Animal Experience International

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Canada
Barrie, ON
Animal Experience International

We are a B Corp that helps students, professionals and animal lovers find international volunteer experiences with animals. TICO registration # 50022902.
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Dr. Heather Reid has 20 years experience as a wildlife vet. She has worked in Canada's busiest wildlife rehabilitation hospital and has seen the enormous help that volunteers can bring to organizations. She is excited to take the skills of enthusiastic volunteers to animal organizations around the world. Nora Livingstone has extensive travel and volunteer experience. She has volunteered with anima

ls in such places as Nepal, Thailand and Costa Rica. She loves the idea of empowering people to live their dreams and travel while helping animals.

09/04/2024

A little more about AEI and how we are a voice for sustainable and regenerative travel.

An Interview With Russ McLeod

09/03/2024

Delighted to finally share with you 2025s group trip! We are going to Mongolia to sleep in yurts and hike on the steppe in search of wild horses!
All food, accommodation, in country travel, training, trips, extras, museum visits, archery lessons, throat singing concerts, insurance, donations and tips included!!!

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08/28/2024

One with sea turtles and one with giant tortoises!!!

08/23/2024

Stick around!!

08/22/2024

Surprise surprise

08/19/2024

Ethan is in Western Australia right now and when I asked him to send a picture so we could live vicariously through his travels, he happily obliged. Please enjoy with darling swamp wallaby.

08/14/2024

We are delighted and so proud to be part of this study! You can read it for free for the next few months.

The road to success: Tourism social entrepreneurs' quest for regenerative tourism.

08/09/2024

It's World Indigenous People's Day. We say Miigwech and Huy tseep q'u to the First Nations, Metis and Intuit knowledge holders who we continue to learn from. We recognize their continuing connection to the land, waters, and culture. We pay our respect to their Elders, past, present, and emerging.
If you want to know who's land you are on visit Native Land.

Native Land is a resource to learn more about Indigenous territories, languages, lands, and ways of life. We welcome you to our site.

08/09/2024

The clear racist and Islamophobic attacks happening in the UK are nothing short of disgusting. We stand strong with your friends who are continuing to fight against hate.

What you can do in response to racist, islamphobic riots in London

08/03/2024

Another amazing amazing amazing volunteer having a wonderful time in Australia!!

08/02/2024

Have you volunteered with AEI? We would love you forever and appreciate you for even longer if you wrote a review on google for us. It helps more people find us and that helps more animals!!

Post a review to our profile on Google

07/30/2024

Janet went to Australia for the month to volunteer in winter. What did she find... only the nicest friends ever! Volunteering at a wildlife rehab centre means there are always animals and people who need a hand so we are always looking for volunteers!
Thank you for being a literally dream Janet, you're the best!! Can't wait to have you volunteer with us again!

07/29/2024

People always ask us start dates. Since most of our programs are deeply supported solo trips, the dates are up to you. Our animal welfare and conservation programs need people every day of the year. You choose your dates, what works best for you and then we set up your airport pick up, housing and training. When you arrive, you are part of a team of volunteers and staff members. You'll never be volunteering alone, you just won't be traveling as a group to the centres. This means for freedom for you and more volunteers for the animals!

07/28/2024

We are so proud and excited to have finished the Accessibly modules in the Adaptive Travel section of our Aussie Specialist training. Since we have sent hundreds of people to Australia, we think it's only important to continue with our learning and this was a very important course for us.

Learning how to make travel more adaptive and accessible is just as important as decolonizing travel. No one is free until we all are and without these areas *in* focus we can't create more spaces where diverse folks feel safe!

Want to more more? Please ask!!

07/25/2024

Who can travel and volunteer with animals...
People taking a gap year looking to change up their lives!
Animal lovers with no experience. Training is on site!
Students and professionals who want to earn educational credits!
Families who want the ease of an all inclusive with service activities!

07/22/2024

Happy ! 🌊🐢 Discover simple ways you can make a difference in the lives of sea turtles every day! Our resilient ocean friends need our support to ensure they flourish for future generations. Learn more at www.seaturtleweek.com/help.

