CURRENT OPEN VOLUNTEER POSITIONS click here

Want to volunteer with animals? It is not just fun and games, it is a lot of hard work! Under Florida weather conditions, volunteering with exotic animals is strenuous exercise for a good cause that is very gratifying. We welcome volunteers and have many different activities available that you can become involved in to help make a difference for the animals.

We receive many questions about animal interaction. Please note that our animals are often rescued from conditions that do not make them accustomed to human interaction and therefore require special handling by experienced individuals. Interaction with the animals is in a safe manner, for example feeding or enrichment and does not necessarily involve physical contact with the animals.

Read some Volunteer testimonials by clicking here.

At the moment we are highlighting the following opportunities:

Animal Care

We need people who are willing to cut fruit for the monkeys and the bats on a daily basis. This process takes about 3 hours per day.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

• Our program focuses on the importance of proper management of captive wild animals and does not promote private ownership of exotic animals.

• We teach management in a professional manner and our program stresses the importance of proper management of exotic animals in captivity.

• This program does not include DIRECT CONTACT with potentially dangerous animals residing at our facility!

• DIRECT CONTACT is defined as any physical contact with any animal, including contacts through cage wire (reaching of limbs through fences or cages), etc.

• Do not expect to have direct contact with any of our exotic animals!

• These animals are NOT PETS. If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity that offers direct contact with animals you should consider one working with domestic animals.

• Only the Peace River Refuge & Ranch staff is authorized to allow direct or indirect contact and that requires DIRECT SUPERVISION and substantial training and then it will only be for the purposes of veterinary care and proper husbandry.

• DIRECT SUPERVISION is defined as in the "physical presence of a staff member".

• ANY and ALL VIOLATIONS involving DIRECT PHYSICAL CONTACT with the exotic animals will cause a volunteer to be the subject of immediate dismissal from the property under escort by security, and/or management or staff.

• Due to insurance reasons and the welfare of the animals there are NO exceptions to this policy.

• Safety of the animals, management, staff, interns and volunteers always comes first at our facility.

• If an exotic animal bites or scratches you, it immediately places the welfare of the animal and our entire facility at risk, so this is no laughing matter and the above rules should be taken seriously.

Cage Construction

We need individuals that want to help construct our animal habitats and make repairs to the habitats as needed. This type of work is physically intensive.

Donations & Fundraising

We need to get listed on as many animal related sites as possible, we need people to email us these web site addresses so we can increase our web presence. No need to fill out a form to volunteer. All you need is your computer, your interest in helping our animals and email. Findings can be sent to: website@peaceriverrefuge.org.

We need someone to organize a bowling or golf tournament to do a fundraiser for the sanctuary. Please note, you will have to be dedicated enough to set up the event on your own with little help from anyone else other than coordination. These are time-consuming activities but they can tremendously benefit the animals at the sanctuary.

We need publicity for our sanctuary, if you have contacts with radio stations or newspapers to get our sanctuary advertised, please contact info@peaceriverrefuge.org to set up advertising.

We need people that can get donations from the public and collect new gift shop items. Basically anything animal related will do but the requirement is that these items are new.