Intern Testimonials

Cara Birkert - Germany

I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Critter Care Wildlife Society from April 4th, 2024
to August 7th, 2024. This experience has been nothing short of life-changing, offering me the
chance to work closely with a wide variety of animals, including otters, raccoons, skunks, bunnies, opossums, squirrels and goats. During my time at Critter Care, I was deeply involved in the day-to-day care and rehabilitation of these animals, from feeding and cleaning to assisting with medical treatments.

One memorable experience was helping to examine a beaver that we had rescued after it was found poisoned by saltwater. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the beaver did not survive. This experience underscored the challenges of wildlife rehabilitation, but also the importance of the work done in Critter Care.

In addition to my work with the animals, I frequently interacted with members of the public
who brought in injured or orphaned wildlife. I handled the intake process, including the
necessary paperwork, and took the time to explain to the public the rehabilitation process
that we go through with each animal. This aspect of the internship was incredibly rewarding,
as it allowed me to educate others about the importance of wildlife conservation.

Additionally I was given the responsibility of being a team leader. In this role, I coordinated
the daily tasks for all the interns, helped manage any personal issues that arose within the
team, and ensured that everything ran smoothly. This leadership experience was both
challenging and fulfilling, allowing me to develop important skills in team management and
communication.

I also had the opportunity to join several rescue missions in the surrounding areas. These
rescues were not only exciting but also a testament to the vital work being done by Critter
Care to protect and rehabilitate wildlife in British Columbia.

Working at Critter Care has solidified my passion for wildlife rehabilitation and has given me
invaluable skills and experiences that I will carry with me throughout my life. I am deeply
grateful for this opportunity and for the chance to contribute to the vital work being done at
Critter Care. I leave with a wealth of memories, new friendships, and a strengthened
commitment to animal welfare.

Margaux Saelens – Belgium 

I was an intern at CCWS from February 10 to April 19, 2024. I did the internship as part of my studies in Animal Care, so I couldn’t stay that long. Still, I got to work with raccoons, beavers, and squirrels, which was wonderful! I became co-parent to the first baby squirrel of the year, and he stole my heart. Towards the end, more baby squirrels joined, and I enjoyed taking care of them and giving them milk. Besides taking care of the animals, I loved participating in rescues and releases.

What I found so special about CCWS is that they quickly give you a lot of trust and responsibilities. You learn a lot that way. The staff members are friendly and patient; they were always ready to answer my questions and took the time to teach the interns new things. My time at CCWS was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I was part of a team of like-minded souls, I was able to do meaningful work every day, I met great people who felt like family after a while, my language skills improved, and I learned a lot about diseases, injuries, treatments, and nutrition of different species. I couldn't have wished for a better internship!

Caroline Blangsted, Denmark

Looking online for an opportunity to work with wildlife abroad, I stumbled upon Critter Care. In my gap year I chose to spend almost six months at Critter Care Wildlife Society from September 13, 2025, to the end of February 27, 2026. I learned and experienced so much!

The beginning was quite a bit intimidating, but with help from all the other lovely interns and staff members that show you patience and teach you everything you need to know. I got to work with some incredible animals, many of them I'd never seen before I came here. Just 4 days after arriving, I became the caretaker of an injured weasel, and that was only the beginning. Raccoons, flying squirrels, opossums, and bunnies soon became part of my everyday life, and it was incredibly rewarding to watch them recover and grow stronger. I never imagined I would be combing fleas out of a coyote’s fur, giving medication to a beaver, syringe feeding a flying squirrel, or going on wildlife rescues around the area. But these are just a few of the things that the Critter Care experience is. 

Not only do you get to work with the most incredible animals, but you also get to work with an equally incredible team of people. The people made this experience truly special. Interns from around the world quickly became close friends, and together we shared countless memorable moments while caring for the animals and hanging out after work. The staff’s passion and commitment were inspiring, and they worked tirelessly to give every animal the best possible chance of recovery while still taking the time to teach and support the interns. I hope I get the chance to come back another season because there is still so much more to learn and many more animals to help! I recommend this internship to anyone who is willing to work hard and has a heart that beats for animals.

Ami Bluestone, US

During my time at Critter Care, from March to the end of May 2025, I had the opportunity to work with a good variety of animals and make some amazing friends. Coming into it, I had zero experience working directly with wildlife, so it was a dream come true to have the opportunity to work hands-on every day helping animals in such a tangible way. 

Over the course of the three months, I cared for raccoons, opossums, bunnies, squirrels, and a very brief time with a few shrews. I arrived a little before baby season in order to settle in and learn what I was doing before the around-the-clock feeds started. That turned out to be a great choice because I got to work with a range of ages and feed schedules, as well as enough time to watch the babies grow and witness several releases.

