To complete this application for an Intern position with Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, please have ready a cover letter, your resume, and information for three personal and/or professional references.

The application process will take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete.

Incomplete or dishonest applications will automatically be declined.

 

Important Information to Know

Submitting the Intern Application does not guarantee an intern position at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. All applicants are required to complete the same process, and eligible candidates will be selected for a virtual interview before an intern position is officially offered. Accepted applicants will be provided with several documents to review before the candidates officially commit to their indicated internship term.

 

We understand that many Intern applicants often wish to work exclusively with the animals, and have little interest in other areas of operations. It's important to note that the vast majority of this work does not include direct contact with the animals. In fact, only about 5% of the day is spent interacting directly with the rescues, while the remainder of the time is dedicated to completing tasks and projects that directly benefit them (or you as an Intern). This includes things like diet preparation, creating and distributing enrichment, leading tours for on-site visitors, completing Intern Labs, attentding team meetings, and so much more.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary operates with an "The Animals Come First" mindset. This means that all decisions, actions, and tasks are determined and carried out with the rescues at the forefront of our minds. As such, please note that animal interaction is a privilege, not a right, and is granted only after extensive training. Interacting with animals without express permission will result in immediate dismissal.

Wild Spirit requires that interns applying for this opportunity be at least 18 years old by their start date. Within the communal areas and intern housing, we apply a strict no drug or alcohol use policy which will be strictly enforced. 

Accepted interns will work a 40 hour work week and complete many physically-demanding tasks on a daily basis. In addition, because we work with live animals in a variety of elements, team members face hazards and potential injury. Please read through the following common tasks to know what will be expected from you as an intern:

• This is a 40 hour per week position that involves free- and protected-contact with wolves and other canines. 
• Animal Caretakers walk an average of 20,000+ steps a day. This includes walking up rocky/hilly terrain while carrying heavy objects, moving dirt for USDA projects, and various other daily activities.
• Animal Care is completed every day regardless of the weather. Animal Caretakers perform regular daily tasks in rain, snow, below freezing temperatures, and the high, dry heat of summer.
• While preparing meals for the rescues, team members lift anywhere between 25 and 85 pounds of meat and other ingredients repeatedly and spend multiple hours bending, squatting, kneeling, twisting, and maneuvering donated meat items.
• The completion of enclosure maintenance to ensure USDA compliance is a must for all interns, and involves moving wheel barrows of dirt, trimming tree branches, cleaning and emptying splash tubs and ponds, filling in holes, covering dig guard, etc. These activities take place as often as necesary to maintain compliance. 

Due to our extremely remote and rural area, Wild Spirit provides interns with free on-site housing, which is located outside of the sanctuary’s perimeter fence. 

Living off-site, while technically an option, is extremely difficult due to a severe lack of available local options. In addition, during seasons where weather fluctuations are unpredictable, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to make the drive to work, even for those living just a couple miles away. As such, off-site housing is not recommended, and even most staff live on-site.

The sanctuary offers both shared and single housing units depending on availability. While single housing units offer team members a greater degree of privacy, they are significantly more rustic than our shared options. 

For example, "The Lodge" is a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom double-wide trailer that also includes a full-sized kitchen and a washer/dryer. The amenities are great, but depending on the time of year and how large the team is, you will VERY likely be required to share a room with at least one other person. 

In contrast, each of the single housing units are quite literally a SINGLE room, meaning team members occupying these spaces will need to rely on the communal showers, laundry, and kitchen spaces located a short walk away (unless you're open to using rustic alternatives, which is also an option). Though each single unit does have a private composting toilet located just outside the dwelling, anyone looking to use a "real" toilet (one with running water) will need to walk to the restrooms located inside the sanctuary. 

Depending on the time of the year and other factors, your desired on-site housing option may be unavailable, so if anything is an absolute "no" for you, please say so. 

Before applying for a position at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, it's imporant to know that we are a safe and inclusive organization that does not discriminate. This means that anyone living in shared housing may be required to share living and/or sleeping spaces with people of all races, gender identities, sexualities, religions, cultures, and backgrounds. This includes short-term volunteers. 

While we will do our best to assign shared rooms to individuals with the same gender identities, we will NEVER ask someone to divulge their assigned sex at birth in order to do so. If the possibility of sharing a home and/or room with someone of a different gender identity (or any other protected status) is not agreeable to you, you may request single housing and, if desired, state your reason below. 

 

Please note that during storms and high wind/rain/snow seasons, it’s common for the electricity to flicker in and out, or WiFi to become unavailable. Because of this, we don’t recommend relying on our internet for online schooling; it isn’t an impossible hurdle to overcome, just a potential inconvenience to keep in mind. 

