Her friends back home in New York all love animals, Erin Schmitz says, "But they’re not crazy like I am." And now, for six glorious weeks, she’s thrilled to be in the company of a whole bunch of other crazies! Not a bad way to spend a summer break, really.
Erin came to Best Friends on a six-week internship as one in a group of eight. She discovered Best Friends by doing an internet search for animal internships. And three weeks in, she has one thing to say that sums it all up. "I don’t want to leave!"
Internships at Best Friends help provide college credits, which Erin will put toward her senior year at college next fall. But the credits weren’t the main draw for her, or most interns for that matter. The whole point is the experience.
Erin, for example, has always been an animal lover. Her whole life she’s known she wanted to work with animals for a living, but never knew the exact direction she to take. Volunteering as an intern at Best Friends has given her some direction in that regard. She now feels she wants to work in a shelter or sanctuary setting, possibly as a vet tech, or a pig caregiver or a parrot caregiver. Or any of a dozen other things! So yes, while she really has found some direction, she’s also discovered a whole lot of additional avenues she hadn’t considered before.
Interns are asked to pick two areas of focus. Her first pick was dogs, since she can’t seem to stay away from them no matter how hard she tries. Her second choice was to work with the potbellied pigs and to squeeze in time over at the Parrot Garden whenever possible. The rationale was simple. She’d never been around pigs or parrots much before. "They’re all so intelligent," she says. True enough. But they’re also sneaky and highly adept at luring you in to get attention. This makes life a bit tricky for an intern trying to juggle a busy schedule.
And wow, do these interns stay busy. Not only do they put in long work days, but Erin says she and the other interns spend most of their free time and weekends volunteering at local shelters. Now that’s some dedication. And if that weren’t enough, listen to what happened before coming to the sanctuary.
Erin got to thinking back home in New York. If she were driving all the way out to Best Friends anyway, she might as well try to bring a few goodies for the animals she would soon grow to love. So she got the word out, trying to drum up some donations. She talked to the local newspaper and news stations and asked for items on the Best Friends wish list. Her plan was to donate half the haul to her local shelter—where she volunteers regularly—and bring the other half to Best Friends. Her plan was a resounding success—and all the animals benefitted!
Now with three weeks left in the internship, Erin and the other interns still have a full plate of activities. For one thing, the internships all involve a one-on-one program where the interns work extensively with a single sanctuary dog to help him or her get past social or behavioral issues. Erin’s dog is Bobo, a pit bull who likes to jump up whenever he gets excited. (He’s quite the charmer, though.)
These pairings have a way of creating deep relationships between the intern and the dog. After only a couple sessions with Bobo and his winning ways, mild-mannered Erin is ready to trounce anybody who speaks out against pit bulls. So watch out, world!
After the hectic internship schedule, Erin will return home in time for a nice, relaxing month or so before college starts. So how does she plan on using the extra time?
"I’m volunteering at a border collie rescue."
Story by David Dickson
Photos by Molly Wald
Intrigued by what Erin was doing to help the sanctuary animals? Read more about the Best Friends internship program.
