🇹🇷 ESC Volunteering in Türkiye 🐾 Animal Care and Veterinary Practice at a Shelter 🩺

Description

Join our ESC volunteering project in Sinop, Türkiye, and turn your passion for animals into hands-on experience! 🐾

Volunteers will support the daily care and welfare of around 110 cats and several dogs living in our Patient Room, village house and garden. Tasks include feeding, cleaning, administering medication, parasite treatments, caring for sick, disabled and orphaned animals, and monitoring their health.

A key part of the activity takes place at Gerze Municipality Stray Animal Care Centre, where volunteers work alongside veterinary professionals, observing and assisting with examinations, treatments, spay/neuter surgeries and other operations.

This is an intensive, hands-on opportunity for veterinary students, young veterinarians and veterinary nurses ready to contribute to the daily care of animals while developing practical skills.

Accommodation, food and transport arrangements

Volunteers will stay in a furnished shared house in Sinop with Wi-Fi, hot water, heating, kitchen, bed linen and basic household facilities. Long-term volunteers have a private room, while short-term volunteers may share. A daily food allowance of €6 and pocket money of €6 are provided in cash. Transport between Sinop and the activity locations in Gerze and Bektaşağa Village is covered by the organisation. International travel costs are reimbursed according to ESC rules upon submission of the required travel documents.

Training during the activity

Volunteers receive hands-on veterinary training at Gerze Municipality Stray Animal Care Centre under professional veterinary supervision. They can develop practical skills through daily clinical work, including animal examination, treatment, medication, parasite control, pre- and post-operative care, and assistance during spay/neuter and other surgical procedures. Training is adapted to each volunteer’s existing knowledge and experience, allowing veterinary students and young professionals to strengthen their practical skills in real-life cases.

Participant profile

We are looking for veterinary students, young veterinarians and veterinary nurses who are genuinely motivated to work with animals and gain hands-on experience. Applicants should have previous practical experience with animals through veterinary studies, clinical practice, shelters, rescue organisations or similar animal-care environments. They should be responsible, patient, adaptable and comfortable working with sick, disabled and recovering animals. Volunteers must be willing to participate in daily animal care, cleaning, medication and veterinary activities, including clinical and surgical procedures under supervision. Having pets alone is not considered sufficient practical experience for this activity. What matters most is reliability, teamwork, willingness to learn and a strong commitment to animal welfare.

Activity details

Activity type

Individual volunteering

Activity dates

A total of 8 week(s) during the period 15/12/2026 to 11/02/2027

Location

Tülay Sevgi Erşahin Can Dostları Yaşam Evi, Ada Mah. Sis Düdüğü Mevkii, PK. 17 Merkez, Sinop, Sinop, Türkiye

Deadline

No application deadline

Project code

2025-1-TR01-ESC51-VTJ-000345862

Topics

Looking for participants from

30 countries can apply. The activity takes place in 🇹🇷 Türkiye.