ANIMAL CARE

Our animal shelter on the Caribbean island of Holbox in Mexico, is a unique organization that cares for animals in need from all over the region. The project is truly a matter of the heart. The founder is a Mexican entrepreneur who spent her entire fortune to start the organization 10 years ago because she loves animals and wanted to create a place to do some good. She bought land where the animals could live and be cared for and built a veterinary clinic. To this day, the project is financed through her savings. Every day she fights for the well-being of the four-legged friends and passes this passion on to the volunteers.

Every day, the shelter welcomes dogs, cats and other animals from emergency situations that are in need of care because they had accidents, were abandoned or abandoned. After each rescue, the necessary treatment begins by the veterinarians who work in the shelter’s own clinic. From now on, for many of the animals, the shelter is the first loving home they have ever had! Here they get lots of love, attention and become part of a big family. They are cared for, walked and groomed on a daily basis. A dream animal life on a dream island! In addition, the shelter team also organizes educational events to educate the community and surrounding areas on how to better treat our environment and animals. They travel throughout the surrounding communities to provide free counseling and treatment for animals in need. This is the only way to make a lasting improvement in the lives of the animals, as well as the residents.

Once a dog, cat, bird, raccoon, etc. is healed, the phase of adoption or reintegration into the natural habitat begins. But this road is long and needs your support! The shelter lives on donations and the help of volunteers.

The tasks at the shelter are very diverse. Every day is different and the team relies on the help of volunteers. The main task is to take care of the dogs and the other animals in the shelter. This includes the one or other walk around the island, where the four-legged friends are also allowed to swim in the clear Caribbean water from time to time. Also tourists of the island like to borrow the dogs to go for a walk with them – here it is important that they are given all the important information and instructions in advance. In addition, the animals are fed, brushed, bathed and groomed. The needs of the animals are different and require a lot of empathy. Of course, the shelter also needs to be maintained. The facility, the cages, the feeding stations – everything has to be cleaned. This is also part of the job and is fun when you are part of a team.

In the long term, the animals are to be adopted. Therefore, the shelter always needs help with the maintenance of the network, the website or the Instagram account. This is also where you come in: make sure that the adoption process is ideal for both parties and explain to interested parties what it means to adopt a dog or cat. Your knowledge of German and English could also be an advantage here! Along with the adoption goes the collection of donations and the organization of sponsoring and fundraising activities, through which the shelter is mainly financed.

The animals show their gratitude in an incomparable way. Here you help where help is really needed. You grow beyond yourself, expand your horizons and get a lot in return. Working at Holbox is something for everyone who wants to make the world a better place and help animals in need. The shelter looks forward to your support.

Isla Holbox, on the north coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is a paradise on earth. Holbox is the place that almost every Yucatán travelogue raves about. Endless white sand beaches, many rare bird species, undiscovered places and crystal clear water await you here. Holbox is paradisiacally beautiful, that much is certain. This island is still a real insider tip and far from being as touristy as other parts of the area. There are no hotel bunkers, no cars, no paved roads. Holbox is authentic! And a meeting point for backpackers from all over the world. You will quickly make new friends with whom you can explore the island.

After work you can not only relax, but also go out to eat, go from bar to bar and have beach parties. On your days off, you can bike to secluded beaches and watch flamingos, lie in a hammock and forget about time.

From Cancún International Airport you can reach the island by bus and ferry in about 2 hours.

You don’t need any special prerequisites for the program, just motivation, enthusiasm and love for animals. You should have a desire to work with animals and the motivation to make a lasting difference in the lives of animals. Also, openness to new cultures is especially important to us. Living in a foreign country always requires a certain willingness to adapt, which will be very rewarding for your development.

The national language in Mexico is Spanish. To be able to communicate well in the project, a basic knowledge of Spanish is required. The vets and staff in the project sometimes have little knowledge of English, but are very considerate and happy to help you learn Spanish. We will gladly organize a language course for you before the start of the program or parallel to the project.

During your time at the Animal Shelter you will live in a shared room in the hostel on the island. Here you will quickly make new friends. In the hostel you can keep to yourself, but at the same time get in touch with people from all over the world. The hostel has common areas and a shared kitchen. If you don’t feel like going to one of the many good restaurants on the island, you can cook for yourself at a reasonable price. The hostel also has a bar where people meet in the evenings and there is often a party. Depending on availability, you will stay in the hostel or similar accommodation.

Prices:

Shared room:

• 1st month in start package: 1.320,00 €
• Extension month: 630,00 €
• As 2nd or 3rd program: 1.090,00 €

Benefits:

You can find out more about our services here.