Kellie Pickler volunteers at elephant refuge

Kellie Pickler relished her time volunteering to work with elephants at an animal refuge in Tennessee - until she was asked to clean up droppings.

The animal-loving star jumped at the chance to help out at the Elephant Sanctuary in Buchenwald but there was one smelly task she refused to do.

She tells TV Guide, "I loved everything about it, except cleaning the poop. That was my only diva moment. But I think I did what anyone else would have done when they saw that pile!"

The Red High Heels hitmaker filmed her visit for reality TV show Day Jobs, which follows country stars as they try out alternative careers, and admits it was an unforgettable experience.

She adds, "It's not a petting zoo or an amusement park. They have thousands of acres and they created a natural wildlife habitat for these elephants to roam. All of the elephants have had trauma, whether it was at a circus or a zoo. Now, for the first time, they have freedom...

"They're so much like us in the sense that they have feelings - they just don't have a voice. There was a stray dog that bonded with one of the elephants there, and that elephant protected that dog like it was its own baby. This grown, big elephant was best friends with this little-bitty dog! I've never seen anything like that."

Pickler's Day Jobs episode airs on Wednesday (02May12).