Ability to cope with the presence of injured or abused animals in need.

APPLICATION