The social aspect of living in close-quarters with so many sleep-deprived people was quite challenging, but I learned that the tides often change as people come and go, and things can always get better the more people you meet. In the end, I left extremely happy with my decision to intern at Critter Care. I only wish I could have stayed longer to have more time with all my animals and new friends.”

Jan Feiertag – Germany

I interned at CCWS from August 21, 2023, to January 9, 2024, and I loved this experience so much that I decided to come back from June 1, 2024, to September 4, 2024. I was given the wonderful opportunity to raise various amazing mammals, such as otters, beavers, racoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks, mice, voles, and bunnies. This meant cleaning their enclosures, giving them meds if needed, and feeding them, if they are at a very young age even bottle-feeding.

The goal is always to release them at some point back into the wild where they belong. Getting the opportunity to release your own animals is one of the most bittersweet moments but seeing them thrive out there is when you realise it was all worth it.

Besides caring about my animals, the other work at the camp included preparing food, maintaining the camp and interacting with the public when they bring in donations and orphaned or injured critters.

I was given the chance to be a team leader for parts of both of my stays, additional tasks included leading meetings, allocating tasks, and solving possible conflicts in the team, which improved my leadership skills. When there are just few interns at the camp during a stressful season, like the baby season, the workdays can be long and stressful, but the thought of doing such crucial work for the animals makes up for everything. But especially in these times, every helping hand is of great value to ensure a proper care for every single animal at the camp, which they all deserve.

Besides the work with the animals, another huge advantage was living with so many other amazing people. Everyone from staff was lovely, and always there to help and support us in raising the animals, and answering all our questions, as their goal is to ensure the best for the animals just as it is ours. Within the interns I met amazing people from all over the world. I loved working alongside, and spending time with them, and it made the experience at CCWS perfect. With a lot of them I am still close even after a long time, and I have made so many, and some of my very best friends at the camp.

Interning at Critter Care was one of the best things that could have happened to me, and I treasure all the animals, people, and memories equally. I can surely recommend anyone to intern at Critter Care as well, if you are willing to learn, and to work long hours, and have a big heart for animals.

Miriam Gerhards – Germany

“I spent 11 months at Critter Care from September 2023 until July 2024. I’ve got to work with so many different animals during my stay. From the North American poster animals such as raccoons, skunks and opossums as well as all the smaller critters we took care of such as deer mice, bunnies and squirrels. While taking care of all of these animals i also got the chance and became a bear intern so i got to learn how to take care of bear cubs and how to behave around them to avoid any risky or dangerous situations.I really enjoyed taking care of every single animals i had as well as learning how to treat them and how to take care of possible injuries.

All the staff at Critter Care were Interns before themselves so they know how it is to be an intern which makes them even more understanding. They are very patient with every single one of us and are really interested in us learning new things and taking on our own responsibilities. I deeply appreciate the trust the staff had in me when announcing me a team leader which meant for me to take on responsibility for my fellow interns, mediate in conflicts and over all learn and earn experience in how to lead a group of people.

In general I can say that i have learned so much during my year at critter care and gained experiences I can‘t imagine gaining somewhere else. You are always surrounded by the same people no matter if you are working or not and it‘s just incredible how fast you get to know people if you work and live with them. From starting at a place full of strangers it quickly changed into being a part of one huge critter care family“ together with so many other incredible people. No one has to deal with the big amount of work on there own but everyone is helping each other out to get it done quicker and you just get to experience so much and earn so much knowledge while doing meaningful work for all these special animals”

Kaat Van Craenenbroeck - The Netherlands

I have been an intern at Critter Care twice. The first time I was an intern for 10 weeks from February to April 2023. The internship was a part of my studies in Animal Care. Because my first time was so limited and I really missed out on working with certain animals that I found very interesting, I made the decision to go back after only a couple weeks. My second time I spend about 11 months at Critter Care, from November 2023 to September 2024.

I got the opportunity to work with a lot of different kinds of animals, both adults who got injured and babies/juveniles who got orphaned. I worked with bunnies, squirrels, opossums, mice, beavers, skunks and raccoons and even a stray marmot that hitched a ride in someone’s truck. I furthermore had the privilege to be on the bear team, both before, during and after the bear releases. Lastly I had the amazing experience of being a member of the team that takes care of Tucker, the resident bobcat.

Working at Critter Care is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in life so far. It is so rewarding to be able to help a defenceless animal get better so it can have a second chance in life. It can be very challenging especially during baby season when you have several milk feeds throughout the night. But when you look at your little baby animals everything is forgotten. The exhaustion and sleep deprivation can make it very difficult at times but you have your fellow interns to lean on and they know and understand what’s going on since they are going through the same thing. The friends you make at Critter Care will be true friends for life. The way you get to know someone when you have feeding stations next to each other is different from any other friendship you make anywhere else.

