Elephant Sanctuary
& Dog Rescue
At Elephant Sanctuary & Dog Rescue, you’ll get the best of both worlds! You’ll spend two weeks in Thailand, working and learning at a dog clinic and at an elephant rescue park.
At the dog clinic, you’ll spend your days assisting the vets as they provide care to cats and dogs and perform spay & neuter surgeries. At the Elephant Nature Park, you’ll provide daily care for 80+ rescued elephants.
Prepare for the future
- Living next to the elephants that call the Elephant Nature Park their home, helping to bathe and feed them
- Going behind-the-scenes at a dog rescue clinic in Chiang Mai where you’ll learn how to handle instruments, suture wounds, and complete canine physical examinations
- Exploring the Land of Smiles, as Thailand is widely known for its friendly people, beautiful surroundings, and delicious food
By attending Elephant Sanctuary & Dog Rescue, you can earn up to 60 veterinary hours, a required part of every vet school application.
2024 Program Dates & Tuition
- 14 Days
- June 23–July 6
- July 21–August 3
- $6,199
What’s Included
Authentic, local meals
On-Site Accommodations
10:1 Teaching Vet-to-Student Ratio
Up to 60 veterinary hours
A staffed roundtrip international flight from a designated airport hub is available for an additional fee.
Program Highlights
Clinical Experience
At the dog rescue clinic, you’ll practice giving canine physical examinations, participate in a heart dissection, practice drawing blood, and assist your teaching veterinarian with procedures in the examination room.
Live with Elephants
At the Elephant Nature Park, you’ll help sanctuary staff care for elephant enclosures, learn about elephant anatomy and physiology, and assist the on-site elephant vet in providing care and testing for various medical conditions.
Discover Thailand
In-between your adventure at the elephant sanctuary and the dog clinic, you can look forward to exploring the magic of Thailand. You’ll visit local street markets, take a meditation lesson with a Buddhist monk, and go ziplining through jungle canopy.
Explore Your Future
This program is the perfect test drive for someone considering a life dedicated to animal welfare. You’ll get a firsthand look at life as a vet working in a dog clinic and the day-to-day of animal conservationists at the elephant sanctuary.
Your Adventure, Day by Day
Day 0
Arrival in Gateway City (Optional)
Day 1
Welcome to Thailand
Day 2
Introduction to Dog Rescue Clinic
Day 3
Diagnostic Techniques
Day 4
Parasitology
Day 5
Canine Spay & Neuter Surgeries
Day 6
Feline Spay & Neuter Surgeries
Day 7 and 8
Excursions in Chiang Mai
Day 9
Introduction to Elephant Nature Park
Day 10
Elephant Husbandry & Management
Day 11
Elephant Medical Management
Day 12
Small Animal Shelter Medicine
Day 13
Elephant Wound Management & Geriatric Care
Day 14
Departure
Image Gallery
What some of our students and their parents are saying…
This trip was truly life changing. I loved the people and staff and connected with them in a way I didn’t see happening.”
My son was able to have a wonderful experience learning meaningful things while having fun with his new friends.”
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For the safety of students, staff, and animals, not all animals may be touched or handled by participants. The teaching veterinarian and other professional staff members will advise students of the proper time, place, and method to handle animals when it is safe to do so.