The Bobbert Memorial Scholarship Fund

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 that with as many teens and young adults as possible. To honor Bobbert's unique soul and continue his legacy, we are proud to announce the launch of the Bobbert Memorial Scholarship Fund to provide humane education programs for the next generation of animal welfare professionals.

FUND A SCHOLARSHIP

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 offer scholarships to these special young people and ensure our educational internship programs remain free to local students.

Students gain hands-on experience in farm animal care, wildlife rehabilitation, working with local lost dogs, observing veterinary visits, shearing, hoof trimming, dentistry, and 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 few can match. Your support through the Bobbert Memorial Scholarship 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 scholarship during the School-Year Program, and provide an experience as unique as Bobbert to one student. A donation of $2,500 establishes a scholarship during the condensed Summer Program. Your scholarship 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 scholarship for a deserving student.

FUND A SCHOLARSHIP

Partial scholarships are also available. If you would like to support the Educational Internship programs with a donation less than $2,500, we will pool donations to establish a West Place Animal Sanctuary Scholarship to be awarded to a student intern.

Scholarships & Sponsors

West Place thanks the generous sponsors who have established student scholarship through the Bobbert Memorial Scholarship Fund. Their support allows our popular Educational Internship programs to remain free and accessible to all students interested in gaining hands-on experience with farm animal rescues and wildlife.