Volunteer in Nepal with the
Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre!

Volunteers play an essential part in our work to improve the lives of dogs and other animals, and people who come to Nepal to volunteer at the KAT Centre generally tell us they had wonderful experiences.

There are many different ways you can get involved here at the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre, from caring for animals to working on computers in the office to raising awareness around Kathmandu. We especially need an experienced administrator to help manage our office. Please let us know your interests and abilities and we will match them to the work available so you will have a meaningful and memorable experience.

See photos of what volunteers can do at the KAT Centre!

Read the KAT volunteers' blog!

The Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds – technical (veterinarians, vet students, and vet techs / nurses / paravets) and non-technical. Please see our guidelines for technical and non-technical volunteers. Non-technical volunteers can fill many important roles, including: washing and brushing the dogs at the shelter, helping the cats and dogs feel more comfortable with people, helping in our office, and updating our computer files. You can also go to public places in Kathmandu and put up posters, invite people to visit the Centre, ask businesses to put out KAT brochures, and talk to the public about stray dogs in Nepal, KAT's programs to help the dogs, and rabies awareness.

Since KAT does not have a structured volunteer program, we encourage volunteers to take initiative to ask the staff how they can help. A proactive attitude will give you a more rewarding experience.

We operate every day of the week, although on weekends there is no surgery so things are generally quieter. Volunteers are welcome for a few hours, days, weeks, or months, any time between 9am and 5pm.

Location and Accommodation

The Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre is located in Kathmandu, the capital city of the Himalayan country of Nepal. Specifically, it is in Chapali Gaon, near Budanilkantha, approximately 3.5 km (2 miles) north of the Kathmandu Ring Road.
Find out how to get to the KAT Centre

There are only one or two guest houses in Chapali, which are quite expensive. Most guest houses are located in central Kathmandu, ranging from US$5 upwards per night. If you want, we will be happy to arrange hotel accommodation for you according to your budget.

Visas

If you will be in Nepal for less than 130 days, then you should come in on a tourist visa that is automatically issued by Nepal's Immigration Department upon your arrival.

Medical Care / Insurance

Anyone coming to Nepal to volunteer with KAT must be vaccinated against rabies and tetanus prior to arriving at the Centre. You should have adequate medical insurance to cover volunteering with animals.

Items to Bring with You:

• We ask technical volunteers who have their own spaying instruments to bring them, if possible. The KAT Centre has a limited amount of surgical equipment and it can be inconvenient to sterilize instruments in the middle of a series of surgeries. Also, you may want to bring gloves, as hand sizes here are generally small for Westerners.

• In the unlikely case that you are delayed at Immigration and need assistance, we suggest that you have our contact number handy so you can call us: 4373169 (or from phone numbers abroad, +977-1-4373169).

• It will be useful to bring a mobile phone, if you have one. Sim cards are cheap and easy to buy in Kathmandu.

Technical Volunteers (Veterinarians, Vet Students, & Vet Techs / Nurses / Paravets):
Information and Opportunities
Application Form

General / Non-Technical Volunteers:
Information and Opportunities
Application Form

After completing the application form, please send it to the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre by email, by post, or simply bring it to us.

See photos of what volunteers can do at the KAT Centre!

Read the KAT volunteers' blog!

Volunteers' Code of Conduct