Social Responsibility.

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Animal Experience International is a certified B Corporation. B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. For more information please visit the B Corporation website. Our mission statement is simple but we think it embodies why we are so passionate about being B Corp certified; To provide clients from all different backgrounds,  safe animal volunteer experiences that are locally supported and run, provide fair wages, conduct educational programs and have high standards of conservation. In 2014 and 2015 we have been honoured by being named the Best FOR the World, by scoring in the top 10% of all B Corps for Overall Impact (combined social and environmental) and again for Environmental Impact!  

Our commitment is not only to changing the lives of AEI clients and members, but to changing the lives of our placement partners as well. One of the goals of AEI is to encourage our clients to share their knowledge. Veterinarians, accountants and chefs all have very different skill sets but each has the potential to make a difference in a very real way. There will be no placements for the sake of placements. All of the AEI Experiences will be built around what the placement needs. We encourage our clients to ask questions, be engaged and learn from the Placement Partners. Education will be flowing in both directions on AEI Experiences. In this way AEI’s clients can not only aid animals around the world, but their impact can be making a significant difference to the people and communities as well.

AEI is committed to making sustainable and long lasting connections by partnering with only the very best organizations around the world. In order to accomplish this, we have committed to sending an AEI Field Officer to assess each of our Placement Partners. By personally visiting the Placement Partners, we hope to ensure that the placements will be genuinely aiding animals and that our presence will be beneficial to the community. This means that clients can be assured that the Placement Partners are being represented accurately and that AEI Experiences will be of the best possible quality. We understand that each community is different and each centre will have different needs, objectives and measurements for success. We make sure that we work with the staff at the centres to only send them volunteers and donations that will be beneficial to the individual centre. We refuse to take management roles at these centres as we are not local and can not understand the local cultural and social lenses that leads to the systemic conservation problems unique to each community. We support the Placement Partners by supporting their proven successful local strategies. AEI understands that North American solutions only work in North American contexts. During site visits and during constant and consistent follow ups we ensure our Placement Partners' employees are local to the community, are given safe work and they are given fair (and reliable) wages. Local solutions to local conservation problems! Placement Partners are fully autonomous from AEI, however there is mutual understanding that donations will be used to continue the improvement the social and environmental condition of the communities these Placement Partners serve and reside in. When choosing suppliers we give preference to local, sustainable, fair trade, conservation focused groups. When possible we choose to work with B Corps, co-ops and small companies who share our vision to improve the well being of their communities. Companies with strong social and environmental policies are given preference before pricing is considered, we understand that low financial costs often lead to high social and environmental costs.

AEI is committed to providing affordable experiences and fundraising support to all our clients. Travel and volunteering is not only for those who can afford it; we believe it should be for whoever is passionate and wants to help. AEI provides free fundraising coaching and ideas for those who want to fundraise to pay their volunteer fees.  

AEI is committed to ethical environmental practices and realizes that air travel is a contributor to climate change and environmental degradation. We have partnered with The Carbon Farmer to make 100% of the travel associated with our trips carbon balanced.

AEI is committed to ethical travel for all. We understand the negative impact that volunteer tourism can potentially have and with that understanding comes the responsibility for AEI to do more than just send clients abroad. Through constant communication with our Placement Partners and their communities, by visiting the placements and by educating our clients, AEI strives to provide the most responsible impact possible. We all make a difference. AEI is committed to ensuring our clients make a valuable and positive impact on their own lives as well as the lives of our Placement Partners around the world.

AEI is fully compliant with the Cape Town Declaration and it's characteristics of Responsible Tourism.

Animal Experience International's Mission Statement: To provide clients from all different backgrounds,  safe animal volunteer experiences that are locally supported and run, provide fair wages, conduct educational programs and have high standards of conservation. 

Professional and Educational Partners

AEI is committed to offering our clients professional learning opportunities that will not only help them grow as individuals but also help their professional development. In order to assist veterinary technologists, technicians and nurses AEI has partnered with professional veterinary and medical associations. If you would like your association to partner with AEI please contact us today!

OAVTWe are an official member of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies. ACTA is a national trade association representing the retail travel sector of Canada's tourism industry. ACTA is an industry-led, non profit, membership based organization. We are members because we believe in continuing education, professional development, client safety AND the power of disrupting the travel industry with our deep beliefs in community lead conservation and eco/animal welfare voluntourism! We have a lot to learn but we also have a lot to teach.

OAVT Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT)- All AEI experiences are pre-approved placements. All OAVT members who participate in AEI Experiences are eligible for a minimum of 5 Continuing Education Credits.

