Volunteer At A Clinic
We currently hold monthly clinics on reservations throughout the four corners and surrounding regions. Volunteering at one of our clinics is a great way to get involved with Rez Vet and our mission to expand access to veterinary care across tribal lands. We understand how daunting it may seem to travel all the way here to work a three day clinic on a reservation, sleep in a chapter house with a bunch of strangers, and potentially do a job that is new to you. But don’t fret! We are here to reassure you that you are just one brave decision away from what will likely be one of the most fulfilling, rewarding, and dare we say FUN weekends you’ve had in a long time… and maybe the start of your newest favorite hobby!
Read below to familiarize yourself with what all is involved in participating in a Rez Vet clinic and feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
What To Expect At A Clinic
There are often variables that affect our schedule from clinic to clinic such as moving between different locations on different days, sending teams out for door-to-door work, weather…etc., but the general flow for a three day clinic is pretty consistent and the following is meant more to give you a rough idea of a theoretical weekend. Our clinic director will sent a detailed itinerary before the clinic with the exact times.
The Rez Vet team arrives to the clinic location by 5pm on the Thursday before the clinic. This gives us plenty of time to get a lay of the land, plan last minute logistics, unpack supplies and prep them for the following morning. We ask for volunteers to arrive Thursday night if possible to assist with set up as well as get a chance to meet the team they’ll be working with throughout the weekend.
On the morning of the clinic, breakfast will be ready early and we’d love for you to eat with us. We ask volunteers to be ready to work 45 minutes before check-in starts so that we can orient them to their roles and set-up last minute supplies. At the briefing, you will get your final assignments for the day as well as an overview of our processes and protocols. We typically start to see cars lining up quite early in the morning so we want to be ready and have traffic flowing in the right direction to avoid a real mess!
Don’t worry if things feel a little clunky when you first get started, that is totally expected! You’ll be surprised at how quickly everyone settles into the flow!
Once the clinic is in full swing you’ll be able to take breaks, grab a snack or drink…etc. as needed. Don’t be surprised though when you blink and it’s already dinner time! The days are long and very hard work, but they go fast. Lunch is typically ready between 12-1pm and, depending on staffing, we grab a bite to eat a few people at a time to ensure we can keep the lines moving smoothly. We will definitely let you know when lunch is out.
As different parts of the clinic wrap up up in the afternoon/evening you might be asked to help out in different areas so we can finish at a reasonable time and have the evening to relax. Dinner is ready between 6 and 7pm; even if you aren’t staying overnight at the clinic location we would love for you to stay and eat with us. The rest of the evening is spent reviewing the day with the team, restocking supplies, and taking care of records.
Sunday evening we start wrapping up the clinic and try to clean and pack supplies as different parts of the clinic are done for the day. Rez Vet staff will stay the night Sunday night and finish cleaning. Anyone willing to stay Sunday night and assist with cleanup/packing for a Monday morning departure is welcome to and so so appreciated, but most volunteers typically leave sometime Sunday evening.
Roles Within A Clinic
If this is your first clinic – GREAT! If you’ve never worked with animals before – NO PROBLEM! A smoothly run clinic involves a variety of roles. Prior experience with animals or veterinary medicine is not a requisite (though we would love to teach you some new skills)! We have roles in each area of the clinic that don’t involve being hands-on with animals and/or needles if that’s not your thing. We need people to help fill out records, greet people as they arrive and fill out paperwork as well as give take-home paperwork and explain discharge instructions when they leave. We also need skilled veterinary professionals to induce, monitor, and recover animals from anesthesia, perform physical examinations, and veterinarians to perform surgery and treat sick/injured pets.
No matter your experience level when you arrive, we’ll be sure to match you with a job that you are comfortable with!
I Want To Volunteer! Now What?!
Decided to volunteer at one of our clinics? Hooray! We’re excited to have you. Volunteers are one of the most essential components to EVERY clinic that we host!
We know you have questions, so we’ve done our best to answer them below. If you have a question that isn’t on our list, please reach out to us. We are happy to address it and help make this process as smooth and enjoyable for you as possible.
Where Will I Sleep?
