Wild Friends Intern

Best Friends Animal Society•Kanab, UT

2d•$16•Onsite

About The Position

The Wild Friends Intern works within a team setting to provide hands on daily care and medical support to the animals at Wild Friends. Interns are valued team members and play a direct role in achieving Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill mission and organizational success. This position works directly with the public to create positive volunteer and visitor experiences and share Best Friends’ mission. Interns may receive assignments and projects based on their interest and learning goals, and organizational needs. The Wild Friends Intern reports to the Bart Richwalski, Wild Friends Supervisor, and will receive regular supervision and feedback. The minimum time commitment for the Wild Friends Internship is 40 hours per week at $16.00 per hour for 13 weeks. This is an on-site internship at the Best Friends Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Interns must arrange for their own housing and transportation. Intern orientation includes a tour of the Sanctuary and Wild Friends, an overview of rules, safety protocols, and daily schedule. Interns will have the opportunity to meet with Best Friends leaders, learn about and shadow staff in other departments, work on projects specific to their learning and career goals, and attend presentations on various animal welfare topics.

Requirements

Strong desire to work with birds/mammals/reptiles in a rehabilitation or veterinary setting.
Must have held a valid driver's license for at least three years, possess a clean driving record, and pass a motor vehicle record check and on-site driving test in order to operate Best Friends’ vehicles.
Must be willing to drive long hours to transport animals (the Sanctuary is several hours away from the areas where wildlife most commonly come into contact with people).
Ability to receive and provide constructive feedback, and a commitment to learning and improvement.
Professional work ethics and independent time management skills.
Commitment to communication, cooperation, and collaboration.
Resourcefulness, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.
Must be able to: Routinely lift up to 60 pounds and perform daily strenuous and/or repetitive activities including sweeping, mopping, bending, stooping, lifting, reaching, walking, and working at computers (typing, hand motions).
Work indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
Must be comfortable with: Potential contact with hay, dust and other allergens. Potential exposure to zoonotic disease. Interaction with animals that have significant behavioral and/or medical issues. Feeding carnivorous animals according to their dietary needs (ex: feeding frozen mice to raptors). Potential exposure to animal injury, illness, and/or death.
Must have reliable transportation to get to, from, and around the Sanctuary. There is no public transportation in Kanab.
Best Friends employees may only hold one compensated position at any time. Current employees are not allowed to hold another position and this internship position at the same time. If a current employee would like to apply for this internship, the employee would be required to resign from their primary position, with no guarantee of re-employment, if the employee wanted to accept this position.
Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Work within a team setting to oversee the health, well-being, and general care of the resident animals at Wild Friends.
Assist in providing basic and routine care for animals, which includes diet preparation and distribution, cleaning of enclosures, and creating and implementing enrichment and training plans. Feeding requirements vary by species (ex: hourly baby bird feedings, bottle feeding mammals, tube feeding injured birds, daily meals for outside animals).
Assist in supporting the animals’ medical needs which includes learning about zoonotic disease, medicating, treating, preparing special diets, observing and reporting, and the maintenance of required veterinary records.
Assist in transporting injured or orphaned wildlife to the rehabilitation center and releasing rehabilitated wildlife.
Clean work areas and preserve the physical appearance of Wild Friends buildings and enclosures: wiping, scooping, sweeping, mopping, raking, trash removal, laundry, etc.
Assist in creating a comfortable and stimulating environment for the animals, including observing behavior, socializing appropriate birds/mammals/reptiles to increase quality of life and/or adoption potential, and creating enrichment opportunities.
Follow all safety and quarantine protocols outlined by department leadership.
Be a Sanctuary ambassador, representing Best Friends’ work to visitors and volunteers, and speaking to the Sanctuary’s special role in Best Friends’ no-kill mission.
Work alongside and support volunteers, workshop attendees, and other types of visitors.
Greet and conduct tours, speak about specific animals, their welfare, ecology, and husbandry, the work of Wild Friends and the Sanctuary, and answer questions.
Interns may be asked to represent Wild Friends at various community events.
Attend and participate in various learning, networking, and socialization opportunities with other interns, Best Friends staff members and founders.