A word of advice

I just finished reading another 30 intern applications.  This means that I have read 90 applications total for this years internships.  Our deadline for post date is the 28th so there is a guarantee that there will be more rolling in.  For anyone who has stumbled upon this blog while searching out Wolf Hollow wildlife and summer internships let me give you a few words of advice.

1) Please don't tell us you love animals. Of course you do nitwit.  We get that, you wouldn't be interested in an internship if you didn't.  We do, that is why we do what we do.

2) Read our website, realize who we are, who our staff is, and our facility.  Don't tell us you will need housing, if you read you will see there is housing provided.  Don't tell us how great you think it will be to work along side veterinary staff, we don't have a vet on staff.

3) Our internship is pretty basic and simple, don't think you have to have years of wildlife experience to apply.  We actually prefer the lesser.  This goes for a large quantity of vet tech experience.  You might get to observe the few, and far between procedures, but will not be directly involved.  Medications are administered by staff (exception is the seal meds that are put into their food and fluid supplements).

4) As much as we are flattered by you wanting to learn from the most skilled rehabbers.  (please see #2) You need to realized that the staff at our facility doesn't have that many years under their belts (except for our ed. Coordinator).  We do the best we can with the knowledge we have gained, and information passed on to us from other rehabbers.  We still ask questions and still have a long ways to go.

5) Yes we work to release all animals back into the wild.  There are very few that we place; this means that we have to euthanize some animals.  It is a sad process and we all grieve in different ways.  If you are accepted it may not look like the staff cares.  Please do not feel this way some ways that we deal with it is joke.

6) Yes we rehab Harbor Seals!  But we also have a species list of 210+ animals.  The seals are only one species that only encompasses a few months of the year.  They start to arrive around July 1st and most are grown and gone by the end of Sept (hopefully).  Where as the fawns, raccoons, and a few others arrive in May and will be there until October.  Even the baby birds who require feeds every 15 to 30 minutes are important.  Realize that you will have to help with these animals too.

7) I am glad to say most of you have realized that you will also have to help with laundry, cleaning cages, dishes, and the "non glamorous work".  PS in actuality it is all non glamorous; tv lies; trust me I was on it.  But thanks for knowing that you have to do this as well.

8) I have noticed a few applications stating how they are excited to learn about the ecology of the San Juan islands and that our education and outreach program will be a great thing for them.  Shona is our Ed. Coord.  She hires an ed assistant who helps her with her outreach.  You are applying for a rehab internship.  We will try to teach you and have planned learning times to gather and discuss topics you would like to bring to the table.  But mentioning this in your application is only confusing on what you think you are going to be doing (again see #2).

9) Last but not least, this is a job application.  Treat it as such.  Handwriting is meh..okay, typing is better.  If you misspell a word, they make this great product called white out; buy some!  Also it says in approximately one page describe.   This means that you don't have to use the lined 1/2 page that is there.  We need to get the sense of the real you.  Be quirky, be you, grab our attention.  But most of all be professional.

Okay sorry for this rant, and if I have turned anyone off from wanting to apply with us. I am truly sorry (though you know I have already read 90 apps for 9-10 spots, a few less wouldn't hurt me & if you think I am harsh then you might not want to work with me).  Thanks for letting me get this out, it is just hard to read apps and have roughly 65% start out with I love animals.... and later.. I am pre-vet so I would love to learn more about wildlife vet med....