Meet Catherine

Meet Catherine: Zookeeper turned Trip Guide in Puerto Rico

Hi, I'm Cat!

Hi, my name is Catherine, Cat for short, and I am a Trip Guide for Moyo Village - an animal rescue partnership in Puerto Rico that hosts Volunteer Trips!

I have enjoyed working with animals my entire life, starting out by riding horses and working with dogs throughout my childhood and still as an adult. Growing up around animals and working on farms gave me a passion for wildlife and conservation. As an adult, I started working in the zoo field mostly with large carnivores and primates. I wore many hats in this industry working my way up from volunteer and intern to zoo keeper and eventually supervisor of the area I worked in. I joined this field in order to help people have a better understanding of nature and animals around the world and the conservation efforts needed to make our earth a better place for the future generations.

Working in the zoo field was pretty incredible!

After over 13 years working in the zoo field, I began to desire to have a job where I had a more hands on experience helping animals directly in the field. The unique concept Moyo Village had of being able to help already established rescues through volunteer work and fundraising intrigued me, and joining Moyo Village as a Trip Guide in Puerto Rico is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I love hosting these trips and seeing like minded people join forces to help a greater cause. It takes a special kind of person to be willing to give up their free time to volunteer and seeing the camaraderie brings me great joy and fulfillment.

One of my first Volunteer Trips with Moyo Village!

Our trips are packed full of fun, adventure and of course, lots of animals! Each day includes volunteering at local animal rescues where we find out the needs of the shelter for the day and help meet those needs. This includes anything from  walking dogs, cleaning, bathing, and socializing animals to doing larger projects such as painting, building pens, cutting grass and other repairs the rescues need help with.  When we are not working at rescues, we spend the rest of our time getting to know the island, enjoying fun excursions, eating local foods and learning about the culture around the island. 

Rock climbing is one of my favorite things to do during my off time!

I live in Puerto Rico and host trips from January through July. When I am not hosting trips in Puerto Rico, I spend my free time with my rescue dog and Moyo Village’s host dog, Forrest Gump. We enjoy spending time playing a dog sport called Flyball, hiking, swimming, and snuggling. I also spend a lot of time outdoors and going on adventures, and enjoy rock climbing and traveling. This year, I bought a van, and I am excited to travel around the US with Forrest! One of my favorite things to do is to meet new people and learn about new cultures and I am fortunate that now my career and pastimes allow me to do this.

Trip Guide Forrest

I knew when becoming a Trip Guide for Moyo Village that we were going to make a huge impact for the animals and rescues in Puerto Rico. However, I did not expect such a huge effect - I've already hosted 30 Volunteer Trips in the 2 years I've been with Moyo Villlage, and am looking forward to our 2026 season! Along with the difference we have made for the rescues we work with, I also saw life long friendships form and see groups still talking and taking new trips together today. I hope to see you on a Moyo Village trip soon and can't wait to watch the impact you can help us make in Puerto Rico and the friendships you will make along the way!