Many of our volunteers choose to stay onsite at the chapter house, but we also know some people prefer the comfort of a hotel. A chapter house is like a big community center – they will have a larger communal area, often where the clinic activities are held (especially surgery clinics – not as much for vaccine clinics), as well as a kitchen, various offices, bathrooms (sometimes with showers) and possibly a break room or two. Typically those staying onsite and staying in the chapter house will find a quiet space to set up their stuff for the weekend. We can’t promise total privacy as we try to make do with the accommodations our hosts provide us with – sometimes everyone just picks a different corner of a room. If you’ve been longing for the fun of childhood sleepovers or the excitement of summer camp – this option is for you!
If you do plan to stay onsite, pack a sleeping bag, pad/air mattress/cot, pillow, toiletries and whatever else you need for a good night’s rest! There are usually options for sleeping inside. Some volunteers prefer to sleep in their car, camper or bring a tent.
The clinic director will share details about the specific layouts of each chapter house in the emails leading up to the clinic so that you can plan accordingly.
You are also welcome to stay at a hotel if that is what you prefer. Please note that hotels can oftentimes be more than 40 minutes away from the clinic location. Unfortunately, Rez Vet is not able to cover hotel costs.
Do I Need To Bring My Own Meals?
Nope! Our executive director LOVES to cook and will be preparing every meal throughout the clinic so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own! All meals are vegan with some vegetarian options (dairy). If you’re like us and get hungry between meals, feel free to bring your own snacks (though we have plenty of those too)! We do ask that you let us know what your meal plans are ahead of time so that we can grocery shop appropriately. If you have any allergies or food sensitivities, please let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
We also ask that everyone brings their own mess kit (utensils, plate, cup/water bottles) to help cut down on waste.
What Should I Wear?
A good rule of thumb is to bring clothing that is comfortable, practical and something you don’t mind getting dirty. Clinic days are often spent outside, so bring clothes that fit the weather. Some days start out chilly and warm up as time progresses. You may want to pack layers to ensure you’re comfortable no matter how the weather changes. If you’re in a role that requires a lot of standing or walking around, be sure to pack comfortable sneakers. If you are staying at the chapter house, there will not be laundry machines – be sure to bring enough clothes to last you the weekend, especially if you get dirty every day.
How Will I Know What Role I Am In?
We will send out an email to all volunteers a week before the clinic with information about roles, the clinic location and other details. Be sure to let our clinic director know ahead of time if you have experience in the veterinary field, at field clinics or with something else you think might be helpful so that we can best utilize everyone’s skills.
How Do I Get There?
You have a couple options regarding transportation. If you are somewhat local (how much do you love a good road trip?) to the clinic location, we definitely recommend driving your personal vehicle. This would give you the most flexibility with the supplies you bring as well as where you stay if that is important to you.
Another option is to fly into one of the nearby airports. Due to the remote nature of almost all of our clinics, this typically will involve a flight into a smaller regional airport + a vehicle rental and a bit of a drive onto the rez.
A third option (and not always guaranteed) is to coordinate with the Rez Vet team to travel with us. Rez Vet is based out of Grand Junction, CO and is only 10 minutes from the Grand Junction Regional Airport. Sometimes we have an extra seat or two in one of our vehicles for the drive down/back and can accommodate taxi duties for someone that wants a back stage experience with Rez Vet! We could also try to connect volunteers coming in for carpooling purposes to help defray some of the associated costs for a weekend trip. All of this is case by case and dependent on who all is interested, but we wanted to make sure we put it out there if for no other reason than to make sure prospective volunteers know to ask about any and all potential accommodations that may mean the difference between making it out to a clinic or not!
If you are interested in volunteering at a clinic or have any questions about volunteering, please email us at clinics@rez.vet.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Can’t commit to attending a clinic? No worries! We have other ways you can help out from afar.
- Sponsor a meal – Whether you live local (to the clinic location or Grand Junction) and want to drop off a prepared meal or you want to help cover the groceries for a specific meal that we prepare at the clinic, this is a great way to support the team that is working hard all clinic!
- Donate a gas card – We drive multiple vehicles hundreds of miles to and from every clinic. This is a big bill for Rez Vet that we sure could use some help with!
- Enter clinic records – Every clinic generates hundreds and hundreds of medical records that need to be entered into our databases. If you have time to tap away at your keyboard for a few hours during the week or two following a clinic, speak to our clinic director to see how we can get you involved!