Animal Welfare Volunteering in Portugal

At International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), we unite people from over 96 countries who want to make a meaningful difference while exploring the world. With 300+ projects in 40+ destinations, IVHQ offers the widest selection of volunteer programs globally—from Teaching and Childcare to Wildlife Conservation, Medical Outreach, and Environmental Sustainability. Since 2007, IVHQ has supported over 147,000 volunteers on life-changing journeys. We specialize in fully-hosted volunteer trips that are safe, affordable, and accessible—starting from just $20 per day. Your experience includes airport pick-up, accommodation, meals, and round-the-clock support from our local teams. With flexible booking options and no change fees, planning your volunteer adventure has never been easier. Our programs run year-round and are available for 1 to 24 weeks across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, South and Central America, North America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Volunteering with IVHQ is about more than giving back—it’s about growing, learning, and building genuine global connections.

GoEco is one of the world’s top volunteer organizations, with award-winning and ethical programs selected by sustainable travel experts. Since 2006, tens of thousands of volunteers have taken part in projects and internships worldwide, focusing on wildlife and marine conservation, education, and medical initiatives. GoEco operates in over 50 countries, providing unique cultural immersive experiences that aim to make a positive impact on the environment and society. The organization also offers internships and academic programs for students. GoEco provides safe and meaningful experiences while promoting sustainable travel and reducing carbon emissions.

Join a team of passionate vets and veterinary nurses to support neglected, abandoned, or vulnerable animals. As a veterinary intern, you’ll spend your time caring for the animals at the sanctuary, enabling them to have happy, healthy lives. With over 100 animals across ten different species, your work will be varied, interesting, and dynamic. You’ll have a range of tasks to do, from diagnosing unwell animals, giving physical exams, administering injections, treating wounds, as well as offering guidance and advice for possible treatments. If an animal needs surgeries or has more complex problems, you may accompany and monitor it at the central clinic in Lisbon.

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The Animal Protection Program in Lisbon is perfect for those passionate about animal welfare. As a volunteer, you'll engage in sustainable tourism while supporting abandoned dogs and cats. You'll assist non-profit shelters by playing, socializing, feeding, and cleaning the shelters of rescued animals. You'll also support adoption events, take photos and videos to help promote adoption, and spend time with dogs and cats daily. These shelters are often overcrowded, and you play an essential role in giving time and love to animals to support their adoption. Our project is intended for ages 16 and up, but we also welcome families with children four years and older.

The Iberian wolf is now in danger of extinction. Hunted from its homelands in northern Portugal, and kept in cruel captivity in zoos, the numbers of wolves in the wild are now dwindling. Volunteers help at a beautiful wolf sanctuary in a National Park just 40 minutes from Lisbon. Whilst at the sanctuary, volunteers help to prepare food for the wolves, feed the wolves, provide them with sufficient water and monitor their behavior. In addition to this, volunteers help with essential work to conserve the local area, such as removing alien vegetation and planting native species. This is an incredible opportunity to work closely with wolves, meet volunteers from around the world and live in a stunning location off the beaten track. Volunteers can take part for one week to four weeks. Volunteers live in a log cabin on-site at the wolf sanctuary. The project is self-catered.

Travel to magnificent Portugal, make an active contribution to endangered species conservation, and support the mission of a dedicated wolf sanctuary as a volunteer. Due to human persecution and habitat loss, European wolves were almost exterminated within the past few decades. Whereas populations of the wolf are slowly recovering naturally in several European countries, the populations in Portugal are still extremely limited. Our partner’s wolf conservation project created a safe sanctuary for rescued Iberian wolves that were born and/or kept in captivity under illegal circumstances and are therefore no longer able to live in the wild. Volunteers help care for the animals finding refuge here by feeding them, performing monitoring activities, helping with the forest maintenance where the center is located, and assisting in maintaining the infrastructure of this precious shelter. Become part of a committed conservation team, actively participating in protecting Portugal’s last big carnivore and experiencing the nature and wildlife of the southwestern European country in an incomparable way.

Volunteer at an ethical wolf sanctuary in Portugal and support the conservation of the endangered Iberian wolf. Engage in various activities, from habitat maintenance to public education, while enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings near Lisbon. Responsibilities: Assist in maintaining and restoring wolf habitats Support feeding and monitoring wolves Participate in environmental education and community outreach Help with general maintenance and conservation tasks By volunteering, you get hands-on experience in wildlife conservation, contribute to the preservation of an endangered species, immerse cultural experience in Portugal, and have opportunities to explore local tourist and cultural sights. Join us in preserving the Iberian wolf and gain valuable conservation experience. Apply now to be part of this rewarding volunteer program. Join us today!

Join a non-profit, volunteer-based rescue center that treats injured and sick hedgehogs to release them back into nature. Hedgehogs face threats from pollution, habitat loss, road casualties, and lack of food, leading to a decline in their population. Many are also captured and kept illegally as pets, often without proper care. As a volunteer in this project, you will help rehabilitate these animals and return them to their natural habitat. What to expect: • Rehabilitation Work: Assist in cleaning cages and enclosures, feeding hedgehogs, and supporting clinical procedures. • Awareness Initiatives: Participate in efforts to raise awareness about hedgehog conservation. • Release Events: Help release rehabilitated hedgehogs back into the wild. Daily tasks: • Clean hedgehog cages and enclosures. • Ensure hedgehogs receive proper nutrition. • Contribute to educational and outreach initiatives. • Participate in animal release efforts. • Assist with clinical procedures, such as wound cleaning and medication administration.