As mentioned above, the sanctuary has a strict no drug and/or alcohol policy for interns. This will be enforced with monthly home/room inspections. Should any intern be found with these items they will be asked to leave the program early and, if necessary, local law enforcement will be contacted.

Due to the living conditions and harsh environment, our internship is a 3-month position with opportunities for an invitation to stay for 6-months for those whose experiences have been mutually beneficial and would remain mutually beneficial. 

Though we understand that most people in this industry are animal-lovers who own pets, we cannot accommodate them at this time.

While Animal Care will always be a requirement for interns to participate in, this line of work involves dipping into an array of fields and skills to become proficient in:

1. Animal Care
Animal Care interns spend a majority of their time in our Wolf Kitchen where meals are prepared for the rescues. Responsibilities in Wolf Kitchen include handling and sorting through raw meat, including game meat, bones, hides, and skulls during hunting season. When not assigned to Wolf Kitchen responsibilities, interns assist with enclosure maintenance, operant conditioning training, enrichment creation and distribution, educational tours and outreach, grounds maintenance, and a variety of other activities included in the day-to-day operations of a 501(c)(3) non-profit wolf and wolfdog sanctuary.

2. Maintenance
Our Maintenance Department has an ever-growing list of tasks to complete, and just as they assist us with Animal Care and Wolf Kitchen duties, we must also sometimes help them with their many projects. Common Building & Maintenance tasks may include enclosure maintenance, construction, and repairs, groundskeeping (pulling weeds, painting, sanding, staining, sealing), vehicle maintenance, building repairs, property improvements, and assisting with other projects as needed.

3. Education & Outreach

All interns are required to learn and conduct a variety of educational tours for on-site guests as part of this program. This includes learning the histories of our individual rescues, as well as species-specific information about wolves, wolfdogs, coyotes, red foxes, and other wild canid species as applicable. Interns may also be required to participate in off-site outreach events, most of which focus on education and fundraising efforts that support the sanctuary and its mission. 

4. Social Media
Our online presence is a huge part of our success and we’re always excited about new and engaging ways to involve our community of supporters. Whether through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or our Howling Reporter news magazine, we’re always looking for contributions to this aspect of outreach. If you have an interest in taking photos or making videos, this would be a great opportunity for exploring how that can benefit the sanctuary as a whole. We also highly encourage interns to get involved in writing educational posts, as well as our “Caretaker Chronicles,” where you will have the opportunity to share your relationship with a rescue with the world!

By providing my electronic signature below, I certify that all of my answers are true and complete to the best of my knowledge, and I understand that a full background check will be performed. If any answers are discovered to be false, I understand that my application to become an Intern at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary may be rejected.

By providing my electronic signature below, I certify that I have read and understood all information provided on this application and I agree to adhere to all outlined policies. Furthermore, I understand and agree that by submitting this application I am not guaranteed an internship position with Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. If not accepted into the program, I agree to not speak ill, slander, harass, or demean Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, its employees and volunteers, board members, or any and all representatives of Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary.

 

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary enforces a strict drug and alcohol policy that prohibits use and/or possession on-site, including living areas. Any individual caught in violation of this policy faces immediate dismissal and possible law enforcement involvement. 

 

Drug Testing Policy

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary reserves the right to perform or request random drug testing.

 

Discrimination Policy

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary does not discriminate on basis of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, and/or gender, nor will we tolerate anyone who has issue working with people on basis of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and/or gender. Any individual who violates this policy will be terminated immediately without exception.

 

Sexual Harassment Policy

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary strictly prohibits unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and all other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual or otherwise offensive nature, especially where it is made a term or condition of employment or program placement and submitting to or rejecting such conduct is used as the basis for decisions affecting an individual's employment or program placement. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary also prohibits sexually offensive comments, jokes, innuendos, and other sexually-oriented statements directed from one team member to another; sexually-oriented pictures, photos, and illustrations displayed in the workplace to the view of employees, volunteers, or the public; and demands or requests for sexual favors from one team member to another.

Any individual who violates this policy will be terminated immediately without exception.

 

Violence in the Workplace Policy

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. Accordingly, all acts or threats of violence will be taken seriously, and each act or threat of violence will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken, up to and including termination.

A threat or act of violence shall include but is not be limited to: any act or gesture intended to harass or intimidate another person; any act or gesture likely to damage Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary property; and any act or gesture likely to leave another person injured or fearing injury.