Posts by: Natalie

World Vets Closes Out 2024 with 100+ Surgeries

IMG-20241209-WA0002World Vets’ Team Galapagos successfully concluded its final spay/neuter campaign of 2024! Volunteers and local World Vets staff provided free veterinary services to the local community of San Cristobal, resulting in 112 sterilizations, 22 medical consultations, and other critical surgeries. The team also trapped and sterilized several street cats to control the island’s stray population and protect the local wildlife. Thanks to GAD Municipal de San Cristóbal Galápagos and Agencia de Bioseguridad para Galápagos for their important collaboration on this event and to our faithful followers and supporters who contribute to our mission.

Now is the time support our ongoing initiatives and consider donating to help animals into 2025. Your gift can help thousands of pets and wildlife every year. A matching gift of up to $8200 is still available until January 15, 2025! Double your donation at https://worldvets.org/donate/

 

World Vets Helps 500 Animals in Guatemala

GUA2024-Winnie Neunzig 02Incredible! The World Vets team helped a remarkable number of animals this past week in Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala (near Antigua). Over 500 dogs and cats received care, which included many vaccinations and 492 sterilizations! This extraordinary effort was carried out in partnership with Antigua Street Dogs – Guatemala, Dr. Nicole Byrne, and Clínica Veterinaria El Panorama and with support from the Municipalidad de Ciudad Vieja. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our collaborators and supporters involved in the campaign. Thanks also to all the hard-working volunteers for their spirit of teamwork and dedication. It is heartwarming to see the community’s love for their animals, and we are grateful to be a part of improving the lives of people and pets.

 

Surgeries on San Cristobal

462530592_10232336763777206_1730834739553240924_n-CathyAnother successful sterilization campaign on San Cristobal Island provided 156 spay-and-neuter surgeries for cats and dogs. Over 217 animals were provided with free veterinary services, including 58 health checkups, parasite prevention, and various other treatments. World Vets’ team of volunteers from the U.S. helped deliver this important veterinary care to the pets of Galapagos, all at zero-cost to local pet owners.

We are grateful for the local collaboration with GAD Municipal de San Cristóbal Galápagos, Animal Balance, and Agencia de Bioseguridad para Galápagos who help make these sterilization clinics and veterinary services accessible to Galapagos residents. Thanks to all of our supporters worldwide whose contributions to World Vets’ programs benefit thousands of animals every year.

 

Photo credits to Donna Ortiz, Rachel Bryan, EJ Verble, Emily Badillo, Ryan Hammonds, and Allison Allan.

GRAND OPENING! Galapagos Wildlife Rescue Center Officially Completed!

We are very proud to announce that World Vets, together with the Galápagos National Park, officially opened the Galapagos Wildlife Rescue Center last week! Located on San Cristobal Island, it is the first and only rescue center on the island, which is the capital of Galapagos. The grand opening was attended by Dr. Arturo Izurieta, Director of the Galápagos National Park, Dr Cathy King, Executive Director of World Vets and other local authorities, the community and staff of both institutions.

World Vets works together with the Galápagos National Park Rapid Response Network, providing 24/7 response for injured wildlife of all species. In the last year, our veterinary team, together with Park Rangers, responded to over 400 wildlife cases on the island. About 70% of the cases involved Galápagos sea lions, which are classified as an endangered species.

The new center will greatly improve the capacity to help wildlife and includes areas for surgery, diagnostic imaging, office, treatment area, laboratory, animal holding pens and necropsy/pathology laboratory. It is equipped with digital x-ray, ultrasound, gas anesthesia, oxygen concentrator, bloodwork machines, laboratory, intensive care unit for birds and reptiles, multi-parameter monitors, computer workstations and Starlink high speed internet.

San Cristobal is the home to a diverse population of iconic species such as Galápagos sea lions, giant tortoises, sea turtles, marine iguanas, Blue Footed Booby and much more. We are proud to work together with the Galápagos National Park in these ongoing efforts to improve the long-term capacity for veterinary support and wildlife response to help protect the biodiversity of the islands.

This is the first phase of a multi-phase project. We are very grateful for the funding support from the SeaWorld Conservation Fund and donations made in memory of Dr. Jerry Brown and Joan Wattles, which helped make this dream a reality.

With Thanks to Major Donors:

Summer Clinic in Galapagos

World Vets’ small animal clinic continues to provide veterinary services to the community of San Cristobal, Galapagos. Volunteer veterinarians from the USA and local clinic staff attended to sick and injured pets, performed health checks, and administered parasite treatments. Over the months of June and July, World Vets helped over 300 cats and dogs, free-of-charge.

This also included World Vets’ large team of volunteers, who recently concluded a large-scale sterilization clinic on the island. Headed by lead field service veterinarian Dr. Winnie Neunzig and lead technician Christina Sloan, the team provided 159 sterilization surgeries and many health exams, veterinary treatments, and other surgeries. Local agencies, including GAD Municipal de San Cristóbal Galápagos and Agencia de Bioseguridad para Galápagos, as well as partner group Animal Balance, supported the campaign efforts. 