07/22/2024

Want to see Kenya and take part in a program that helps the welfare of animals and conserves wildlife? Don't want to pay the arm and the leg that does into a guided Safari. Located in Nairobi, our dog rescue centre makes sure that dogs, cats, farm animals and more all get the treatment they need before they are adopted. Lead and trusted by locals this program has you immersed in the local culture while helping our best animal friends.
You are close enough to many wildlife rescues and parks where you can, with your new friends, see all the Big 5!

07/19/2024

Want to see the without every other tourist this summer? We have a small village with your name on it. Here you will be volunteering with horses, riding your bike to get groceries and taking in the long and beautiful sunsets.
You don't need to stay at a resort to experience the best has to offer and if you volunteer at this horse rescue, all your money goes back into the Spanish economy- not to multi-national resorts!
It's a win win win.

07/18/2024

Over tourism can ruin infrastructure, hurt local ecosystems, lead to exploitation of people, frustrate locals and harm cultural attractions.
Cruel and unnecessary "attractions" that have wild animals in tanks can lead to early death, poor quality of life, self harm in animals, increases in diseases/sicknesses and rarely- if ever lead to inspiration conservation.

So, if you love marine animals this is for you! Volunteering in South Africa, conserving sharks! Working with local scientists and biologists you tag these sharks, measure the populations and put them right back into the sea where you found them! Want to touch a shark ethically while knowing you're helping it's whole species? Of course you do!

07/17/2024

Africa is a whole continent and Safari is a Swahili word so this only works if you are willing to be flexible on where on the massive continent you are willing to go. We have a dog centre in Kenya and we love them but we also have a rescue centre in Malawi, in Southern Africa. Away from the busyness and the hustle AND defined by it's extremely high standards of animal welfare. No animals are exploited for tourism, no animals are treated poorly for pictures, no animals are made to give up their rights because they are non-human animals.

If you want to see southern African wildlife, why not volunteer with them? You will be up close and personal with some of the most amazing animals in the world and you will be conserving them.

07/16/2024

This is all about seeing the wild yet quiet side of Aus. Living off the beaten track in a cabin in the woods looking after flying foxes! Sky puppies need our help and they can help you with your . The days are spent in a bat and flying fox rescue, providing meals and enrichment to these animals so you don't have time to doom scroll! See the real while giving back to these important

07/15/2024

All of our programs go through a vetting process to make sure they have the highest standards in regards to community leadership, environmental impact and animal welfare. If you love animals, this is for you. Instead of visiting a roadside zoo or questionable animal experience, volunteer with us!
Our wildlife centre in Thailand is off the beaten track and quiet but still very exciting. There are gibbons, big cats, horn bills and much more. Instead of taking part in something you will feel guilty about later- why not volunteer and be proud to show your travel pictures!

07/12/2024

Spain has been in the news lately because of protests about . Short term rentals, economic leakage (when money doesn't stay in the community because hotels etc are owned by international companies), and surging cost of living is making is hard for citizens to see a benefit to travelers and tourists.

So how about a that has you volunteering in a small town with all your money going back into the local economy? Staying on the Med without staying on the Med. Volunteering with dogs helps the dogs, you and the community!

07/10/2024

You can see the rainforest and help the people who take care of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife- but you can do it at a fraction of the cost! This has you visiting Guatemala in central America to volunteer with wildlife! This is a safe, beautiful and authentically beneficial program that has you volunteering with some of the most special animals on the planet.

Come help the animals you love so much.

07/10/2024

Wild horse conservation in Mongolia is an amazing way to live your horse girl, guy and non-binary dream! There is no riding since they are wild animals so it's the perfect if you love horses but don't know anything about riding.
Hang out with horses without the expensive nature of riding lessons! Come to Mongolia and live an adventure!

07/10/2024

We are an *extremely* proud B Corp U.S. & Canada.
Because without checks, balances and an ethical plan, travel can be ...not so great.

