Animal Experience International’s Code of Ethics.

We prioritize the well-being of the animals we work with above all else. We will only work with animal sanctuaries and organizations that have a strong track record of ethical treatment of animals.

We believe in responsible tourism practices that minimize our impact on the environment and local communities. We will always strive to minimize waste, conserve natural resources, and respect local customs and traditions.

We will provide accurate and transparent information to our clients about the nature of the animal volunteering experiences we offer, including the risks and responsibilities involved. We will encourage our clients to ask questions and make informed decisions.

We will respect the privacy and dignity of the animals we work with, and will never exploit them for commercial gain or entertainment.

We will ensure that our clients receive adequate training and support to carry out their volunteer work safely and responsibly. We will also ensure that our clients are aware of any health and safety risks associated with their volunteer work.

We will maintain open and honest communication with our clients and partners, and will be responsive to feedback and concerns. We will also address any complaints or issues in a timely and professional manner.

We will adhere to all relevant laws and regulations governing animal welfare, tourism, and volunteering in the countries where we operate.

We will foster a culture of respect and collaboration among our staff, clients, and partners. We will treat everyone with fairness, empathy, and kindness.

We will strive to continuously improve our practices and policies to better serve the animals, our clients, and the environment. We will regularly review and update our code of ethics to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.

We commit to using our Consent Based Tourism Model ensuring that all host community members, animals and AEI clients engage in experiences with full informed consent.

We commit to visiting all of the placements before any of our clients in order to ensure we understand their ethos, can speak to the volunteer activities, to better see the accommodations, to go over safety checklists/protocols, to guarantee our consent based model will work in practice at the site. 

We commit to making sure the volunteer fees our placement partners require don't just offset the cost to host a volunteer, they help grow the program. 

We commit to sending an extra donation for every week a volunteer is at a placement. This donation and all funds from AEI are given to the placement partner with no strings attached. The placement partner has full sovereignty and autonomy over their funds. 

AEI commits to have full transparency over the volunteers' fees. Where the significant portion of the fees go to the placement partner as a donation (50%), there are also portions that go to planting trees, investing in carbon credits, buying travel insurance and paying AEI staff members. 

AEI commits to providing pro bono volunteer coordinator consultation to all it's placement partners throughout their partnership. A partnership with AEI should not cost the placement partner, it should only benefit. 

We take our commitment to ethical and responsible animal volunteering very seriously, and we hope that our clients and partners share our values and vision.