Free veterinary services carried out through World Vets are an avenue for communities to exercise responsible pet ownership. In Galapagos, they also help to preserve and protect the rare and unique biodiversity in the region by ensuring that domestic animals do not adversely affect the wildlife through the spread of diseases and overpopulation. Thanks goes to our volunteers, partners, donors, and followers for your contribution to our ongoing mission and your part in helping animals in the Galapagos Islands and elsewhere.

Photo credits to Brenda Clees, Christina Sloan, Dawn Spangler, EJ Verble, Jessica Gonzalez, Sarah Meador, Winnie Neunzig

Sea Lion Rescue: Eel in Nose

A Galápagos sea lion was reported with an unusual situation of something protruding from its nose. Our veterinary team responded right away to find a sea lion with an EEL coming out of its nose.  The team quickly captured the sea lion and carefully removed the long eel from its nose.  There were no associated injuries, so the sea lion was released onsite and was quite relieved to have this visitor evicted!  Surprisingly, this is not the first time we have seen a case like this. Earlier in the year we had another sea lion with an eel in its nose (see photos below).

World Vets works under a permit from the Galapagos National Park as the NGO that provides wildlife rescue services on San Cristobal Island.  We work together with the amazing Park Rangers of the Galapagos National Park, responding together to help injured and entangled wildlife. This important work is also made possible through the generosity of donors and supporters of World Vets.

With funding support from:

Construction Begins for New Wildlife Rescue Center in the Galapagos Islands

On May 15th, World Vets broke ground on a new wildlife rescue center in Galapagos. This project is the first phase of a multi-year construction project which will increase the capacity for marine mammal response in Galapagos. It is much anticipated by the park rangers and management of the Galapagos National Park, and we hope to have the project completed by June 2024.

The prior facility, a 25-square-meter building with two adjacent sea lion holding pens located on National Park property, will be incorporated into the new design. The previous building will become an area exclusively for necropsies while the new addition will include a surgery area, treatment and examination area, patient holding area, and personnel workstations. There will also be an outside covered area that can be utilized for additional workspace.

The following photos show the building concepts, architectural plans, and photos of the many meetings that World Vets’ CEO and Founder Dr. Cathy King held over the last three months with architects, engineers, electricians, and park officials to move this important project toward reality.

World Vets is still raising funds to complete the project, but large donations have already been received, including those given in memory of Dr. Jerry Brown and Joan Wattles.

With major funding support from:

Sea Turtles Hatch on Busy Public Beach after Floodwaters Threaten the Nest

On February 5th, World Vets and the Galapagos National Park rangers were notified about a new sea turtle nest on a very busy public beach in town. This was not a common area for sea turtles to nest.  They jumped into action, putting up a barrier and signage to notify beachgoers and prevent disturbance of the nest. (The initial fencing was placed close to the ground to prevent any unwanted predators, with plans to raise the fence near the time of hatching).

Over the next 2 months the nest experienced multiple, unavoidable disturbances as heavy runs created a river though the beach that took down the fence and nearly washed away all the eggs.  The eggs became totally exposed, and while we had low expectations that the turtles would hatch after this, the team worked hard to find all of the eggs and moved them to a nearby location out of the path of the water.  The nest was constantly monitored.

Miraculously, 2 months after the eggs were laid, round midnight on April 8th, there was exciting news to report! The baby sea turtles emerged from the nest and were able to make their way across the beach to the ocean. The event was observed by a couple of tourists who reported it to the park.  World Vets and National Park staff rushed to the beach, and although the turtles had already made their way to ocean, we could see their tiny tracks all over the beach.  Reports were that there were 26 in all.  We later dug up the nest to verify the count and also determined that there were only 5 eggs that did not hatch.  A photo below shows one of the sea turtles taken by a tourist who observed the hatching. (Note: the sea turtles should not be picked up or handled as seen in the photo from the tourist).

This is just one instance of many in which World Vets is taking part in the conservation of threatened and endangered animal species in the Galapagos Islands. World Vets thanks our many faithful donors and supporters for their contributions to this important work.

With funding support from:

471 Surgeries in Laos

The World Vets team in Laos recently completed 471 free sterilization surgeries for pets in the capital city Vientiane. World Vets also provided 250 rabies vaccinations, all of which were administered to patients free-of-charge. No-cost veterinary services such as these help low-income communities control animal overpopulation and help to reduce the spread of the deadly rabies virus in high-risk areas.

The three-day event from March 15 to 17 included veterinary volunteers from U.S.A, Canada, Australia, and Israel, led by field service vet Dr. Winnie Neunzig and head technician Christina Sloan. The World Vets team worked alongside volunteers from World Vets’ local partner and host group Vientiane Dog Paradise with its manager Analin Phoutsavath to spay and neuter hundreds of animals. Local veterinarian Dr. Melody Bomon and several Laos veterinary students and other local volunteers also joined in the campaign.

Photo credits to Vientiane Dog Paradise, Winnie Neunzig, and Donna Gingras.

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