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| 2006 Interns -
Trina Ho Canada;
Amanda Martin
Canada; Renee Mayne,
Australia; Anita Cassidy, Canada; Robin Dale,
Canada; Trina Ho, Canada; Leon Lui, Canada; Jory
Mullin, Canada; Kristen Van Dam, Canada; Verity
Catt, Great Britain; Kaho Hayashi, Japan; Travis
Albert, USA; Angela Fontana, USA; |
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| Trina Ho |
 To do great things for a greater
cause, I have never gone to bed with a better
feeling. My adventures at Critter Care have been
extremely rewarding. The founder of Critter
Care, Gail and my supervisors have taught me so
much about the native wild animals of B.C. The
caretakers, Judy and Edith have also kindly and
patiently gave me a taste of building animal
pens. Coming from someone who has never painted
or used a hammer, they have taught me so much!
I’ve had the unique opportunity to work with
bear cubs, baby beaver, baby raccoons, baby
squirrels, baby opossums and baby skunks. No
matter how greater or small the baby animal, it
never ceases to amaze me how they show their
appreciation and love for their caretaker.
Having a baby raccoon curl up in your lap and
fall asleep because you just gave it a bottle is
the best feeling in the world. Hearing the sound
of how happy a baby beaver is to see you can
melt your heart. Watching bear cubs play and
splash in the pool brings nothing but joy to the
soul.
There have been too many amazing
moments and experiences that words cannot
describe. I have no doubt learned that the role
of an intern is vital to the survival of these
orphaned and injured babies. Often times I have
to admit, I have had many long days and late
nights. It is hard work, cleaning, feeding and
caring for animals everyday. Your work at
Critter Care is truly your labour of love. Plus,
losing a baby is very draining and emotional.
But knowing that it was given a chance to live,
and knowing that the baby’s time was spent in
caring hands makes it less strenuous. It has
been a wonderful experience here at Critter Care
working with animals and also, working alongside
other interns and volunteers. I met individuals
that came from all over the world and from
different walks of life but only to find that we
all had one thing in common, which was a passion
for animals. My intern co-workers were not only
people I worked with but they were also my
friends, which were there for both good times
and bad times. In essence, interning at Critter
Care was an unforgettable experience. I will
never look at a raccoon in the same way again! |
Amanda Martin
 What
can I say about my internship at Critter Care,
other than I loved it. I loved having the
opportunity to get “up close and personal” with
the animals. At Critter Care I essentially
became a surrogate mom for orphaned babies;
feeding, cleaning, and making sure they get the
same attention as they would have from their
real moms. It’s amazing to actually have the
chance to touch so many amazing creatures –
opossums, squirrels, raccoons, a marmot, a
beaver, and lots of skunks (they were my
favorite!). It’s amazing how each individual
personality becomes clear when you spend time
with the animals… I had one skunk that loved
tummy rubs, and another that would continually
try and climb up to the top of my head. I have a
mountain of such memories from my time at
Critter Care. And it is unbelievably rewarding
to watch your animals grow, and thrive,
especially the ones that come to the center in
poor condition.
 One
of my most rewarding charges was a small skunk
who came in severely dehydrated and
malnourished, and had obviously been without mom
for more than a week…I had to keep giving him
subcutaneous fluids throughout the first two
days just so that he would have the strength to
drink milk from a syringe! And in the end, you
know that your charges being re-released into
the wild, back to where they belong.
Don’t get me wrong, an internship is hard work.
Interns are not only responsible for cleaning
and feeding their own animals, but also keeping
the center clean, pitching in to maintain the
property (cutting the lawn, painting, etc), and
there is a never-ending pile of dirty laundry.
Sleep-deprivation is definitely the norm. As
well as being physically demanding, an
internship can take an emotional toil;
sometimes, despite your best efforts, your
babies don’t survive. But all the hard parts are
worth enduring in order to have the privilege of
getting to care for some amazing animals. And I
can honestly say that if I have the chance to
come back to Critter Care in the future, I’ll
take it!
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