spay/neuter

Municipality Pledges Support for Humane Population Control: Ecuador

Nov 24

For the past 5 years World Vets has been providing free high volume sterilization campaigns in Ecuador. More specifically, our services have benefited companion animals located within the municipalities of Ibarra and Otavalo. Within this time, World Vets has established agreements in these areas that have acted to cease municipal sponsored poisoning campaigns in exchange for commitments to humane population control methods.

We are happy to announce that on our most recent campaign, another municipality as pledged their support and commitment to humane population control efforts. This speaks to the positive impact and success our efforts, along with local partners, have achieved thus far in Ecuador. World Vets field service veterinarian, Dr. Karen Allum (pictured above), signed this letter of commitment on behalf of World Vets with the mayor of township Atuntaqui.

: Photo credit: Joe Bittaker

: Photo credit: Joe Bittaker

: Photo credit: Joe Bittaker

: Photo credit: Joe Bittaker

: Photo credit: Joe Bittaker

: Photo credit: Joe Bittaker

World Vets “Team Ecuador” works well into the night

Oct 06

World Vets field service veterinarian, Dr. Joe Zulty (pictured above), performs surgery well into the night with fellow team members on our most recent high volume spay/neuter clinic in Ecuador. We’d like to thank Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their continual support of our efforts here, along with our local partners PAE-Ibarra, the municipality of Ibarra, in addition to the countless volunteers who contribute and dedicate their time and energy, year after year, on this ongoing project. We have another team deploying to Ecuador in November. Volunteer positions still available! Read more here

The campaign also received local news coverage. You can see it here (In Spanish)

Travel Off the Beaten Path & Help Train Veterinary Professionals

Jul 21

Paraguay, a landlocked country, is considered to be one of the poorest nations in South America as well as the least developed and most isolated. As a result of its seclusion, much assistance for animal welfare and veterinary training of local professionals is limited. To address the scare resources available for animals and the veterinary profession, World Vets operated a pilot project to Asuncion, the capital, in 2013.

World Vets will return to Paraguay October 22 – 29, 2014. The veterinary services that will be provided on this upcoming project include spay/neuter surgery for both owned and un-owned animals, along with other surgical procedures deemed necessary on a case by case basis. Medical consultations may also be provided for parasites, skin conditions in addition to any other health ailments that are presented. Moreover, team members will work alongside and/or provide guidance and instruction to local veterinary professionals.

We are seeking veterinary volunteers that have an interest in working with and mentoring foreign veterinarians as well as traveling to a location off the beaten path. If you speak Spanish and/or have Spanish speaking skills, this would be a great opportunity for you to utilize and/or practice your language skills.

Volunteers will also have free time to enjoy local and/or national sights such as the famous Iguazu Falls, Jesuit missionary ruins and/or visit handicraft and artisan markets.

Read more about this unique volunteer opportunity here

Recruiting LVT, RVT, CVT’s for South American Projects

Jun 15

Are you a licensed, registered or certified veterinary technician (or veterinary nurse)? World Vets has exciting volunteer opportunities just for you.

Travel to the Andes or off the beaten path and take part on one of our large scale spay/neuter and animal health campaigns operated in South America! Check out the links below for trip specific information.

Cusco, Peru (August): Read more

Cusco, Peru (Sept/Oct): Read more

Asuncion, Paraguay (October): Read more

Otavalo, Ecuador (November): Read more

The “LVT/RVT” volunteer category is only open to veterinary technicians that are either licensed, registered and/or certified. The LVT/RVT is responsible for administering, monitoring and managing the pre medication as well as the anesthesia given to surgical patients. In short, they run the pre-med/induction station to prepare patients for surgery.

Successful Clinic Operated in Dominican Republic

Jun 03

For the past two years World Vets has been working in the Dominican Republic to address the issue of overpopulation in companion animals. Working alongside local partners, Asociacion de Amigos por los Animales Sosua (AAAS), we recently carried out a successful operative over Memorial Day weekend. On this recent campaign, we provided high volume spay/neuter services in addition to other much needed veterinary care with great results.

We’d like to thank our team of dedicated volunteers, Asociacion de Amigos por los Animales Sosua (AAAS) as well as Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their continued support of our efforts in the Dominican Republic.

World Vets brings veterinary services to the “End of the World”

May 09

Punta Gorda, often referred to as the “end of the world” by local inhabitants was the most recent location to benefit from World Vets assistance. As implied by its nickname, Punta Gorda, the southern most town in the country of Belize, very much feels disconnected, forgotten and lived a part from the rest of the country.

One of the major issues concerning animal welfare and health in the region relates to the inability of pet owners to pay for veterinary services. Consequently, the town has been experiencing an exponential growth in the small animal population, in addition to the number of roaming and feral animals.

