The Bobbert Memorial Fund
Funding our Humane Education & Workforce
Development Internship Program

Watch Bobbert's story on The Dodo

Many amazing animals have graced West Place Animal Sanctuary but none commanded our adoration like Bobbert the alpaca. Since arriving in 2010 as a six-month-old rescue from a traveling petting zoo, Bobbert was a favorite among staff, volunteers, and visitors. His outlandish personality, goofiness, and resilience brought joy and inspiration to hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders and millions of fans worldwide. Rescues like Bobbert are why we do what we do, and we want to share our work with as many teens and young adults as possible. To honor Bobbert's unique soul and continue his legacy, West Place has established the Bobbert Memorial Fund to provide humane education, workforce development, and skills training programs to the next generation of animal welfare professionals.

FUND A STUDENT

VIEW DONORS & RECIPIENTS

Each year, West Place welcomes dozens of local students to our popular and unique Educational Internship Programs:

Summer Program: For 8-12 weeks, these rising stars gain hands-on experience within a working farm environment, being educated anywhere from 4 to 40 hours per week.

School-Year Program: Students can spend nine months immersed in our program, learning over the course of an academic year what it takes to do what we do.

Unlike volunteers who spend years at West Place after being trained, student interns operate on a much shorter cycle. Each position we create requires time, money, and resources, and we pride ourselves on prioritizing safety while immersing our interns in the daily operations of a farm animal sanctuary. Donations through the Bobbert Memorial Fund will allow West Place to continue offering programs free of charge to these special young people.

Students gain hands-on experience in farm animal care, wildlife rehabilitation, working with local lost dogs, observing veterinary visits, shearing, hoof trimming, dentistry, and much more. They also have the opportunity to participate in our food cultivation program, which includes farm-grown vegetables and fruits, and maintenance of our rotational grazing system and sanctuary grounds. And interns go behind the scenes when they are taught operations, maintenance, and other essential projects. Each day, animal lessons are given regarding nutritional requirements, exercise and conditioning needs, anatomy and animal welfare.

HEAR FROM AN INTERN

HEAR FROM A DONOR

As Rhode Island’s only sanctuary for farm animals rescued from cases of abuse, neglect, and cruelty, West Place truly offers an experience that none can match. Your support through the Bobbert Memorial Fund allows us to share the lifelong lessons of compassion, responsibility, and kindness with more young adults through our unique humane education programming.

A donation of $5,000 allows you to create a named award that will be presented to an outstanding intern at the end of the School-Year Program, while providing an experience as unique as Bobbert. A donation of $2,500 funds one student during the condensed Summer Program. The certificate they receive can bear the name of your family, foundation, or business and can also be created in honor or in memory of a loved one. Donors may renew their commitment year after year to continue building a more humane world in Bobbert’s memory.

Start your own family legacy by funding a a deserving student.

FUND A STUDENT

Partial funding is also appreciated. If you would like to support the Humane Education & Workforce Development Internship programs with a donation less than $2,500, we will pool donations to establish a West Place Animal Sanctuary award to be presented to a student intern.

Bobbert Memorial Fund Donors

West Place thanks the generous supporters who help fund our life-changing internship program through donations to the Bobbert Memorial Fund. Their generosity allows us to recognize our top interns, and helps the program remain free and accessible to all students interested in gaining hands-on experience with farm animal rescues and wildlife. We aim to have the program fully funded so all students can receive recognition for their dedication and commitment to farm animal welfare.

Bally's Tiverton Award

Donated by Bally's Tiverton Casino

Awarded to Aidan Richer, School-Year Intern 2022-23

Awarded to Juleighani Soto, Summer Intern 2024

BayCoast Bank Award

Donated by BayCoast Bank

Awarded to Faith Melo, School-Year Intern 2021-22

Carter Fund Award
Donated by The Carter Family Chartiable Trust

Awarded to Emily Forte, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Cassandra Kilmer, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Elise McClellan, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Avery Tavares, Summer Intern 2025

Chace Family Award
Donated by The Chace Family

Awarded to Avis Andrews, School-Year Intern 2022-23

Awarded to Corinne Cifelli, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Leah Dieterich, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Justice Gouin, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Ariel Hannon, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Rachel Meier, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Yaffa Segal, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Emilie Aragao, School-Year Intern 2023-24

Awarded to Micaela Burns, School-Year Intern 2023-24

Awarded to Riley Durette, School-Year Intern 2023-24

Awarded to Abigail Golembewski, School-Year Intern 2023-24

Awarded to Emily Maynard, School-Year Intern 2023-24

Awarded to Olivia Meybodi, School-Year Intern 2023-24

Awarded to Evelyn Bredberg, School-Year Intern 2024-25
Awarded to Fred Coulibaly, School-Year Intern 2024-25

Awarded to Emily Maynard, School-Year Intern 2024-25

Awarded to Samantha Schopf, School-Year Intern 2024-25

Awarded to Hannah Willette, School-Year Intern 2024-25

EJMP Award

Donated by the EJMP Fund for Philanthropy

Awarded to Nicole Becker, School-Year Intern 2022-23

Awarded to Veronika Goddard, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Jasmine Page, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Olivia Tedeschi-Moran, Summer Intern 2023

Awarded to Kaitlyn Feola, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Julia Gaskell, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Jack Loper, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Emily McDonald, Summer Intern 2024

Awarded to Ali Robbins, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Elon Ruiz, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Gavyn Swain, Summer Intern 2024

Awarded to Jackson Ventura, Summer Intern 2024

Awarded to Nicholas Brennan, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Jessica Deal, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Evan Duda, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Emma Frerichs, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Eliana Fuentes, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Mairead Goguen, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Emily McDonald, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Carolyn Morey, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Sophia Oliveira, Summer Intern 2025

Awarded to Emely Sola-Mendez, Summer Intern 2025

Hayden Foundation Award

Donated by The Hayden Foundation

Awarded to Rebecca Andrade, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Scott Carter, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Skylyn Depina, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Kaeleen Hennessey, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Jono Magnuson, Summer Intern 2024
Awarded to Payton Prete, Summer Intern 2024