MAHTA Manitoba Animal Health Technologists Association (MAHTA)

VNASAThe Veterinary Nurses Association of South Africa

EVTA Eastern Veternary Technician Association (for Atlantic Provinces)

The British Veterinary Nursing Associaition (BVNA)

Irish Veterinary Nursing Association

The Veterinary Nurses Association of South Africa

The Saskatchewan Association of Veterinary Technologists

Responsible Partners

AEI is committed to offering our clients the most ethical and affordable experiences. That’s why we are proud to announce AEI’s Responsible Partners.

Volunteer Card All of our clients are automatically signed up for the International Volunteer Card. An AEI membership get's you: Travel Insurance, 24/7 Assistance, Discounts at Target, Hyatt, eBags, Hertz and 100,000 more! This partnership means our clients are fully supported before, during and after their Experience.

KittsKitts is a B Corp that makes premium, high quality mens and womens casual underwear, and for each pair sold they donate a pair to charities in North America. Underwear is one of the most requested, yet undersupplied items at clothing charities and homeless shelters in North America. Kitts underwear are premium quality, using only superior extra-soft and eco-friendly fabric, and are ultra comfortable! Each pair of Kitts is also carbon-neutral so you can feel good knowing you're doing your part for others and the environment! All our North American clients get 20% off their Kitts!

LenaAt LENA, they want to spread awareness on the personal and environmental benefits of reusable menstrual products, inspiring women to improve their periods while loving and respecting our planet. When North American clients are placing their order on Amazon, they can enter an AEI discount code to get 20% off the LENA Large or Small cups. We love LENA because it makes travelling easier for women while also making their environmental footprint smaller. 

Icebreaker There's nothing more natural to wear in nature. New Zealand Merino Wool Clothing for Outdoor activities, Performance Sports and AEI clients! All Canadian and American clients get 50% Icebreaker clothing when they sign up for their Experience! Natural fibre clothing that is comfortable, functional, beautiful AND affordable.

Kitts SoapBox Soaps is a mission-based personal care company. For every product sold, they give back a bar of soap, month of clean water, or year of vitamins to someone who needs it, both abroad and in the USA! All of their products are all natural, free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or petrochemicals. They are full of organic shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and lots of good, clean hope! Our American clients will get 15% off their purchase because AEI experiences will get you dirty and Soapbox Soaps will help you get clean.

Volunteer ForeverAEI's company clothing has been designed and made by local and amazing talent! Committed to staying local and supporting talented artists we chose Peach Berserk to dress us for conferences, speaking engagements, traveling and everything in between. We couldn't be happier with the designs. If you would like to order your one of a kind, personally Toronto made wearable art, please visit their website or contact us!

The Fair Pages We are committed to being an example of a fair and ethical office. We have added our name to The Fair Pages database and have committed to 91 fair actions for all of our employees and partners to comply with. Please read more about our commitments in the fields: environmental issues, animal welfare, animal, rights, endangered species, human rights, fair trade, women's rights, social equality, aid/charity and ethical finance/investment.

beyondBeaniebeyondBeanie is our new love. They hire local artisans to make (for an ethical wage) amazing travel accessories that not only help the individual artisan, also give back to the community. Scarves that help with student meal programs, bracelets that help with dentist aid, ponchos that help provide school supplies and toques that help fund school uniforms. We always recommend our clients pack a scarf and a toque (beanie, woolly hat, winter cap) no matter where they are going, for fashion, modesty and warmth. Why not pack fashionable, practical, ethical and beneficial accessories in your bag? Travelling can be done ethically, we are making sure by partnering with all the most ethical and awesome groups we can! 

carbonfarmerThe Carbon Farmer and AEI have partnered to make every extraordinary trip carbon balanced. The Carbon Farmer is a Canadian, family-run business that has not only shown their commitment to lowering the carbon footprint of their clients, but also to the naturalization of Northern Alberta.

Launched in 2015, PACK aims to give travellers more time to explore and enjoy their trip by shortening packing and unpacking cycles. As a member of the Fair Labor Association, they make sure that their entire supply chain is ethical and fair. We support global equality and transparency, just like we do! All AEI clients get 15% off their very own Back Pack Organiser. Not sure if it would be perfect for your travels? Read what Nora has to say about her experience with her own Pack Gear Organizer.

Easy Travel Group Airfare Easy Group Airfare is the ultimate online destination for discounted group travel. Whether you are traveling across the country or around the world, Easy Group Airfare serves as your travel agent and advocate, by providing travel assistance and support for groups traveling the globe. A triple-bottom-line company, Easy Group Airfare donates 5% of profits back to the non-profit organizations that book their travel with them. Request a quote with Easy Group Airfare today!

Zazzle is an online marketplace we chose for our merchandise sales. Using a third party marketplace that does individual made- to-order items means there is no extra merchandise printed. Our shipping cost (both financial and environmental) is drastically decreased since the merchandise is only shipped once– straight to our clients.

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How can you be a responsible traveler? For ideas and further ideas on how to lower your negative traveling impact please visit our Responsible Travel page.