Maxwell Jenkins - Canada

I will preface this testimonial with what I believe are the most important things to understand before agreeing to gain work experience at Critter Care: days can be long and extremely difficult, you may feel helpless as you lose animals to disease or injury, the time of year will strongly affect your overall experience, and make the most of your time by strengthening bonds with other interns. Even with my limited experience in animal care I can confidently say everyone deals with a mixture of rewarding and devastating moments while caring for animals. Some of my fondest memories of Critter Care involve sitting in the racoon nursery and bottle-feeding my racoon kit as they gradually opened their eyes and became lively. Nothing compares to witnessing those tiny racoons grow and gain their own personalities. Throughout my internship, I worked alongside staff members and developed skills in vaccination, animal capture, and enclosure sanitation; skills that will serve me well in future animal-care employment.

Approximately half-way though my internship, staff members caught news of a parvo epidemic in British Columbia. Within weeks, Critter Care received its first case of parvo. Parvo is a seasonal disease in British Columbia. The disease spreads most effectively during the hottest parts of the summer when flies act as a vector for the virus, which is why I mentioned that the time of year you decide to intern will affect your experience. Gradually, more and more cases emerged until whole racoon kits were wiped out, my own kit included. Having strong bonds with other interns made light in some of the darkest times during my internship, which is why I emphasize being a team player; you are collectively there for many of the same reasons, so you might as well face tough moments as a team too.

Interning at Critter Care is challenging, and prospective interns deserve to know the ups and downs of the experience but given a cohesive group of staff and motivated interns your experience will leave you humbled and hungry for more animal care. 



Thank you to all the staff members who made my experience educational and enjoyable. 

Maxwell Jenkins