Dunedin · Online course

Vet Assistant in Dunedin

If you love animals and want to work with them professionally this Vet Assistant course is perfect for you.

Full course details

What you'll learn

The course is the same online course wherever you study from. Its modules:

1. Subject 1 – Animal Healthcare
2. Subject 2 – Common Diseases in Animals

See the full Vet Assistant course outline

Veterinary assisting and wildlife care in Dunedin

Dunedin is home to a hospital dedicated to native wildlife. The Dunedin Wildlife Hospital opened in January 2018 within the Otago Polytechnic School of Veterinary Nursing and was the first clinic in the South Island dedicated to treating native birds.

Hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins) are its main patients, but its caseload has included kākāpō, kiwi, kererū, northern royal albatrosses, tuatara, seals and sea lions. That caseload gives a picture of the range of species a veterinary team can be asked to handle in this part of the country.

The trust behind the hospital lists volunteer opportunities through Volunteer South. The hospital is funded by donations, sponsorship and Dunedin City Council grants.

Vet Assistant in Dunedin: questions

What animals does the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital treat?

Its main patients are hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins), and it has also treated kākāpō, kiwi, kererū, red-billed gulls, northern royal albatrosses, Australasian crested grebes and tuatara, as well as seals and sea lions. It is based at the Otago Polytechnic School of Veterinary Nursing.

Can I volunteer at the wildlife hospital?

The Wildlife Hospital Trust has an organisation profile on Volunteer South, which links to its volunteer roles. Check the profile for current opportunities and requirements.

What our students say

I’m loving my course with Online…

I’m loving my course with Online Learning. I’m studying Veterinary Nursing Assistant in Wildlife. I work full time and I love the fact that I can study in my own time and complete my certification in my own time. I find the course material fantastic and I love my assignments. I’ve recently also started a volunteer job at Taronga Zoo that I got from being an Veterinary Nursing Assistant student through Online Learning. It’s a really amazing course with thorough information and I’ll highly recommend this course.

Adele Scholtz