Your Role as a Veterinary Assistant Intern

As a Veterinary Assistant Intern at our rescue centre, you will play an important role in supporting the health, care, and welfare of the animals under the supervision of our veterinary team. You will assist with daily medical procedures, health monitoring, treatments, and preventive care for a wide variety of animal species.

Through hands-on practical experience, you will contribute to the animals’ physical recovery and well-being while learning about wildlife medicine, animal welfare, rehabilitation, and rescue centre operations. This internship offers a unique opportunity to develop practical veterinary skills in a dynamic rescue centre environment committed to the highest standards of animal care

Key Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians and veterinary assistants during examinations and treatments.
• Support the preparation and administration of medications, medical supplies, and sample management.
• Monitor animal health and behaviour, reporting observations to the veterinary team.
• Assist with routine health checks, sample collection, and diagnostic procedures.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards in veterinary facilities and treatment areas.
• Support medical record management and data collection.
• Contribute to animal welfare assessments and rehabilitation programmes.

Your baggage

• You have reached the minimum age of 18 and you are EU resident.
• Have completed studies related to veterinary medicine, either as a veterinary assistant/technician with more than two years of experience, or as a recently graduated veterinarian with less than two years of professional experience.
• Be available to participate in an on-call rota of one week every three weeks (by phone and with attendance at the rescue centre if required).
• Have a passion for animal welfare and be in good physical condition.
• Have a basic level of spoken and written English.
• Be able to work independently and in an organised manner, following established protocols, while also working effectively as part of a team.
• Be committed to hygiene and safety protocols.

What do we offer?

As an intern at AAP Primadomus, you will enjoy a unique experience surrounded by an exceptional team and fascinating species such as Barbary macaques, chimpanzees, tigers, lions, and many other animals. In addition, you will receive specialised training that will enhance your CV. Benefits include:

• Compensation for on-call duties once the required training has been successfully completed.
• Travel reimbursement of €0.26 per kilometre, up to a maximum of 200 km (round trip), or transportation from Villena using the volunteer van. (Applicable to internship days. For paid on-call duties, compensation will be provided according to the foundation’s standards.)
• We also usually provide a meal allowance during internship days when working a full-day schedule (not applicable to part-time schedules or on-call duty days). The allowance is €3.86 per internship day.

Interested in This Opportunity?

If you would like to learn more or apply for this internship position, please send your CV and motivation letter in English to o PD-volunteers@aap-primadomus.org

For more information please contact Paula Ávila, Volunteer Coordinator at PD-volunteers@aap-primadomus.org.