The internship will provide NCSU students with shelter companion animal husbandry and shelter medicine experience. Internship participants also have the option to combine the internship with school credit Via ANS 492 or ANS 493. This is to be determined by the NCSU course coordinator. The shelter will host the interns to work in the shelter alongside the Animal Care Technicians, Veterinary Health Care Technicians, and Program Coordinators. A key component of this working intern program is for the interns to aid with shelter animal husbandry and care while gaining animal experience and veterinary contact hours. The students will also receive a certificate of completion from the NC State Veterinary Professions Advising Center.

This program has two locations: Wake County Animal Center OR Orange County Animal Shelter

Physical Requirements:

Several sections of the program can be physically demanding such as husbandry, dog walking, restraint of animals, etc. Any student with concerns should consult their doctor prior to beginning the program. Any student who has any allergies to dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. should consult their doctor before beginning the program.

At the end of the internship, students will have gained:

• 50 clinical hours in a shelter environment
• Personal and professional growth in animal care
• Increased knowledge and understanding of animal care in a shelter environment
• The opportunity to assist the animals that reside in the shelter by providing compassionate care and enrichment during all stages of the program
• Networking opportunities with shelter staff and affiliated animal and veterinary professionals
• Animal and veterinary experience

Additionally, students are allowed to continue volunteering and using the experience for animal/veterinary hours for vet school requirements once they complete the internship.

Attainment of Certificate:
The certification program will be overseen by the Program Coordinator, Shelter Manger, Veterinary Staff of the Center, VetPAC Internship Co-Coordinators, and Dr. Trivedi. The certificate will be awarded to the student upon completion by VetPAC.

The Fall 2024 Shelter Medicine Internship Application is closed. 

This program has 3 internship opportunities per year: spring, summer, and fall.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Students must be available for the mandatory, two-hour internship orientation. Tentative Date: 9/14 or 9/15
• The student must be a current NCSU student with at least a 3.30 GPA. The program is open to all students who are committed to the program. No credit will be given for not completing every portion of the program.
• Per North Carolina State requirements, all shelter employees (including interns) must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Unvaccinated individuals are ineligible to apply for this internship.
• Applicants must have 5 hours of weekday morning availability (8:00am-12:00pm), a willingness to learn, and a passion for veterinary medicine.

Application Materials

Students can apply to the program by completing the application’s Google form. Questions should be sent to  ncsuvetpacsheltermed@gmail.com. Students must indicate the shelter they are applying for in the application.

• Letter of Intent (1 page)
• Current Resume
• Unofficial copy of your most recent transcript (transfer students must provide copies of their NCSU transcript and unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions)
• VetPAC Student Code of Conduct

Interviews will be conducted after the application period has closed from 9/5-9/6 and 9/9-9/10