Veterinary Careership - Rarotonga, Cook Islands

The organisation in which you will work is dedicated to solving the problem of stray dogs, whilst providing a free veterinary clinic to the residents of the Cook Islands archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. Since dogs have been introduced to the region, their populations have grown out of control on many of the larger islands. The incumbent strategy to cull their numbers has so far been for the police to shoot stray dogs on-sight. However, you will be part of an alternative solution to spay and neuter as many strays as you can find. Also, you will help provide a free veterinary clinic for residents of the island, offering care to their pets and other domesticated animals.

The project has now been running for 16 years, and is the only veterinary care currently offered in the archipelago. Our achievements so far have included;

* Treated over 30,000 animals, including dogs, cats, goats, pigs, horses and wildlife.

* Sterilised (desexed) over 12,500 animals; achieving our target 70% sterilisation rate in the Rarotongan dog population.

* Decreased the number of dogs on Rarotonga from 6,000 to 2,000 with 78% of that number spayed or neutered.

* Conducted 108 treks to remote outer islands; treating over 3,700 animals who would otherwise lack veterinary care.

* Recruited over 250 veterinarian volunteers and hundreds of veterinary professionals from around the globe; including the Americas, Australasia, Europe and Africa.

Veterinarians, Technicians/Nurses, Veterinary Students, Administrative Staff, Outreach Coordinators, Student Interns and Animal Care Assistants are urged to apply. There will plenty for you to do working in our team, where you will gain first hand experience of running a veterinary clinic and island-wide sterlisation programme.

Your daily life will be varied and dependent upon the changing needs of each day. You will spend most of your time at the clinic accepting cases and assisting the staff as necessary. Should an emergency arise, you may need to be called out.

You can expect to get involved in the following:

Sterlising: Spay and Neutering as and when stray dogs are found and caught.

Assistance: You will be assisting with keeping animal records, preparation for and recovery from surgery, handling medicines, diagnostics and administering treatments for diseases.

Veterinary Surgery: Should any surgery be required, you will be able to assist, depending upon your interests and abilities

Vaccinations: for parasite management and nutrition supplements.

Laboratory Work: you will be assisting with animal exams, post-mortems etc. as and when necessary.


The clinic is open 7 days a week (Weekends primarily for emergencies, in-patient care and clinic maintenance). Work schedules allow volunteers when possible (Keeping in mind that unanticipated circumstances can intervene) to have two days off per week. You may be asked to work weekends. Our standard hours are from 8.00am to 5.00pm.

In your free time you will have plenty of beaches and jungle walks to explore and enjoy, aswell as a vibrant night life.

You will be met at Raratonga International Airport and taken to the Project HQ by a project representative. You will given an orientation, and then briefed on your work schedule.

Basic, dorm-style lodging is available on a first-come, first-served, basis. If we are full, there are many guesthouses and hotels you can choose from. Prices start at approx. $20 per night. We can help you find a suitable place before your departure.

Veterinary students and qualified professionals are very welcome on this project. However, if you do not have any experience or qualifications in this area you may still apply as there is always a need for auxiliary workers too. 

* Min age 18 

* Minimum 2 weeks commitment - 40+ hours a week

* Good English skills

* Full travel & medical insurance

* Necessary vaccinations 

* Necessary flights & visas

Fee:

 £249 GBP Placement Fee + $225 USD Project fee per month
 

What's Included:

Airport pickup, orientation to the island, 24 hour support and integration into the project.  Accommodation is on a first-come-first served basis. If there is no availability, you will need to arrange accommodation at a nearby guesthouse (See below).

We charge a flat, one-off Placement Fee of £249 GBP per person per project. This covers our costs for promoting the project and providing our services. We offer full pre-departure support (for all necessary flights, visas and vaccinations) and ongoing assistance throughout your placement.
 

What's not included:

Food, flights, insurance, visas and vaccinations. Full assistance will be provided in getting all these sorted.

You should budget around $200 NZD per week for food. If no free accommodation is available, we will help you find a room at a nearby guesthouse for approximately $20 NZD per day.