Wildlife Rehabilitation Internship

Position Available: Wildlife Rehabilitation Internship
Deadline: Varies
Rate: UNPAID

As development encroaches on wildlife habitat, PAWS’ nationally recognized wildlife rehabilitation center rehabilitates sick, injured, and orphaned animals and educates people about peaceful co-existence with wildlife.
Purpose of the Position:

Wildlife Rehabilitation interns assist and support professional Rehabilitator mentors in the daily care of wildlife patients. PAWS Wildlife interns are an important and integral part of caring for the 5,000 animals that we receive each year. They gain valuable, practical experience in species identification and natural history, proper husbandry techniques, animal handling, tube-feeding of mammals and birds, medication administration, lab work, and other procedures on 250 different wild species in Washington state. Internships are intense, physically demanding, and fast-paced but give rewarding experience in the field of Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Summer internships may have a focus on Juvenile Songbird Rehabilitation in our Baby Bird Nursery. Interns will be assigned to this role based on availability, skill level, and start date.
This year’s interns will also have the unique opportunity to attend our internship program at our newly built Snohomish facility opening early in 2024.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Hand-feed and tube feeding infant mammals
• Learning to prepare diets for Washington’s native species (includes dead prey and/or live insects)
• Administering daily medications
• Gavage feeding and fluid administration
• Supervising, working with, and providing support for Wildlife Care Assistant volunteers
• Laundry, dishes, and general cleaning
• Other tasks as required

Learning Opportunities
In addition to the day-to-day skills interns will be learning, PAWS internships include a variety of continuing education classes. These include:
• Wildlife Ethics and Scenarios – Learn about the complexities and ethical considerations of wildlife rehabilitation
• Preventative Care
• Fracture Stabilization
• Radiology/Radiographs
• Feather Imping
• Wound Care
• Advanced Skills – Medications, subcutaneous injections, gavage feeding birds and mammals, raptor handling

Qualifications:

Applicants must be current college students, recent graduates, or career changers, possess a strong interest in wildlife rehabilitation and be able to:

• Read, write and speak English fluently
• Work independently and as a part of a team
• Perform tedious tasks for long periods of time
• Do rigorous outdoor work in all types of weather
• Perform physically demanding tasks and lift up to 40 lbs.
• Work quickly, efficiently, and calmly under stressful conditions and handle multiple responsibilities while precisely following instructions and protocols.
• Work cooperatively with co-workers (volunteers, interns, and staff)
• Represent PAWS professionally at all times

Internship Terms:

• We are currently only offering full-time spring and summer internships for 2024
• For Juvenile Songbird Wildlife Rehabilitation, internships are available May – August (these interns should be able to start by late April or early May)
• Successful candidates must commit to a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks.
• Interns work 40 hours per week including weekend and holiday work. One weekend day is required
• From April 1st to September 30th, full-time summer shifts are: 7:00am – 5:30pm and 11:30am – 10:00pm. Schedules are consistent throughout the internship and will be provided after a mentor is assigned
• Internships are unpaid
• Housing and transportation assistance are not provided

Application Instructions:

If you are interested in applying for an internship at the PAWS Wildlife Center, please submit the following questionnaire:
• Questionnaire

The following documentation can be attached to the Internship Questionnaire or emailed separately to Selah Ross at sross@paws.org.
• Letter of Intent: Please tell us about your career goals and what you hope to gain from the internship, as well as your qualifications and what you can bring to the position.
• Current Resume

Alternatively, you can mail your application to:

Selah Ross, Wildlife Volunteer Program Manager
PAWS
PO Box 1037
Lynnwood, WA 98046

Please note: Only applicants who follow the instructions and complete the application process in full will have their responses reviewed for consideration.

Deadlines

There are no deadlines for the Spring and Summer internships, and applications are reviewed as they are received. Opportunities will be offered to qualified candidates on a first-come, first-serve basis, as start dates are flexible and depend upon the applicant. Our seasons are as follows:

Spring Internships: March – May/June
Summer Internships (Early): May- June/August
Summer Internships (Late): June – September/October

The Decision Process

You will receive an email confirmation of our receipt of your application materials. We regret that we are unable to respond to status inquiries over the phone. Applications will continue to be reviewed until positions are full.

Applicants will be notified by email should they be chosen to participate in an interview.

Questions?
Email Selah Ross, Wildlife Volunteer Program Manager at sross@paws.org