Pre-Vet Student Association

Offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities, including animal care, adoptions, events, and much more. Check out the website for all opportunities available.

There are 3 parts to the San Diego Zoo: The main Zoo, the Safari Park, and the Institute for Conservation Research (ICR). Their volunteers are required to be interviewed and undergo a moderately long training process before you can volunteer. There is no hands on experience with the animals. You will serve as a docent for the most part. However, it is useful to network within San Diego Zoo, especially if you want to be a zoo vet. SDZ is incredibly well respected among AZA zoos. Being a volunteer also gets you free access to the zoo and to hundreds of online courses for zookeepers. 

Join this organization/email us expressing your interest and we can set up a carpool. We try to go once a month during the school year.

Fill out an online application and attend their monthly volunteer info session to start volunteering. Animal care volunteer positions are available. They also have a separate program called "project wildlife". Jobs are also sometimes available.

They take both volunteers and interns. Internships are highly competitive and they only take a few a year. Volunteers work a minimum of once a month, whereas interns work about 20 hours every week. They take volunteers on a rolling basis, but applications for internships begin in January and in the Summer. You will probably not get to work under a veterinarian or have hands-on contact with the wolves, but you will get plently of education regarding their health, habitat, and conservation. 

There is also a "Wolf Handling & Chemical Immobilization Course" available once a year. This gives you hands on experience with the wolves and under a vet. It's also a great chance to network with professionals (most people attending will not be college students). However, spots are very limited (volunteers get priority!). 

Pegasus Rising rescued a family of neglected Polish Arabians and has repurposed the herd to pay it forward by assisting in the emotional healing of combat veterans and their families struggling to reorient and integrate back into their civilian and family lives. Experiential in nature, participants learn by interacting with the herd members on the ground, rather than through riding, teaching how they can successfully approach challenges and better understand and relate to themselves and others. In excess of 60 volunteers have come on board to assist on this project. Unpaid volunteers care for this special family of horses mornings and evenings daily.

A multi-doctor equine practice that has both a mobile operation and clinic. They have a fleet of 3 trucks equipped with all the equipment needed in the field. Services include state of the art technologies and therapies including stem cell therapy, platelet rich plasma, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein therapy, shockwave therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, nuclear scintigraphy, MRI, ultrasound, and mobile digital x-ray machines.

There are a few different volunteer opportunities, from just volunteering at the aquarium to completing a summer research program. You probably will not work with a vet or be in direct contact with animals.

No vets or medical staff to work with. Primary responsibilities include educating public about conservation, seal habitats and lifestyle at the Children's Pool (actually a beach) in La Jolla. Only requires volunteering once a month, although you can volunteer more.

This is a marine rehabilitation facility. There are opportunities to become an animal care volunteer.

Best way to get opportunities here are to take SIO classes and talk to professors. If not, you can email them.

Animal Rescuers Without Borders, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which consists of a group of dedicated people who donate their time, resources, skills and energy toward the battle against the overpopulation of homeless pets and improving the lives of companion animals through rescue, fostering programs, adoption, pet care, educational programs and of course spaying and neutering.

Often have shadowing opportunities. Show up with your resume and a cover letter, or call (858) 454-6155

Volunteer opportunities are varied, from helping out at local adoption events to helping with spay and neuter surgeries in Rosarito Beach, Mexico. Note that in order to work with a veterinarian, you need to be able to travel to Mexico. If this is something you are interested in, email ucsdprevet@gmail.com and we can try to put you in touch with others who may be interested in carpooling.

There are tons of internships available with AZA zoos. These will provide you with strong and valuable experience in zookeeping. However, the overwhelming majority of these are unpaid, so be prepared to foot your own bills for housing and transport wherever you go.