Internships Available Now - SoCal International Avian Confiscation Center
Animal Care Intern Program
Purpose
This program aims to develop the intern's knowledge and skills from the fundamentals of creating and executing an excellent caregiving environment for avian species confiscated due to neglect, cruelty, hoarding, abandonment, illicit wildlife trade, and more. Skills focusing on creating and maintaining a comprehensive diet plan, mental and physical enrichment for captive birds, setting up appropriate enclosures, assisting with medical protocols, and implementing biological controls for the prevention and treatment of disease among the day-to-day challenges of caregiving to multiple species, and balancing resource management can be practiced and perfected.
Meaningfulness
Avian confiscations by law enforcement agencies often present significant opportunities to mitigate the devastating effects that modern humans have had on the planet, animal populations, and animal welfare. These birds are frequently wild birds that have been poached and sold into the illicit wildlife trade. It is not unusual for the birds we work with to be endangered or critically endangered in their native habitat. For this reason, we make every effort to clear them of disease and work with the government to return them to a safer area of their native range so their valuable genetic material is preserved naturally.
Interns in our program get to work directly on caring for these birds, offering them a reprieve from the unkind, compassionless, neglectful, abusive, and always exploitative environment they have been subjected to, whether wild or human-bred. We are honored to often be the first trustworthy humans they will encounter in their long lives. They have known nothing but their panicked instinct to fight for their lives against humans. Still, we get to fight for their lives alongside them, we get to turn the tide and begin to reverse the trauma, to offer them a healing environment, healthy food, enrichment, and maybe even reintroduce them to sunshine and fresh air. They may even grow to trust us in some ways.
This program is entirely unique in that we are working with both (truly) wild birds and species bred for the pet trade. Before our existence, many birds confiscated by law enforcement had no opportunity to receive the necessary care for a disease isolation period, short-term or long-term care. They were therefore returned to the offenders or euthanized due to budget constraints. Interns directly contribute to each bird's survival and ability to thrive in the future. The SCIACC staff are standouts in conservation, clinical care, and rehabilitation, and have decades of experience tying those fields together for the benefit of wild birds. Interns can rest assured that we will help them understand the reasons behind every decision, so that when it is their turn to make decisions in the future, they can know they are making the right ones.
Structure
Internships will be allotted for four weeks each. Applicants may apply for one or two four-week internships. We will offer up to four animal care internship positions at any time. The current confiscations project, "Operation 33 Kilos" (expected to run through the end of June 2025) includes approximately 200 psittacines from eleven species. Interns will support Operation 33 Kilos or any other similar project. Weekly and daily schedules will be determined by the number of interns and staff members available at any given time. Requests for specific days off will be accommodated on a first-come basis and are subject to staff availability.. Internships can begin as soon as the intern is available to start. Interns who are immunocompromised should not apply for the Animal Care Intern position.
SCIACC’s Need for Interns
Interns are needed to assist staff with the day-to-day work involved in caring for confiscated wildlife, including creating occasional relief days for staff. Patients in Operation 33 Kilos are mostly stable and non-medical, so ongoing care is needed while securing the final placement location of confiscated avians in sanctuaries, zoos, and adoption/rescue groups.
Animal Care Workload
In general, interns can plan on working one long shift and one shorter shift each day (long shift in the morning, with a midday two-hour break, then a shorter shift in the evening) or the opposite (short shift in the morning, midday break, then long shift in the evening). Interns are expected to remain flexible in their job assignments and availability. Interns will spend most of their shifts doing physical activities related to cleaning cages, aviaries, food/water dishes, floors, etc. Bending, squatting, and stretching into uncomfortable positions may be required occasionally, as well as lifting (typically no more than 25 pounds but occasionally up to 50 pounds). Personal protective equipment (PPE) must always be worn inside the avian facility, and the staff will determine the level of PPE required for assigned jobs.
SCIACC Provides:
Housing is provided for interns; a large private, recently renovated residence where each intern will be provided a private bedroom with a queen-sized bed, all linens, wifi, a spacious chef's kitchen, a large lounge/game room, and double washers and dryers for laundry. The residence has seven bedrooms and four bathrooms, so some sharing of bathrooms may be required. A video of the residence made by an Operation 33 Kilos volunteer may be viewed here.
Pantry supplies for light meals, snacks, and drinks will be provided, and requests for specific grocery items will be accommodated as available in the geographic area with a few days' notice. Vegan and vegetarian options are more challenging but usually available. Interns and staff are encouraged to coordinate meal planning and utilize the large kitchen and cooking to increase camaraderie and get to know each other. Staff may also plan to order meals for delivery or pickup every few days to increase the variety of meal options. A photo of the stocked intern/volunteer quick-cook/light meal pantry is available here.
Scrubs and PPE for wearing inside the facility. Interns can use their personal scrubs and safety glasses if they wish, but staff will indicate the specific PPE required for each job. Staff-designated PPE is not negotiable.
A stipend of $250 per week will be provided. Staff and administration will coordinate with each intern to determine the best way to provide these funds. Intern programs may require adherence to their own rules (if interns are being secured through an educational program), SCIACC is flexible and happy to accommodate said rules.
Staff will provide letters of recommendation with a 30-day notice, at their discretion. Interns are encouraged to communicate with their supervisors throughout the internship to ensure a strong letter of recommendation can be secured.
