from 1,535€

Good 4.2rating (69)
  • Life On Land

Animal Caretakers

location
2 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
rating  Good 4.2  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Contribute to animal welfare
  • Meet people from all over the world who are also involved in animal protection
  • Spend time with adorable cats
  • Learn Portuguese and develop your language skills
  • Discover Porto and its surroundings

Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples

About the program

This program gives volunteers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of stray cats while working with local NGOs dedicated to animal welfare.

This program gives international volunteers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of stray cats while working with local NGOs dedicated to animal welfare. These organizations focus on reducing animal abandonment and promoting responsible pet ownership to increase adoption rates.

As ...

About the program

This program gives international volunteers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of stray cats while working with local NGOs dedicated to animal welfare. These organizations focus on reducing animal abandonment and promoting responsible pet ownership to increase adoption rates.

As a volunteer, you will assist with the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method, a humane approach to managing wild cat populations. Your tasks will involve helping to capture and neuter stray cats, ensuring they are dewormed and receive medical attention when necessary. After neutring, the cats will be returned to their original colonies. Younger cats, still sociable, will be placed in foster care and later put up for adoption.

What to Expect:

  • Trapping: Help catching street cats using proper equipment and techniques.
  • Post-op Care: Assist with feeding, cleaning and medication, ensuring that animals recover quickly and well after their surgery.
  • Shelter Maintenance: Help clean cages and equipment, maintain spaces organized and tidy, and ensure a clean and safe environment for the animals.
  • Releases: Assist in releasing cats back to the street after their recovery process
  • Communication Support: Participate in events and contribute to communication campaigns to raise awareness and support for the NGOs.

Why Join?

  • Make a Difference: Help improve the lives of abandoned and street animals and support their journey to a healthier life and finding loving homes.
  • Gain Experience: Acquire hands-on experience in animal care.
  • Cultural Immersion: Experience life in Porto while contributing to a meaningful cause.
 
Ready to Help Animals?

Typical day

After the initial orientation day, you will have a morning, afternoon or evening shift at the Animal Care placement and will work for approximately 3 to 5 hours per day. 

Daily Tasks:

  • Trapping
  • Feeding and medication administration
  • Cleaning
  • General Maintenance
A typical schedule is as follows:

08:00 - ...

Typical day

After the initial orientation day, you will have a morning, afternoon or evening shift at the Animal Care placement and will work for approximately 3 to 5 hours per day. 

Daily Tasks:

  • Trapping
  • Feeding and medication administration
  • Cleaning
  • General Maintenance
A typical schedule is as follows:

08:00 - 08:30 am : Breakfast at the hostel
08:30 am : Travel to the project site or free time to explore the city, relax, attend portuguese language lessons or enroll other activities if you have the afternoon shift
01:00 - 02:30 pm : Lunch is served at the restaurant
03:00 pm : Travel to the project site or free time to explore the city, relax, attend portuguese language lessons or enroll other activities if you have the morning shift
08:00 - 10:00 pm : Dinner is served at the restaurant. After dinner you will have the remainder of the evening free to relax and use as you wish.

Free-time activities

In your free time, you can explore the city, have Portuguese language classes, surf, or anything you wish!

Porto is the second biggest city in Portugal and one of the most authentic cities to visit in the country. Stroll through its sinuous and picturesque streets and feel the pulse of the city, or ...

Free-time activities

In your free time, you can explore the city, have Portuguese language classes, surf, or anything you wish!

Porto is the second biggest city in Portugal and one of the most authentic cities to visit in the country. Stroll through its sinuous and picturesque streets and feel the pulse of the city, or take the tram to the mouth of the river Douro and get to know the excellent beaches and the outdoor cafés. The historic center of Porto was declared UNESCO World Heritage but is the hospitality and forceful character of the locals that will delight you. Porto is a vibrant and young city with countless cafés, bars, and clubs to have a really good time at night, or relaxed rooftops to have a drink and enjoy the warm Portuguese climate.

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Criminal Background Check

required

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday

What's Included

What's Included

Services by ImpacTrip

What’s included?

  • Pick up at the international airport in Porto & transfer to the accommodation - Sunday 

On Sunday, the ImpacTrip team will be at the airport waiting for you with a big sign and a smile on their face! :) f you arrive prior to Sunday, you will still be able to receive an airport pickup and our team can transport you to the accommodation, but you will need to pay an extra fee for this service. We will reach out to you by WhatsApp a few days before your start date to connect.

  • Accommodation at a dormitory at a centre-located hostel, female dormitory or mixed dormitory
  • Three meals a day everyday: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (Local style. Vegetarian, gluten-free and meals for lactose-intolerant are also available upon request)
  • Shared use of common spaces and free WIFI
  • Orientation event on arrival (including introduction to Portugal and culture, volunteer experience, overview of programmes, practical information, safety guidelines)
  • Guided city tour and the best tips to discover the city!
  • Allocation and coordination of a work placement in a sustainable project and contact person in the project
  • Introduction on the first day of volunteering
  • Ongoing support throughout the stay
  • 24h/7 emergency support by phone or personally
  • Limited coverage civil liability insurance.

