We have a mix of volunteers. Some are involved in veterinary medicine, and some aren’t and that’s ok. 

It’s not mandatory to have hands-on experience with animals; we like to have a mix of seasoned professionals and newbies

There will be a total of 6 volunteer spots available, not including our veterinarians from within Colombia.

Yes! Of course you’re invited to submit an application to volunteer at this campaign. However, if you’re looking to perform surgeries, let’s chat first. We normally work with local veterinarians for many reasons, one of them is that they perform the lateral OVH technique.

If you’re a vet looking to do surgeries, let’s chat first. Give Natalia, Colombianimals’ Director, a shout at natalia@colombianimals.org

All of our volunteers so far have come from Canada and a few from the United States. We have yet to see other nationalities come through!

¡Sí! You can. In fact, most of our past volunteers do not speak any Spanish beyond por favor, hola, and cerveza.

Speaking the language is most definitely an asset but not mandatory.

No, not immediately. The goal of the application form is to get to know you better and understand the reason why you want to volunteer with Colombianimals.

We review all applications and like to have a mix of veterinary professionals and regular people who just happen to love animals!

We will notify all volunteers of a final decision by February 1st and all selected volunteers must confirm their participation with a non-refundable $100 CAD deposit by February 15th.

Let’s put it this way. You don’t have to “pay” to participate in this campaign as a volunteer, BUT, you are expected to help raise the total funds needed to make this campaign happen. 

We need to raise a total of $6,000 Canadian dollars (approximately $4,000 USD) to cover the costs of:

• Team accommodations
• Meals
• Transportation to and from work
• Volunteer airport and drop off
• Medications and supplies
• Veterinarian flights
• And other admin costs related to the campaign

Each volunteer must raise a minimum of $800 Canadian dollars (approximately $500 USD) to participate in this campaign.

Great question. No, you don’t.

If you’re selected as a volunteer and you accept this position, you’re required to raise and submit all funds by February 15th.

As stated in the question above, the funds we raise collectively will cover the cost of meals, accommodations to and from work, and meals for the entire team.

The only additional cost you’d incur is your inbound and outbound flights. We highly encourage you to raise funds for your flight too as long as you’re transparent with your supporters and let them know how you’re going to use the funds.

For example, if your return ticket is $1,000 dollars, and you need to raise $800 dollars for the campaign, your total fundraising goal will be $1,800. You will let your supporters know that $800 is for the campaign costs, and $1,000 is for your flights.

Transparency above all!

We will spend 2 nights in the beautiful, colourful and historical city of Cartagena. Then, we’ll take a boat to Isla Grande and stay in a beautiful eco hotel together as a group.

We’re looking to stay at a beautiful private cottage in the township of Sabanagrande, which is about a 20-minute drive from Malambo. 

Think of it as summer camp for grown ups who want to help animals!

That’s ok. We know it can be daunting to fly to another country, especially if you haven’t been to it yet, on your own.

Once all volunteers are secured, we create a group chat and schedule online meetings to meet each other. Depending on where you live, there may be other volunteers flying from your airport and you can make arrangements to travel together!

It’s ok. Not everyone is comfortable with asking for donations. However, a quick tip we can give you is that at the end of the day people donate to YOU more than the cause.

Your family, friends, coworkers, etc. believe in YOUR passion and commitment and they support YOU. When they see how eager you are to make a difference in the lives of 100 dogs and cats in Isla Grande, Colombia, they’ll support you! We say this confidently because we’re living proof of this.

Plus, we provide you with a toolkit and tips to help you reach your $800 Canadian dollar goal.

Most of our volunteers in past campaigns have exceeded their fundraising goal. Trust us, $800 dollars may seem intimidating but it’s highly achievable!

In Isla Grande, an island off Colombia’s Caribbean coast. It’s a one-hour boat ride from the city of Cartagena.

The weather is tropical, averaging 32 C (90 F) year-round. 

You can see a location pin of Isla Grande below, at the end of this page.

This will be the first time we do a campaign on Isla Grande.

You will need to arrive in Cartagena, Colombia (airport code CTG) on Wednesday, February 26th and depart either on Tuesday, March 4th (later afternoon or evening flight) or Wednesday, March 5th (any time flight).

If you choose to stay longer past March 5th, you’ll be responsible for your own expenses.

Hey… life happens, right?! – for lack of a better word.

We encourage you to buy a flight with a flexible refund option. We are not responsible for finding volunteer flights.

All funds raised until that point are not returned to the volunteers and their donors will be notified via email.