The number of B Corp-certified companies is growing, but what does this mean and can initiatives like this really help us

07/09/2024

Elephants are enormous and beautiful animals who don't deserve the life they are often given in tourism. This is why *real* sanctuaries are important. Sanctuaries that value consent in the animals and health relationships between the individuals and people. Some elephants are curious about people, others want nothing to do with us after the suffering they have experienced. A true sanctuary will brag forever about their ethics and commitment to animal welfare. Instead of going somewhere that tries to convince you animals like to be chained (some will), volunteer with us in Thailand and help these animals have much better retirements.

07/08/2024

Want a beach vacation without the crowds? Us, too!

Let us present to you: volunteering in a small town on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Tucked away from the nonsense of mega hotels and huge all inclusive resorts, this experience has you hanging out on the beach with your best friends, marine biologists and sea turtles. That's it! Picture perfect sunsets into the ocean, rays, dolphins, monkeys and scarlet macaws around you. Truly, you are volunteering in paradise!

Volunteering has you helping conserve endangered sea turtles and endangered mangrove ecosystems. But it also gives you enough time off to really relax into the beach vacation you were hoping for. Living in small hostels owned by local families means you have that all inclusive lifestyle that makes beach holidays so enticing. A destination dupe that doesn't just have you spending time on the beach, it has you being a hero, too!

07/08/2024

What is wildlife rehab and does it really work?

Dearth of rigorous data means most rehabbers don’t know what happens to animals they’ve released back into the wild

07/07/2024

Don't use poison it travels through the ecosystem and kills everything.

Address

30 Owen Street
Barrie, ON
L4M3G7

Website

http://www.animalexperienceinternational.com/

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Videos

Come volunteer with sea turtles with us in Galapagos!! #galapagos #gapyear #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #helpanimals #seaturtle

Enjoy a moment in Nepal.

One of our favourite things to do is talk about ethics in tourism. Why? Because we can talk about the very deep intersections that exist: feminism, human rights, conservation, animal welfare, conscious capitalism, harm reduction and more. Here is a small clip from our deep and purposeful talk with @kelpsocialapp that we just loved!! Go to their YouTube channel to watch the whole thing, we think you'll like it! https://youtu.be/qbqK-4PK6_U?si=FJ0R5Kkq6SVfmqrf

Early Monday Eles. Caring for elephants means, giving them space to eat when they ask and giving them treats on a socialization walk when they ask. Balance is as important as consent. #elephantvolunteer #ethicaltourism #elephants #helpanimals #liveyourdreams #btourism #ele #Thailand

Elephants need their physical, psychological and social welfare considered in sanctuaries. That's why we love a centre that makes a daily commitment to enrichment. Providing any animals with care is a deep privilege, being able to see rescued elephants every day is a joy. #Thailand #elephants #elephantvolunteer #helpanimals #consentbasedtourism #btourism #ethics #tourism #gapyear #liveyourdreams

Tagging and releasing sea turtles in Costa Rica. What better way to celebrate #seaturtleweek #loveanimals #volunteer #puravida #helpturtles #summervacation #marineconservation biology #gapyear #marinebiology #seaturtles #btourism

Volunteering with sea turtles means a beach vacation with a little extra adventure. Living in a small sea side town means you are surrounded by wildlife... and a karaoke machine! Come understand what Pura Vida really means while you take part in the very important work of sea turtle monitoring, tagging and conservation support. All of these pictures are from our beautiful and generous volunteers Barb and Colleen who visited the centre in April 2024. They arrived as strangers but we think this is the start of a beautiful friendship! #marine #marineconservation #costarica #seaturtles #helpanimals #Beach #kenergy #Volunteering #volunteeroverseas #volunteerabroad #ethicaltourism #ethicaltravel #bcorp #liveyourdreams