Airport Pickup at Porto Airport

On Sunday, the ImpacTrip team will be at the airport waiting for you with a big sign and a smile on their face! :)

If you arrive prior to Sunday, you will still be able to receive an airport pickup and our team can transport you to the accommodation, but you will need to pay an extra fee for this service.

We will reach out to you by WhatsApp a few days before your start date to connect

Accommodation

The accommodation is an hostel located right at the city center of Porto city, with a wide range of rooms, from dormitories to private rooms, a spacious and friendly lounge area where volunteers can hang out, chill, listen to music, enjoy the atmosphere, play some games, and get to know  other fellow travelers. The bathrooms are shared. There is free wi-fi in all the hostel area.

Food & Beverages

We will provide breakfast at the accommodation everyday. We will cook with fresh local ingredients everyday for all volunteers and they are prepared to accommodate most diet restrictions such as vegan and vegetarians, gluten-free and lactose intolerant. Also take some time out to explore the city and its incredible cuisine!

Lunch and dinner are provided by an amazing local restaurant! It is only a 10 min walk from your accommodation.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Porto Airport (OPO) in Porto. We assist you to find cheap flights to Portugal. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Portugal provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Portugal you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Portugal. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

This program starts on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month!

You should arrive on Sunday (or before) to attend the orientation session on Monday morning.

*From May to September arrivals every Sunday.*
Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

2 weeks (min. stay) 1,535€
3 weeks 2,045€
4 weeks 2,555€
6 weeks 3,575€
8 weeks 4,595€
12 weeks (max. stay) 6,635€
Average fees 660€/week

Program fees

660€ per week 2 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES

Duration

2 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.

Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with ImpacTrip during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.

Meet your organization

ImpacTrip

Good 4.2 rating (69 reviews)

Agency - founded in 2015

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Cristiana

Spoken languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese

About the project

ImpacTrip is a social enterprise that promotes Responsible Travel Experiences in Portugal, Spain and Croatia.

Meet your organization

ImpacTrip is a social business internationally certified as B-Corp that promotes Responsible Travel Experiences in Portugal, Spain and Croatia.

Founded in 2015 by two dedicated social entrepreneurs that want to change the way people travel, ImpacTrip aims at combining the best of travel with a positive social and environmental impact.

We really want travelers to have the most unique and meaningful travel experiences.

We offer short-term Travel Experiences across our country that allow you and other Responsible Travelers to connect with the locals, experience the culture and contribute in a positive way to the local communities.

We also offer long-term volunteer programs in which you can dedicate 1 to 12 weeks volunteering for local non-profits for a specific cause while meeting people from all over the world.

Since 2015 we've received people from over 50+ different nationalities that contributed with over 30.000 hours of volunteer work to support over 300 non-profits.

69 reviews · rating4.2

Alba Gala Torrero rating5

2024 at Youth Supporter

I recommend this experience to absolutely anyone, it was the best of my life. The first week my placement was in a Skatepark in Cascais, so I had to catch a train and then a bus. Although it was good and the commute was fine, I didn't feel comfortable at the beggining so I asked to switch to a ...
Martin Hag rating3.6

2024 at Environmental Scuba Diving

The people working there were really supportive and genuinely wish for you to have a good experience. My first day was an introduction to the area, possibility to get help with the tickets for the public transports and a guided tour of Lisbon. They also have communication chats for you to contact ...
Thomas Payne rating3.2

2024 at Animal Care and Protection

Honestly, I was surprised, when on the website it shows photos of so many dogs, animals, it turned out I was working at a cat sanctuary. It's not that I was disappointed by the cats, it was just a shock, and also, at points of the sanctuary I feel like I wasn't apart of it massively, there wasn't ...
Isabel Hager rating2.6

2024 at Environmental Scuba Diving

Here’s a more formal and assertive version of your feedback: After months of requesting a detailed schedule for our diving experience, we only received the information after all payments had already been made. To pay €1,500 for a week, only to end up with just four dives, is completely ...
Louise Rivet rating1.8

2024 at English Teaching to the community

Unfortunately, my experience was not the best one. The lodging was too far from the project; we had to travel almost two hours to get there. The classes were not organized. After one week, and following my request, I was assigned to a school which was fine but still one hour bus and metro to get ...
Will Slocum rating4.6

2023 at Fight Food Waste

I had an amazing 2 weeks volunteering at a food waste redistribution kitchen in Barcelona and am very grateful to have had this experience! The ImpactTrip supervisors, Clara and Elly, were super welcoming from the train station pickup and at orientation, where they set me up with everything I needed ...

Location

Europe > Southern Europe > Portugal > Porto

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Volunteer Abroad  >  Animals  >  Street Animals in Portugal
Contact Cristiana
  Very high response rate
English, Spanish, Portuguese

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