Animal volunteering in Peru gives you the chance to make a direct contribution to animal welfare, conservation, and ethical care — working side by side with local organisations and communities in and around Cusco. These are hands-on, immersive placements built around long-term impact, not short-term feel-good experiences.
Freepackers runs 3 animal care volunteer projects based in and around Cusco. Each project works with different animals in a different environment, but all share the same commitment: proper care, meaningful involvement, and a genuine connection with the local teams. Whether you want to work in a dog rescue shelter, a wildlife rehabilitation centre, or a horse ranch in the Sacred Valley — there is a project for you.
As a B Corp certified organisation, Freepackers partners with rigorously selected local projects and supports you throughout the entire experience — before you leave, on the ground, and after you return home.
Animal welfare challenges in Peru are significant and varied. Street dogs are common in urban centres, mistreatment remains frequent in some communities, and illegal wildlife trafficking continues to threaten one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet. Local animal care organisations operate with limited staff and resources — and that is exactly where volunteers make a difference.
Every day you spend on the ground — cleaning enclosures, feeding animals, socialising rescued dogs, or maintaining infrastructure — directly supports the organisations that keep these animals alive and cared for. Your contribution is concrete and immediate from day one.
No specific experience with animals is required to apply. What matters is commitment, patience, and a willingness to show up and do the work.
This dog rescue shelter in Cusco is run by a Peruvian couple who have dedicated years to taking in abandoned, mistreated, and injured animals from the streets. Today, they care for more than 125 dogs, cats, and occasionally other animals — all rescued from situations of neglect or abuse.
Beyond day-to-day care, the shelter runs community awareness campaigns focused on responsible pet ownership, sterilisation, and basic animal health. Volunteers are an essential part of making this work possible.
Your tasks at the dog shelter:
This wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre takes in animals that have been victims of mistreatment or illegal trafficking — handed over by park rangers, the national police, or Peruvian authorities. Every animal receives vaccinations and medical care on arrival. The long-term goal, wherever possible, is reintroduction into the wild.
The centre runs educational programmes for local communities, rehabilitation protocols for sick or mistreated animals, and breeding programmes for endangered species. This is a genuine conservation project — not a visitor attraction.
Your tasks at the wildlife rescue centre:
If you love horses and outdoor work, this project based in Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, is the one for you. Located about 1.5 hours from Cusco, the ranch welcomes volunteers to support the daily care of the horses and the general maintenance of the property.
Each morning, you take part in feeding, mucking out the stalls, and preparing equipment. Depending on your experience, the season, and the ranch’s needs, some riding may be possible — though it is not a guaranteed part of the programme.
Your tasks at the horse ranch:
For this project, you will stay with a local host family in Urubamba. Away from the noise of Cusco, you will discover a small Andean town surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery — 3 Peruvian meals a day, daily life with a local family, and plenty of opportunities to practise your Spanish.
These projects are open to anyone motivated by animal welfare who is ready to engage meaningfully on the ground. You do not need prior experience with animals for most tasks — consistency and genuine commitment matter far more than credentials.
The minimum age is 18 years old (minors must be accompanied by an adult). No Spanish required — our local coordinators manage communication on site.
These are not observation placements. From your first day, you work alongside local teams on real, recurring tasks that keep these organisations running. There are no performances for volunteers — just the daily reality of animal care in a resource-limited context.
You will learn how local organisations manage animal rehabilitation with limited means. You will gain a clearer, more honest understanding of what welfare challenges actually look like in Peru. And you will come back with a much more grounded sense of what volunteering abroad can — and cannot — achieve.
Freepackers supports you from start to finish: preparation before departure, coordination with local partners on the ground, and follow-up once you are back home.
This program is available all years round.
Arrivals and departure are every Sunday
Duration during the week | Budget total mission |
|---|---|
2 weeks | 850 € |
3 weeks | 1055 € |
4 weeks | 1269 € |
5 weeks | 1485 € |
6 weeks | 1699 € |
7 weeks | 1915 € |
8 weeks | 2170 € |
9 weeks | 2430 € |
10 weeks | 2695 € |
11 weeks | 2960 € |
12 weeks | 3230 € |
For the Cusco projects (dog shelter and wildlife rescue centre), you will stay in a shared volunteer house close to the project sites. It is a practical set-up that naturally brings together participants from different backgrounds and countries.
For the horse ranch project in Urubamba, accommodation is with a local Peruvian host family on a full-board basis (3 meals a day). This is a genuine cultural immersion: traditional home cooking, daily life in an Andean village, and a family to share your experience with.
For all international projects, Realstep requires participants to take out travel insurance covering accidents, illness, and repatriation, as well as civil liability for professional activities abroad.
For complete protection while studying or interning abroad, you can take out Cap Student insurance online by following this link Student insurance abroad | Chapka Assurances, which will give you a 5% discount.
If you take out another insurance policy, we will ask you to send us a copy of your certificate in English.
Achieve the language level required for your international project with tailored support. The Clic-campus method Free Packers X Clic Campus foreign language training courses combines videoconference lessons and an innovative e-learning platform, offering complete flexibility from the comfort of your own home.
