Description
An internship opportunity for pre and post-grad students seeking admission into veterinary school. We are a no kill, non-profit animal shelter with an on site, low cost veterinary clinic that is open to the community. Our program has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Jan Scarlett, founder of the Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University. Interns live on-site for 12 weeks at no cost, and rotate throughout each of our 3 departments. 4 weeks are spent in the kennel with canines, 4 weeks in the cattery with felines, and 4 weeks in our community veterinary clinic with felines and canines. A bi-weekly cash stipend is awarded to those seeking a career path specifically in shelter medicine.
Responsibilities
- Cleaning and sanitation of animal living areas and common areas around the shelter in compliance with ACS’s Standard of Care
- Participate in medical and behavioral assessment of canines and felines
- Participate in the surrender and adoption process
- Administering treatments, vaccinations, iv blood draws, and performing diagnostic tests under the supervision of department leads
- Proper documentation of medical and behavioral concerns
- Assist clinic staff with various medical procedures, surgeries and exams
- Participate in playgroups and various canine training techniques as directed by the behaviorist
- Work with caregiving staff to ensure minimum exercise, diet, and enrichment needs are being met for our resident animals
- Optional pop-up adoption or educational events in the local community
- Each intern will complete a service or research project of their choice over the course of their stay. Projects should be geared toward improving best practices, or improving the shelter facility itself, and must be approved by the Internship Coordinator.
- Alternative Housing Project: Interns will choose a dog or cat from the shelter to foster in the intern trailer for the duration of their stay. They will work with department leads to ensure proper behavior modification, and documentation thereof. This is intended to give harder to adopt animals a fighting chance at adoption, while also learning about training and behavior modification in the process.
Requirements
- Ability to follow written and oral instructions
- Pre or post-grad, seeking veterinary school
- Strong intra-personal skills, especially when dealing with customers
- Ability to live with room mates
- OK with taking direction from caregiving staff who may not have completed more than a high school diploma
- Driver’s license HIGHLY recommended, as we are very rural
Benefits/Salary
- Un-Paid internship, Bi-weekly cash stipend awarded to those seeking careers specifically in shelter medicine.
- Housing and associated costs covered by ACS
- Relevant experience in the veterinary medical field
- Insight on the operation of a board-governed non-profit organization
- Experience in every facet of animal sheltering, from surrender to adoption
- Letters of recommendation from supervisors of your choice
Terms
- Winter ’26-’27: 4-Week Clinic Focused Term (Dates flexible to match winter break schedules) (Deadline: Sep, 1st 2026)
- Spring ’27: Feb 13th – May 7th (Deadline: Nov 15th, 2026)
- Summer ’27: May 24th – Aug 13th (Deadline: Feb 15th, 2027)
- Fall ’27: Aug 30th – Nov 19th (Deadline: May 1st, 2027)