What motivated you or inspired you to want to work with animals in animal care, and how did you get started at the refuge?
Renee Allen: I have always loved animals, and I grew up being surrounded by them. I always had a great interest in animals, especially wildlife. I began working at the refuge when I was 16 as a volunteer, and I loved working there and being with animals very much. Once I finished college I came back home and began working here again; however, there was an animal care job opening, and the refuge offered that job to me. I have been here ever since, and the family/community that we have created at the QWR is amazing.
What would you say is one of the most memorable moments or experiences you have had working with animals?
Renee Allen: An experience that stands out to me the most is when I traveled to Thailand and worked at an elephant sanctuary. The culture there was so different, and the animals had no rights. It was difficult to witness, but it was also very impactful to work at a sanctuary that was secretive for legal reasons. Unfortunately, the fact that these people were trying to help the animals and withhold them from individuals trying to profit from them could lead them to get into serious legal trouble, but even with the risks these people still did everything in their power to save these beautiful animals, and being able to be a part of that experience was so memorable.
What is one of your favorite aspects of working at the Wildlife
Refuge?
Renee Allen: My favorite aspects of working at the refuge are not only helping the animals, but also the educational aspect of the job. We often visit schools and host certain events for children to attend in order to help educate them on wildlife and the importance of sustaining the beautiful animal and plant life we have. It is great to see the children want to become involved and learn more about wildlife upon our visit with them. Knowing that we are providing them with such important information, and witnessing them not only grasp the concepts we discuss with them, but also seeing how it sparks a greater interest for them in the realm of wildlife is great to witness.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in animal care?
Renee Allen: It is important to start gaining experience as soon as you can because the more you experience different fields of animal care, the more certain you will be about what you want to study in college, and you will have a more solid grasp on what you might want to do as a career. I also think it is important when in college to appreciate what you learn and not treat it as a chore because it will help make the process less challenging. It is necessary to appreciate the information you learn throughout school because there could be a situation one day where certain knowledge you gained would be a valuable resource.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Renee Allen: Definitely seeing the difference we make on the animals' lives is very rewarding, but also seeing the spark we instill in the children we educate and having them leave with an even greater interest in wildlife is definitely one of the most rewarding aspects of the job for me.