Volunteering in Nepal with dogs is an incredible heart filled experience. Previously dogs on the street may have been seen as scary or dangerous, things to look past or maybe ignore. A decades long commitment from our partners means that the pu lic perception of dogs is changing and more people want to find homes for dogs and give them the love and medical care they need for a long and healthy life. Volunteering in Nepal is open to anyone, medical or not because we have lots of roles for volunteers to fill and help with! #Nepal #namaste #travel #helpanimals #helpdogs #bestdogs #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #Volunteering #centralasia #trekking #Kathmandu #oavt #bvna #cpd #cecredits

Volunteering in Guatemala is safe, exhilarating and important. Wildlife rehabilitation means a lot of feeding and a lot of cleaning but it also means seeing some of the most interesting animals in the world. Taking care of them, takes care of us. #wildlifenotpets #wildliferehab #wildlife #helpanimals #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #volunteer #travelwithus #travel #bcorp

What is it like to volunteer in Thailand? Well, it's feeding, cleaning, making enrichment but also swimming in pools, visiting night markets, finding new friends and learning about amazing animals you maybe didn't even know existed!! #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #helpanimals #traveltalks #travel #tourism #bcorp #brave #wildlife #wildliferehab #Thailand #landofsmiles #volunteer

Driving skills are important yall. #galapagos #travel

When you book a trip and accidently make it during the most adorable time of the year! #galapagos #sealion #marinebiology #marineconservation #marinemammals

We sat with @itsmajestical and had a great chat all about what it looks like to certify as a B Corp and stay a B Corp! The process is long and it should be! Check out full video to learn more! #bcorp #bcorpmonth #helpanimals #btravel #btourism #traveltalks #travelexperts #proudbcorp #travel #travelwithus #travelgood

It's International Women's Day, we wish all women the peace of this butterfly garden and sanctuary. We fight every single day for equality, justice and equity for all women so one day we can all feel this peace. Until ALL of us are free, none of us are. #internationalwomensday #intlwomensday #instagood #butterflies #peace #freedom #justice #translivesmatter #reproductiverights #equalpay #endviolence #mmiwg2s

Enrichment looks very different for each species. For domestic animals who will be looking for homes with humans this means socialization, cuddling and walkies! #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #Nepal #dogs #lovedogs #loveanimals #oavt #explained #helpothers

Ethically volunteering with animals in the local community means taking part in needed activities that you are qualified to do. Most of our volunteers are not wildlife vets and that's okay! We don't need lots of them, our centres have vets and techs and biologists! We need people who can do husbandry: feeding, cleaning and enrichment. The backbone of any really great conservation and animal welfare centre. We are looking for people who want to do the right thing, and that's respecting where and how you show up ad a volunteer. #ethics #ethicaltourism #helpanimals #localbusiness #stepbystep #howtohelp #whatcanyoudo #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #getafterit #goabroad #bcorp #btourism

What we talk about when we talk about husbandry. Feeding, cleaning and enrichment. Any questions? Ask in the comments and we will make some videos for you! #husbandry #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #Volunteering #liveyourdreams #traveltips #travelwithfriends #travel

A question we are asked a lot is how does a toucan eat. Well... as you can see. Just like that!! Come with us to volunteer with toucans and other amazing animals! You can volunteer as a solo traveller or come on our group trip happening this summer! June 1-9, 2024. #guatemala #toucan #wildliferehab #helpanimals #volunteerabroad #volunteeroverseas #vettech #volunteer #students #oavt #gapyear

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Our Story

Animal Experience International (AEI) is a B Corporation that curates the best animal volunteering on the planet for you! We are travel and animal experts on a mission to help you find safe, ethical and authentic volunteer placements. Through our work as a wildlife veterinarian and as a volunteer coordinator for wildlife rehabilitation centres, we have come to understand the need for such an organization. People like you, from all walks of life, and from every country, are seeking animal-related experiences as volunteers. We are here to make sure you have a safe and rewarding journey.

Animal Experience International is a certified B Corporation. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. For more information please visit the B Corporation website.

AEI is a certified Ontario Social Enterprise, a member of TICO, a member of Tourism Cares, a member of the Family Travel Association, a member of ACTA, and a ChildSafe Supporting Business, Nora is a certified Good Travel Advisor. TICO registration # 50022902.