Melissa Allen – Animal Care Supervisor

Melissa studied Environment and Resource Management at the University of Toronto, with her main focus being wildlife conservation.  Immediately after graduation she moved to Vancouver, and volunteered with several conservation organizations including the Maplewood Flats Wild Bird Sanctuary and the Vancouver Salmon and Stream Society. 

Not being able to find paid work in wildlife conservation at the time, she got side tracked by a multitude of jobs in many different fields over the years. Finally, 15 years later she started volunteering with the District of North Vancouver Animal Shelter and fostering feral cats with the assistance of Pacific Animal Advocates, and her passion for animal welfare was reignited. 

When she came across the Critter Care Wildlife Society website with its internship opportunities she leapt at the chance to gain valuable hands on experience caring for wild animals.  As unbelievable luck would have it, a supervisor position became available just as her internship came to an end, and Melissa gratefully accepted the job of her dreams.  While the vast majority of her time as an intern was spent raising six river otters, she is busy learning everything she can about caring for all the mammals at Critter Care.  Melissa is also using skills acquired during several years in advertising sales to help with fundraising efforts essential to Critter Care’s continued ability to care for and feed the thousands of animals that come through the “big brown gate”.  Her father is very happy that she is finally doing something related to her university education.

To contact Melissa please phone 604-530-2064 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it