Become a Participant

Are you 15-24 years old and do you live in Philadelphia? Do you enjoy spending time with animals and have a passion for helping others? Are you in need of support with employment and want to learn more about animal-related careers? Then the Hand2Paw Internship might be right for you! 

We employ over 20 youth per year in our paid internship programs ranging from 6-weeks to 6-months.

Below are some of the qualifications for you to consider before contacting us:

1. You’re 15-24 years old
2. You’re interested in a career with animals
3. You have a supportive adult in your life (caregiver, case manager, mentor, shelter staff, youth program staff) who is invested in your success in our program
4. You are ready to work in a classroom and animal shelter setting that includes discussions, work and life skills training, and occasional virtual components of the program (tech and internet services provided)
5. You’re available to work 25-30 hours a week (Unleashing Opportunities program), or 18 hours a week (Pawspurr program)
6. You want to build the interpersonal skills to work with others and the community
7. You are physically able to take walks and lift up to 50lbs (if you need accommodations, please let us know and we can work with you!) 

Even if you do not meet the above criteria, we may still be able to work with you or connect you to resources. Please contact us at hand2paw.program@gmail.com.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Hand2Paw actively seeks to build and support a diverse staff; we are committed to fostering the leadership and elevating the voices of women, young people, people of color, Native people, immigrants and refugees, low-income people, LGBTQ+ people, transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people, people with disabilities, and people living in the many intersections of these experiences. We strongly encourage people from these communities to apply.

If you’re interested in learning more about working with Hand2Paw, please complete the form below: