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Loop Abroad: Costa Rica Wildlife Medicine & Dog Shelter (Veterinary Academy) (Directory Program)

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  • Locations: San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Program Terms: Summer
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: Loop Abroad 
Program Description:
Costa Rica Veterinary Experience 

Immerse yourself in the wide world of veterinary medicine! You’ll spend two weeks in Costa Rica, working and learning at a stray dog sanctuary and at a wildlife rescue center.

At the dog sanctuary, you’ll spend your days assisting the vets as they provide care to over 1,800 stray dogs. At the rescue center, you’ll provide care for animals that have been the victim of wildlife trafficking.

Prepare for the future
At Costa Rica Veterinary Experience, you get the chance to contribute to the vital efforts of respected animal care facilities as you learn from the experts that run them. That means you can look forward to:
  • Participating in clinical lab rotations to practice skills like using the microscope to conduct ear & skin cytologies
  • Creating post-surgery care plans for dogs recovering from procedures, including spay and neuter surgeries
  • Honing your clinical skills, including taking stray animal histories and safe handling and restraint techniques
By attending Costa Rica Veterinary Experience, you can earn up to 80 veterinary hours, a required part of every vet school application.

Program Highlights 
Animal Rehabilitation
Learn what it takes to practice long-term care for animals that have been the victim of wildlife trafficking or who otherwise need care, including for special species like toucans, spider monkeys, porcupines, and kinkajous.

Hospital Rotations
You’ll take turns rotating through different shifts in the on-site animal hospital. You can look forward to providing enrichments for the large sloth enclosures, shadowing clinical staff as they perform physical examinations, and performing ethograms in the lab.

Cultural Immersion
After a full day of learning, you can look forward to a fun, culturally enriching group activity, from taking a dance lesson with a local instructor to a Spanish trivia game to an art project inspired by the motifs of Costa Rica.

Spay and Neuter Project
On your final program day, you will assist the clinic veterinarians and professional staff to provide a free spay and neuter clinic for the pets of local community members.