To help improve the lives of animals at the “end of the world”, World Vets carried out a small animal field service project in collaboration with the newly initiated local humane society.Together we provided, a very successful and first ever, large scale spay/neuter and animal health service campaign. What’s more, all services were provided at no cost to local pet owners.

We would like to thank our dedicated volunteers, all of the local support received as well as Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their continual sponsorship of our animal welfare efforts.

Record Breaking Numbers for Caribbean Pilot Project

Apr 07

Last year World Vets received a request for assistance from an animal welfare organization operating on the small Caribbean island of Nevis; a 36 square mile island with only 10,000 local inhabitants located just south of the more famous island St. Kitts. Pet overpopulation was identified as being a major issue for the island’s communities. Given that Nevis is such a small island, World Vets felt compelled to undertake this project as the control and preservation of a healthy animal population is of great importance. For instance, not only does it have a huge impact on human health but the overall sustainability of island life as a whole.

To help address issues of health and population control for companion animals on Nevis, World Vets recently operated a pilot project in this location. A pilot project is a location where World Vets has not previously worked or sent a veterinary team. In short, the demand and turn out of animal patients for spay/neuter surgery was incredible. Not only did this campaign break a pilot project record for the total number of surgeries performed, it also outdid our previous record held on our longstanding small animal project in Ecuador.

We would like to thank CARE Nevis, our volunteer team as well as the local volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this campaign a success and not turn any animal away. We would also like to thank the ministry of agriculture and all of the local island support that was provided to our team and the campaign in general. See pictures

Continual Success: World Vets Small Animal Project in Roatan

Apr 01

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands located off the coast of Honduras in the Caribbean. Even though it may be the largest island of the archipelago, there is still more to be desired in relation to the health services provided for the small animal population. This is in part due to the limited number of practicing veterinarians on the island as well as the local population’s inability to pay for veterinary services.

To address the growing need for accessible veterinary care, World Vets has been sending veterinary teams to Roatan since 2008. Our teams not only provide much needed spay/neuter services to help control the small animal population, they also provide medical consultations, in addition to treatments for common skin issues, parasites and more.

As a result of World Vets and the efforts of our veterinary teams, up to 1000 surgical procedures have been performed and over 2000 animals have received quality veterinary care. All of which also contributes to the improvement of the overall animal and human health on the island.

We recently had a volunteer veterinary team in Roatan where hundreds of animals received quality veterinary care and services at no cost. We’d like to thank our dedicated volunteers, local partners and island support for the continual success of this small animal project. We also thank Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their continual support of our efforts there. See pictures of our most recent campaign here

World Vets Team Returns from Belize!

Mar 18

We have just had a team return from a successful pilot project executed in Placencia, Belize. Not only was this the first veterinary team we’ve sent to this area it was also the first direct veterinary service campaign for the community they served. As such our team was able to help many animals in need performing free sterilization surgeries as well as health consultations and treatments. We’d like to thank our local partners as well as World Vets volunteers for an outstanding effort. See pictures

A Brand New Beginning for “Nico”

Dec 23

World Vets volunteer, Jenny Shilling, holds “Nico” during our Dominican Republic field operative

The international field service projects that World Vets operates have the potential to positively impact the lives of our volunteers and most importantly the animals they travel to treat. On our most recent field operative in the Dominican Republic, the experience of one volunteer, Jenny Shilling, demonstrates this perfectly.

Before veterinary services started, World Vets team was taken on a “community outreach” tour. This tour highlighted the communities and subsequently the animals that our local partners aid in Sosua and its surrounding areas. Upon driving through an abandoned sugar cane field, they spotted a dead-looking puppy on the side of the path. Before they knew it, the dog sprang up and started chasing down their vehicle as fast as his little puppy feet would go. They stopped and scooped him up.

He was a mess; a scrappy, flea covered, tick covered, extremely dehydrated, shaking

“Nico” gets his picture taken with Santa

mess. He had self-inflicted bloody flea infested wounds all over his head, neck, and back as he had frantically tried to scratch the fleas off.

Without hesitating, they wrapped him in a jacket and once back at their accommodations began treating him. After a dose of capstar, two flea baths, picking ticks out of his ears for over an hour, lots of water and food he looked like a totally different dog.

Shortly thereafter, he became the team mascot; staying at team accommodations, eating breakfast with everyone and even accompanying them to the clinic every day where everyone involved loved him unconditionally.

He has since been named “Dominico” or “Nico” for short and has been relocated with Jenny in the United States.

The abandoned sugar cane field is sadly a local dumping site for unwanted puppies. With the 375 sterilizations that World Vets provided in Sosua this year, we have helped to significantly reduce the number of undesired litters in and around this community. And as Jenny states, “This made the work the team did in the Dominican Republic even more rewarding knowing that even one less puppy would be dumped due to sterilization made the entire World Vets mission even more apparent.”

We thank Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their continual support of our spay/neuter operatives in the Dominican Republic