Volunteer Experience at Finca Noah (Anna)

At the end of April, I was fortunate to spend a truly impressive week as a volunteer at Finca Noah. I was warmly welcomed by numerous soft paws and wet dog noses and was able to prove my petting and cuddling skills in the first few hours before the real work began.

Farah, Juan and Nadine work tirelessly day after day to meet the needs of all around 280 animals. From a pig that can no longer stand up on its own, to a cat that only wants to drink from running water, to a lamb that could already drink on its own but still prefers a bottle – every single animal is seen as an individual.

But cuddling and petting isn't all there is to it. Animal welfare means incredibly hard work. From early morning until late evening, there's feeding, mucking out, cleaning and washing – and then it all starts again. Cleanliness and order are taken very seriously at Finca Noah, which is an enormous achievement given the number of animals.

Farah, Juan and Nadine have managed, with great love, patience and dedication, to help the wonderful Finca residents regain trust in (unfamiliar) people despite their sometimes very traumatic pasts. And these three have been doing this day after day, without exception, for many years. One can only wish that every animal without a loving home finds a happy ending at Finca Noah.

I have great respect for this achievement and commitment, and I can recommend to anyone who is willing to really get stuck in to work there. I definitely won't be the last time I was there 😊

Thank you so much for your incredible work and for letting me be part of it for the past week. (by Anna)