During my second stay at Critter Care I got the opportunity to be a team leader. A team leader helps organize the day to day tasks during the morning meeting and fellow interns can turn to you with problems or any questions they may have. You help welcome and train any new interns and make sure that they feel at ease and at home with in the group. As an intern at Critter Care you truly get to be involved in every part of the rehabilitation process. You can go on rescues, witness and/or help with intake examinations, rehabilitate by caring for individual animals and medicating them when necessary, and being part of their release back into the wild.

 

Natasha Rose – Canada

“I was an intern at CCWS from February to the end of October, 2024. It was such an incredible experience being able to work so closely with animals I had grown up around, giving a whole new perspective and insight into my home. I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of species, many as babies and adults: raccoons, beavers, coyotes, grey squirrels, Douglas squirrels, American red squirrels, opossums, shrews, bunnies and skunks. Meeting so many different animals and learning each of their unique personalities is so much fun. Whether raising an animal from milk feeds to its release date, or helping an adult animal recover from an otherwise deadly injury or illness, it is an indescribable feeling to be able to see them back in the wild where they belong and knowing you had the privilege to be a part of that process.

During my time at Critter Care I gained a lot of valuable hands on experience including performing rescues, aiding in exams, administering medication and rehabilitation plans, learning dietary requirements, animal handling, animal husbandry, and enrichment. It was also a great environment to develop leadership skills, organizational skills, and the ability to function on zero hours of sleep (kidding… mostly). It is a challenging experience in many regards, with some extremely difficult times – from sleep deprivation, to physically and emotionally demanding work, to the reality that not all the animals can be saved and that sometimes euthanasia is the kindest course of action for them. But between the staff and the other interns there is always a fantastic group of people to celebrate the successes with and to help you through the challenging times. Being part of such a team and working in such an impactful way is extremely rewarding.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of CCWS and will continue building on everything I learnt here.”

Nell Exner – Germany

“I was given the chance to intern at Critter Care from the 30th July of 2023 until the 1st October of 2024 and will without hesitation say I have spent the most amazing 14 months of my life over there. Pretty soon after I arrived, I was given the responsibility to take care of a group of raccoons which I will forever hold dear in my heart. Over my time there I have learned to love and care for not only raccoons but also smaller animals such as eastern cottontails and snowshoe hares, deer and house mice, shrews, grey squirrels and opossums as well as bigger animals like otters, skunks, beavers and even black bears.

 I got to experience a part of the life story of each animal I was lucky enough to work with. Be it the first few months of their lives, potentially opening their eyes for the first time, growing and learning about the world around them or the journey of recovery of an injury so severe the animal wouldn’t have made it by themselves or sometimes, as sad and heartbreaking as it is, an animal’s last couple hours before they close their eyes forever and take their last breath. While moments as the latter are a sad reality to every rehabber, they’ve also taught me valuable lessons and made me appreciate every animal I got to save and release back into the wild even more. The best feeling is knowing I have given each living being that I have grown to love so much a second chance to experience all the wonders of life.

Next to working with the animals, Critter Care has also given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge through various lessons on topics such as diseases, medications, different types of animals, etc. and helped me learn about myself and improve certain aspects of myself like my ability to lead and work in a team, stay on time and work out schedules as well as working under pressure and taking on responsibility.

In every aspect Critter Care was a life-changing experience and it was really hard for me when the time came to leave and say goodbye not only to my animals, that weren’t ready to be released yet, but also the members of staff I have grown so fond of and who have taken care of me from the very beginning and watched me grow into a better version of myself. But I know I have left this incredible place in the best hands and encourage anyone with a heart for animals and open to an emotional rollercoaster that has you appreciate every second of this experience to give Critter Care Wildlife Society a chance.”

Jasmine Beyer, Canada, 2024

“From September 6th to December 17th, 2024, I interned with CCWS as part of my co-op degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. This experience provided me with invaluable hands-on exposure to a wide variety of wildlife, deepening my understanding of animal care and behaviour. I had the privilege of working with raccoons, squirrels, opossums, skunks, and bears, and I truly fell in love with every animal I was able to help. I was aware of the long hours and strenuous work when I first began this position and it defiantly takes some getting used to, but is completely worth it for what you get to experience in exchange.

My regular duties at Critter Care consisted of laundry, cooking eggs and chicken, making food plates, cage cleaning, organizing supplies, admitting new animals, and cleaning the centre. Along with this are the tasks that are directly involved with the animals such as feeding, enrichment or medicating.

