from 356€

Great 4.4rating (85)

Animal Rescue Center Supporter

location
1 - 50 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Great 4.4  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Complete your reservation as soon as possible. This project fills up quickly and is already booked on certain dates.


Highlights

  • Volunteer with Costa Rica's wildlife animals surrounded by beautiful and unique nature
  • Experience the rewarding feeling of saving wildlife by helping injured animals to get back on track
  • Meet like-minded volunteers from all over the world and build life-long friendships
  • Enjoy your weekends by visiting stunning beaches and improving your surfing skills
  • Learn this beautiful language by attending Spanish lessons

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+
Wheel Chairs

About the program

Experience the joy of nurturing, the satisfaction of knowing you're making a difference, and the warmth of these wonderful creatures' company. Come and join us!

Following the new standards of animal welfare and for respect to wildlife, we stand against the “petting zoo” idea, where time before, inexperienced volunteers handled animals indistinctly. This concept has changed recently, and is now an aspect under the new regulation of Costa Rican ...

About the program

Following the new standards of animal welfare and for respect to wildlife, we stand against the “petting zoo” idea, where time before, inexperienced volunteers handled animals indistinctly. This concept has changed recently, and is now an aspect under the new regulation of Costa Rican Wildlife’s Law. This issue have made us look on how to improve our practices, and nowadays we do allow that volunteers with animal care or wildlife experience (nurses, veterinarians, biologists), and a time commitment long enough to be trained, help us with some of those tasks.

We stand that wild animals are sentient beings, under our responsibility, and not elements for the entertainment of people, and are the kind of values we want to share with our volunteers. For what we see the volunteer was expecting to have a different experience with the animals.

About sloth walks: In the same way of the other procedures, sloth walks are done for a reason, which is improve animal conditions, not just for mental enrichment, but to give them the opportunity to get back and reinforce climbing/hanging abilities that may help them under the possibility of a reintroduction, as well as help as mental and physical enrichment while their recovery. Similar to the aspect covered before, these procedures should be done by trained personnel, which is the reason why volunteers working at the hospital (vet team), are the ones leading the task. In order to enhance the volunteer experience, we allow regular volunteers to sign onto a list to accompany vet team volunteers while doing the sloth walk, so they can share some information on what’s the sloth walk about, and about the importance of reducing interaction with the animals while “training”. Working day hours at 7am– 3pm, turn on 7am-6pm, but then compelling for lack of activity at the evening

Working day hours at 7am– 3pm, turn on 7am-6pm, but then compelling for lack of activity at the eveningIn a regular day, the activity can run until 3pm, though there are times of the year or environmental conditions that pull us to increase our time commitment to be sure the animals are under good conditions. This is not a mandatory, as volunteers can get out of their working teams, to rest if desire.

In this time of the year, we are facing high temperatures in the region, so we need to keep animals cool, check water more than three times a day, and sometimes even change a little the feeding times, to avoid secondary issues. Most of the volunteers help us with these situations, and as I mentioned before, probably is about personal commitment. As an example, some volunteers help us with nocturnal animal feeding, or nursery activity, which represent an extra effort, as taking care of newborns or small baby animals that need to be under observation or fed very often, following a working schedule that extends to the evening and down . Of course, these tasks are developed by volunteers with other kind of commitment, and we respect entirely the decision of a volunteer if feel tired or don’t feel like want to participate on those.

Animal releasing: Every animal release should be coordinated with Costarrican wildlife agency. The regulation of Costa Rican wildlife Law has come into force since last February. This new regulation stands to divide Rescue Centers from Zoos, and change fundamentally the possibilities that can be done by each of those institutions. We (as other Costa Rican related institutions) have been forced to modify the scheme of the center, which under their suggestion was first to register the Zoo, and then the rescue center back. Contrary to what your client express, we are on the process, we have the Zoo accreditation complete, and the Rescue Center on it’s way.

Going a little deep, is important that the volunteers understand that the liberation of an animal is a process that take time, and not an act that can be done lightly. Under the new Costarrican wildlife regulation, we understand that animals that stay up to 72 hours on a rescue center are allowed to be released, while after this time, should be sent to the government agency to relocate on other institution.  In our case, part of the animals that we have in the center, have a history that doesn’t allow us to set them under a release program. Some of the animals came badly injured, or lost physical or behavioral abilities to live in the wild due to human interactions.

But even when the panorama looks difficult for the future of the reintroductions, we have some animals that with the permission of the wildlife agency are in the process to be released. But as you may imagine, those are animals that should be kept on a separated environment, without interactions with regular volunteers, in order to reduce human contact that may endanger their reintroduction opportunities.

