Vacation with Purpose: Volunteering at Animal Shelters Abroad

Aruba

Working with Furry Friends: Volunteering on Vacation

While there are opportunities to volunteer in your local community, many people are now looking for ways to give back abroad. Countless organizations worldwide offer short-term volunteering programs for those interested in doing something meaningful with their vacation time. And one of the best options is working with animals! Not only will this give you a chance to make an impact, but it can also be a gratifying and memorable experience.

When you volunteer abroad at an animal shelter, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about different cultures, explore new places, and make lifelong connections with passionate people from around the globe. You’ll get hands-on experience working directly with animals and gain insight into how shelters operate in various parts of the world. The perspective you’ll gain is beyond words. Seeing how animals are treated in other countries can often be upsetting, but knowing you helped even just one soul is rewarding.

Ways You Can Help

Volunteering at animal shelters is a great way to travel responsibly and allows travelers to make meaningful contributions while on vacation. There are multiple ways to help out too!

• Hold a local collection before leaving for vacation, and bring supplies like leashes, carriers, and food to the shelter when you arrive

• Check the local shelter’s times for you to swing by and walk their dogs. These babies always need a good long walk and the love they show you will be unmeasurable.

• Coordinate with the shelter to transport puppies or kitties back to the U.S./Canada. Some shelters have connections up here that can take a lucky puppy/kitty and give them chances to be adopted that they might not otherwise have. You can even volunteer to foster them until they find their forever homes.

• Adopt a puppy or kitty from where you vacation! There are some incredible mixed breeds hanging out in the Caribbean. From Coconut Retrievers to Canucu’s, you give a soul a perfect home and let them live the rest of their best life with you. WIN/WIN/WIN

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Volunteering at an animal shelter is not just about helping animals; it’s about healing ourselves and our society.” – Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi

• Pets With Wings, St. Thomas – This was the start of my love of working with animals abroad! I heard of a rescue that worked with animal shelters in the United States to transport puppies to the US mainland. Someone would meet you at the airport and whisk your puppy away to their new foster…and I just thought it was a great way to give back and spend a day on my birthday vacation. Since then, I’ve been trying to spend at least one day on each trip volunteering in some way. We brought back 3 puppies to our town and I have been able to watch all 3 of them grow; it’s been so rewarding!

• Sgt. Pepper’s Friends, Aruba – We fostered a puppy from Aruba by bringing him back to the states with us. We also transported a couple of kittens to their forever homes. It was a little exhausting taking puppies and kitties through the airport, but they made the layovers pass by very quickly! The puppy we fostered was adopted by my son’s friend, too, so I get to watch him grow up and doggysit him when his humans go on vacation.

• SAGA Humane Society, San Pedro Belize – Because the US has a ban against importing animals from Belize, we weren’t able to bring any home with us, but we walked dogs at SAGA and had an amazing time doing so! We met a new employee and we were able to learn the routes together with him. It was fun learning a little about him, and his country and walking the streets of San Pedro without a worry in the world.

• Animal Care Center, St. John – Were great about helping a sick kitty we saw in St. John. We were able to sponsor medical care for him and they thoroughly communicated his needs to us, even after we returned home.

Other Foundations that I have been following online but haven’t had the pleasure of working with yet.

o Luna Foundation, Aruba

o Nine Lives, Aruba

o Angels for Animals, Puerto Rico

A Rewarding Way to Spend Your Time Off

Spending your vacation volunteering at an animal shelter is one of the best ways a traveler can give back while exploring new places. Providing invaluable support for homeless animals who need rescue and allowing travelers unique opportunities such as learning about different cultures or engaging in adventure activities during their downtime! So if you want to turn your next trip into something extraordinary – why not consider volunteering abroad? You (and all those furry friends!) certainly deserve it!