http://bestfriends.org/

Best Friends Animal Society

Animal Caregiver

February 2023 • Salt Lake City, UT

What I liked

Helping take care of the animals and hold them.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten paid.

Advice

The animals are in great source of love and help people mentally and physically. With the training that they go through to become a service animal.
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Animal Care Intern

June - July 2022 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

I took a chance and got to experience a completely new opportunity in a state that I had never been to before. It helped me expand my horizons. My advice would be to apply for jobs that are different than what you ever expected to do.
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Volunteer Coordinator & Events Assistant Intern

August - December 2019 • Mission Hills, CA

What I liked

Everyone at Best Friends is very friendly and easy-going. While I did not work directly with the animals everyday, sometimes we would jump in to help clean or make the kennel techs day-to-day easier. Although my schedule didn't really allow for me to host first day volunteer trainings, someone else in this role would have been able to run them which is a great leadership opportunity. They combined two positions for me (Volunteer Coordinator and Events Assistant Intern) so I had a well-rounded experience learning about both of those departments. This is a great opportunity to learn about non-profit organizations and how things are run behind the scenes, especially if you love animals and want to contribute to their health and well-being.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Have an open mind coming into the experience and ask questions whenever you can.
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Animal Caregiver

June - July 2019 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

I loved being able to learn about rescue of more than just cat's and dog's.

What I wish was different

I wish they were able to have a place for interns to stay.

Advice

Do It! This is the best experience of my life and you will never know how short your time is here on earth and you should make this a must do!
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Adoptions Specialist

July 2019 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

Working with animals.

What I wish was different

People understanding what it takes to have a pet

Advice

Patience is everything and don’t judge a book by its cover
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Cat volunteer

August 2019 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

I love working with cats because I am able to get the experience with handling them, understanding their behavior, and being able to get them to socialize so that they can feel comfortable with humans and other cats.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

You must love animals and are willing to clean after them.
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Animal Caregiver

June - August 2019 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

The location, people, environment, and work

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

The care and love for animals around the world is incredible
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Volunteer coordinator intern

May - August 2019 • Mission Hills, CA

What I liked

Friendly coworkers and casual enviornment.

What I wish was different

I wish interns were provided with more meaningful tasks rather than menial ones.

Advice

It's not as easy to work in a shelter as it seems.
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Kitten Nursery Intern

May - November 2018 • Salt Lake City, UT

What I liked

I love feeling like I'm making a difference in the world. I am literally saving lives at work every day. It is very rewarding. It can also be extremely challenging. It's not just playing with kittens all day. It's mostly cleaning, following sanitation protocol, communicating, and occasionally you get to play with a kitten. Time is very precious at the kitten nursery. We spend our time wisely. Feeding kittens and making sure they are all healthy is our main concern.

What I wish was different

I wish it was closer to my house. The commute was definitely a bummer. But in the long wrong it is totally worth it. Just expect that you'll need a second job when you do this internship. It's definitely not a job that pays well. It's mostly emotional payments.

Advice

Soak up every single bit of knowledge that you can. The time flies most days so don't be afraid to ask questions. You will definitely learn a lot more if you do.
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