Who we are looking for: Volunteers of all ages and with all levels of experience and education are welcome at the Rescue Center. Whether you're a veterinary student with a broad knowledge of animal medicine, or simply a person with a passion for saving wildlife; your help is what keeps our Rescue Center going. 

The location: The Rescue center's beautiful surroundings, kind staff and magnificent animals make volunteering at the Costa Rica animal rescue center a wonderful life - changing experience and keep our volunteers coming back year after year.



Typical day

The daily tasks include:

  • Preparing food for the animals
  • Feeding the howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, sloths, birds (Scarlet Macaws, parrots, owls, and others), olingo, and kinkajous
  • Cleaning animal enclosures
  • Cleaning the common areas
  • Giving extra attention to the orphaned young animals 
  • General tidying ...

Typical day

The daily tasks include:

  • Preparing food for the animals
  • Feeding the howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, sloths, birds (Scarlet Macaws, parrots, owls, and others), olingo, and kinkajous
  • Cleaning animal enclosures
  • Cleaning the common areas
  • Giving extra attention to the orphaned young animals 
  • General tidying of the Center (sweeping pathways, etc.)
  • Preparing toys and stimulating exercises for the animals
  • Caring for our resident dogs
  • And other great contributions you might have! We welcome creative initiative!

Typical Daily Schedule


7:30am: 

Breakfast  

8:45am: Morning meeting

8:45am: Start morning group tasks. This will usually be cleaning, giving water and food to the animals. Each animal enclosure needs raking/sweeping and scrubbing with water and disinfectant. You also need to remove the used food bowls and replace the water. You will not have do every animal enclosure instead you have a list of the animals you need to care for each day. Other morning tasks include food preparation, watering the garden and collecting and moving the compost. Sometimes you will need to do a water check around 11am to make sure none of the animals have spilled their water and need more.

Free time for projects (when finished)
12pm: Lunch  (vegetarian and vegan options available) 
Free time - popular time to be in the pool
1:30pm: Afternoon meeting
1:45pm: Start afternoon tasks. You will sometimes need to check the water in the enclosures and help prepare food for dinner.
4pm: Feeding time for some of the animals.
4:30pm: It will be one teams job to sort tree branches and place them into baskets for each animal that needs them (usually Monkeys and Sloths). Then you go to the enclosures and place the branches around for the animals to eat/play with.
6pm: Dinner
After dinner FREE TIME - Night activities like bonfires and games are planned


Free-time activities

Beyond the adventure: While other programs offer stunning sunsets and rainforest hikes, ours goes beyond the typical itinerary. Jenny, your dedicated program leader, weaves in personalized touches and meticulous attention to detail, crafting an experience tailored just for you so you can feel part ...

Free-time activities

Beyond the adventure: While other programs offer stunning sunsets and rainforest hikes, ours goes beyond the typical itinerary. Jenny, your dedicated program leader, weaves in personalized touches and meticulous attention to detail, crafting an experience tailored just for you so you can feel part of a true costa rican family. Additional to the volunteer, you can ask Jenny to set you up differentiated adventures from bespoke tours to surprise picnics under hidden waterfalls to hand-picked accommodations reflecting your preferences, everything is curated to exceed your expectations. Prepare to be pampered, surprised, and utterly captivated by Costa Rica's magic, all under Jenny's attentive care.

 Unlike other programs with rigid schedules and impersonal service, Jenny ensures every moment feels bespoke. Listen to what past participants say:

·       "Jenny went the extra mile, organizing a private horseback ride to reach a hidden viewpoint just for me! It was breathtaking." - Sarah M.

·       "I felt like Jenny was my Costa Rican guardian angel. She anticipated my every need and made sure I experienced the authentic side of the country." - David L.

Normally volunteers have the weekend free to do different activities such as:

  • Surf Lessons
  • Spanish lessons
  • Tours by the city of Carribean Side , Puerto Viejo Town and Tortuguero Canales
  • hike to Volcanos like Arenal Volcano
  • visit Beaches
  • visit National Parks like Manuel Antonio and Monterverde
  • Horse Ride,  Canopy

We can help with reservations.


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 Spanish (basic level) or English (basic level)

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, Friday and Saturday from 08:00 - 17:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Volunteer Now Costa Rica

Program fees includes: 

  • pick up airport
  • 3 daily meals
  • lodging
  • laundry and wifi
  • pool

Local transportation is not included.

Airport Pickup at Juan Santamaria International Airport

Volunteers are picked up from the San Jose International Airport by the local coordinator or representative. 

Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Costa Rica will be picked up at a meeting point decided beforehand. 

Transport to the airport is not include because some volunteers decide to travel by themselves around the country.

Accommodation

Shared with other volunteers in our dorm style accommodation.

Private room with an extra cost.

Food & Beverages

Three meals a day: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, fruits, typical food from Costa Rica but we also have special food for vegans and vegetarians, GF, allergies volunteers.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose. We assist you to find cheap flights to Costa Rica. 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 Costa Rica provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

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

Details on arrival

We have volunteers from every country and background possible. Spanish fluency is not necessary and we are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week all year long so the volunteers are welcome every day and every season.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 356€
2 weeks 713€
3 weeks 1,018€
4 weeks 1,324€
5 weeks 1,630€
6 weeks 1,935€
7 weeks 2,241€
8 weeks 2,546€
9 weeks 2,852€
50 weeks (max. stay) 18,672€
Average fees 365€/week

Program fees

365€ per week 1 - 50 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

1 - 50 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 Volunteer Now Costa Rica during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Volunteer Now Costa Rica

Great 4.4 rating (85 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2004

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Jenny

Spoken languages: Spanish, English

About the project

We are a major organization with more than 10 years of volunteer experience creating lifetime experiences amongst our participants.

Meet your organization

VOLUNTEER NOW COSTA RICA is located in Escazu and Guanacaste, San Jose, Costa Rica. This is a family company that has been around since 2004 and enlisted the aid of hundreds of volunteers from all over the world, which come to our country to work on the ecological and social projects our company offers.

The further you have to travel to get here and the more eager you are to participate and learn about our great history and culture, the more we at Hospedaje Casa Escazu will appreciate and love you for your commitment to being the change in our great country. When you dedicate your time and effort to us, we promise to dedicate all of our resources to making sure your efforts make the greatest difference possible.

VOLUNTEER NOW COSTA RICA is located in Escazu City at 20 minutes from the airport Juan Santamaria.

We work with volunteers from different countries helping in the public Schools and Day Care Centers that don't have enough money to supply for the needs of the children that aren't supported by the Goverment.

Our Values at VOLUNTEER NOW COSTA RICA are:

  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Honesty
  • Integrity
  • Quality in our services
  • Reliability
  • Safety
  • Commitment
  • Trust
We say this because our goal with every day that passes and why we even became a business entity is to provide an enjoyable and eye opening experience for each volunteer the spends time with Hospedaje Casa Escazu in Costa Rica. At the same time we want to dramatically increase the quality of life for the local citizens and protect the natural beauty that in its self makes Costa Rica, the unique and enchanting place that it is.

85 reviews · rating4.4

evita barbera rating5

2024 at Animal Rescue Center Supporter

Il posto è molto accogliente, pulito e curato. La famiglia che lo gestisce è molto disponibile ad accogliere ogni richiesta (per tutti i pasti si può scegliere tra un menu regolare, vegetariano o vegano). L’esperienza è un qualcosa di meraviglioso e singolare. Fay la coordinatrice è una ...
Lesley Russel rating5

2024 at Animal Rescue Center Supporter

I have just finished a two week stint at the Costa Rica Animal Project. I have worked at several projects in different countries, and this one was one of the best! The family and staff at the project really care for the animals and look after them well - it was a pleasure to be part of this for a ...
Karlie Neuman rating4.6

2023 at Animal Rescue Center Supporter

it was so much fun here. It was so nice being able to work so closely with the animals - there is lots of hands-on time. There are lots of free time to hang out in hammocks. There were many really cool people there, I really enjoyed meeting the other volunteers. The food was okay. They organize lots ...
Diana Hofmann rating5

2023 at Animal Rescue Center Supporter

I was at the animal rescue center for a week and it was just a really great experience! I was together with very nice people from all over the world, the staff were always very nice, friendly and helpful, always with a smile and a "Hola"! The daily routine and division of work were very well ...
Fabienne Padel rating4.2

2023 at Animal Rescue Center Supporter

I spent 10 days in the rescue center. We had a good time feeding and cleaning the animals. The volunteers spending a longer time at the rescue center are allowed to do tours for visitors. The people were really nice and the project was well organized. We worked about 3 - 4 hours a day. At the time ...
Susan HERON rating4.6

2023 at Animal Rescue Center Supporter

We worked on the sloth team for 2 weeks and whilst it was occasionally hard and wet work, it was fantastic. We learnt loads about these unique animals and worked in shifts and in teams with other like minded people from around the world. The rescue centre is well organised, friendly and fun, with ...

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