This opportunity encourages both individual and collaborative work. It is common to be assigned your own animals to which you are the sole caretaker, however, it is also possible to be assigned co parents to lessen the workload of a group of animals. Daily tasks throughout the day can also vary in their collaborative nature depending on the magnitude of the assignment. Overall, this position is very team oriented as most individuals stay on site, allowing us to form strong relationships with one another. Recognizing that such close interaction with wildlife may not come again, I made it a priority to prioritize and maximize this incredible opportunity.”

Sarah Meek, Canada, 2025

“I interned at Critter Care for 6 months from January-July of 2025. What was supposed to be a 3 month internship ending in April turned into 6 months after I decided to extend. During my time at CCWS I got the opportunity to parent 9 different species of animals, including otters, racoons, opossums and more! Learning how to care for these animals in a very hands on educational setting was an unforgettable experience for me. I got the chance to sit in on exams, attend rescues and releases, administer medication and even learn how to give fluids. 

 

Before coming to CCWS I was very squeamish and fearful when it came to things like bodily fluids, parasites and disease, but the more I worked with the things I feared and gained understanding and knowledge, the less I worried and it become easy to deal with. Overcoming my fears was something I didn't think I would be able to move past and definitely became one of my biggest accomplishments during my internship. 

 

Each day at CCWS presented new challenges and opportunities for additional education, from examining broken bones on deceased animals to dealing with parasitic infections, it wasn't always easy, but gaining the knowledge was so worth it. 

 

I was lucky enough to get to experience 3 very different seasons during my time at CCWS, from the slower paced winter season to the gradual increase in busyness as spring approached, onto the full blown chaos of summer baby season. During baby season, days were long and exhausting, endless feedings and tasks to get done, but getting to watch my babies grow and thrive after dedicating so many hours to them made all the hard days easier. 

One of the most special things about my experience at CCWS, besides my animals, was the close friends I made along the way. When days were tough I had so many amazing people to lean on. Staff members were also a huge support and helped keep morale up when things were stressful by hosting fun team building activities and buying us treats. 

CCWS brought people from all over the world together and connected us through our love of animals, and that was a truly special and unique feeling that I'm forever grateful for. 

Thank you!!”

Jessica Barilla, Canada, 2025

“I was an intern at CCWS from June 1st, 2025 to August 8th, 2025. My time at Critter Care (while short), was truly a life-changing experience. As a student studying conservation biology, I gained hands-on experience working with a variety of wild animals like fawns, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, bunnies, deer mice and a chipmunk!

As an intern the staff ensures that you are constantly learning and being given chances to be a part of rescues, exams, and releases where you obtain valuable insight about the ins and outs of wildlife rehabilitation. Since you and your co-parents are responsible for the around the clock care of your animals, your days, while exhausting at times, are so fulfilling and rewarding.

One thing I appreciated about working here is the independence that you have, as the interns are completely responsible for the care of their animals, it forces you to ask questions to staff and take the initiative to learn the different diets and specialized care/ treatments that each animal needs. You also encounter different diseases, infections or injuries and learn from the staff how to treat them with their respective medications which I found very interesting to learn about. 

 

The ability to work so closely with these beautiful animals is such a unique experience, and the knowledge I gained from my time here exceeded my expectations. I am grateful for the housing aspect as well! Coming into this experience, I didn’t expect the amazing friendships that I would be leaving behind. Living in such close quarters with so many like-minded people from all around the world was truly unique and something that I will forever be grateful to have experienced.

 

I cannot express enough how this experience has impacted my life. It has solidified my passion for wildlife conservation and fundamentally changed me as an individual. I came into this experience unsure of what path I wanted to take in my career and left with more than enough certainty to seriously pursue wildlife conservation in my future. Thank you CCWS for this incredible opportunity, the memories I made will last a lifetime.”

 

Clélia Mercier, France, 2025

“I interned at Critter Care during summer 2025. My stay here gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of wild animals, such as raccoons, skunks, opossums, bunnies, squirrels and mice. 

During my time at CCWS, I saw animals that I had never seen before, learnt how to handle them

safely and take care of them, made connections with people from all over the world and improved my language skills. One of the most memorable things for me here was bottle and syringe feeding tiny babies. I was also given the chance to be a team leader for the last weeks of my internship, which helped me gain confidence and will be helpful for my future career. 

I am very grateful for the whole experience at CCWS. The work is hard and can be very tiring

physically but also emotionally, as the animals here are not always in great condition and sadly

sometimes don’t make it. But in the end, it is worth it, seeing the animals grow healthy and releasing them back into the wild is truly unforgettable.”