Intern Responsibilities
Working with confiscated wildlife - Interns and their respective organizations must understand that there is a risk in working with wildlife. Zoonotics and other pathogens; confiscated birds are always at risk of severe illness, some of which are contagious to humans. Sadly, they often have several diseases that are ongoing. Interns will be provided with the most current information staff and administration have regarding diseases known to be active in the population the interns are working with. Biosecurity protocols are constantly reevaluated (with each laboratory result), but the situation is often fluid. Therefore, staff-directed PPE will remain mandatory throughout the internship. Interacting with any animal poses a risk of being bitten or scratched. PPE will lessen the chances of significant injury, and only interns who wish to assist with handling the birds for medical reasons will be allowed to do so. Interns are required to provide their health insurance.
Travel to/from the facility - The specific address of the facility will be provided before travel. It is located within a 2-hour drive of three airports: San Diego International (SAN), Palm Springs International (PSP), and Yuma (YUM). Car transportation between the airport and the facility will be required. We will do our best to assist with the transfer between the airport and the facility, but we may be unable to accommodate. For security reasons, the town and address of the facility must be kept confidential.
Attire - Interns will need one pair of shoes (closed-toed, easily cleaned and disinfected) to wear inside the facility and another for walking between the facility and the residence (the same pair can be worn inside the residence). Personal clothing may be worn when in the residence (reminder that the residence is co-ed). SCIACC will provide scrubs and all PPE, but interns can use their personal scrubs and safety glasses.
Specific personal dietary preferences - The intern may need to secure particular grocery items that are not readily available locally. There is a chain grocery store within walking distance, and a Walmart within driving distance, which also delivers to the facility address.
Compliance with staff instructions - Interns must comply with staff instructions regarding workload, instructions for care, and biosecurity. A violation of this aspect of the internship program may terminate the intern’s position immediately.
Security and confidentiality - For security reasons, the town and address of the facility must be kept confidential. No posting of images and videos - location data on photos, videos, social media posts, or unintentional background information may indicate our location and are therefore prohibited. A violation of this aspect of the internship program may terminate the intern’s position immediately.
Required Skills
Animal care experience - A basic understanding of animal caregiving is required. Knowledge and understanding of pathogen deterrence are essential. Avian knowledge is preferred. Interns with a background in or a desire to focus on wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife conservation, avian medicine, and zookeeping will be given preference. Applicants must be flexible in their work schedule and understand that the workload can fluctuate due to the nature of wild animal care.
A strong work ethic - Interns must be self-motivated individuals with the initiative to provide an excellent level of cleanliness, diet, and environment to both the avians in our care and the team members surrounding them. Perhaps it’s a bit cliche, but we insist on an intern with team spirit, a sense of humor, and forgiveness: we are in this together to save lives. There is no time for hyper-emotionality, and the ability to perform under pressure will likely be tested. Interns must be dedicated, responsible, dependable, and cooperative.
Communications - Interns must be able to take direction and, upon reflection, communicate their concerns effectively with staff and administration. Outbursts, divisive language, or behavior will not be tolerated. Conflicts must be properly communicated to the staff and other interns, with sufficient feedback provided to the staff so they can resolve the issue promptly.
Living remotely - The facility is located in a remote area of California and was primarily chosen for site security, not convenience for human interactions. Everything we need to care for the animals is available, and sufficient human necessities are covered. However, the area is not known for its nightlife or convenience for social activities. Interns must be comfortable with this remoteness and willing to entertain themselves at or near the residence during downtime. Interns must remain close to the facility during their work days, but are welcome to leave the area on off-days, provided they have a mode of transportation. Visits from friends and family to the residence require prior permission from staff and administration.
Discretion - See “Intern responsibilities; security and confidentiality”.
Application Process
Please email brooke@socalparrot.org with the subject “SCIACC Intern Application” and attach a cover letter and CV. Please indicate the dates you are available in the body of the email.
Staff will review applicants, consider dates, and reply to the applicant within one week. Applicants should expect to receive an email from staff at SCIACC within ten days indicating the next steps or a decline to accept the applicant. A phone or video interview may be requested as the next step.
Applicants accepted as interns will be contacted as soon as possible (hours to days) to facilitate a quick scheduling and onboarding process, given our compressed timeline for Operation 33 Kilos, the current project.
Intern Onboarding
New interns will be assigned to a staff member for onboarding, orientation, and shadowing in the first several days of their internship. Interns can expect to interact openly with staff and be confident in tasks near the avian patients before the intern is asked to learn new skills. Administration or staff will coordinate with interns a plan to provide the stipend on a case-by-case basis (typically, we can accommodate whatever works best for the intern and/or their source organization).
What should interns expect to learn?
SCIACC offers an unprecedented variety of opportunities for interns to gain comfort with new skills. The intern and staff will cooperate to outline the skills the intern wishes to gain experience in or perfect during their internship. Skills and practical knowledge opportunities at SCIACC include, but are not limited to, the following:
Detailed outline of learning objectives available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1okgOrp3dCcNOF1ObWACbCbp_2t9aW5XhgWyTXOczEno/edit?tab=t.0
Feedback
Interns will be asked to provide free-form written feedback on the SCIACC Animal Care Intern Program at the end of their internship. We will use that feedback to improve our intern program continuously. We are also happy to offer feedback to the intern upon request, and will be glad to consider writing letters of recommendation at the end of their internship, with a one-month (30-day) notice.
Legal
See contract
In process, email for the final copy