News Updates - World Vets - to improve the quality of life of animals, people & the environments in which they live by providing veterinary...

Serving Pets and Street Dogs in Guatemala

Jul 25

In just three days, the World Vets volunteer team completed 357 spay and neuter surgeries during our latest campaign in the community of San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala, helping improve the lives of hundreds of animals and the people who care for them.

Beyond sterilization, our veterinary team also performed several life-changing procedures for animals in need, including a limb amputation, entropion repair, eye enucleation, and other critical surgeries that would otherwise have been out of reach for many local families. A significant number of community and street dogs also received sterilization, helping reduce future suffering while improving the health and welfare of the local animal population.

Every surgery represents more than one animal helped—it prevents countless unwanted litters, reduces neglect and homelessness, and gives pets the opportunity to live healthier, happier lives.

This mission was supported by the incredible partnership and dedication of Sue Bohenstangel and Antigua Street Dogs – Guatemala, whose ongoing commitment to animal welfare continues to make a lasting difference throughout the region. We are deeply grateful for their collaboration and friendship.

To our volunteer veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants, local volunteers, donors, and supporters—thank you for helping to make this mission a success. Your generosity and compassion are changing lives, one animal at a time.

25 Years, A World of Impact

Jul 09

A World of Impact. 25 Years of Compassion. Every country highlighted on this map represents more than a destination, it represents communities that welcomed us, partners who stood beside us, volunteers who gave their time, and countless animals whose lives have been changed through compassion and collaboration.

For more than 25 years, World Vets has worked alongside local organizations, governments, universities, and veterinary professionals to improve animal health, strengthen communities, and protect wildlife around the globe. Today, that journey spans more than 50 countries across 6 continents, and we’re just getting started.

To everyone who has made this work possible; our members, donors, volunteers, partners, and supporters, thank you. Every highlighted country tells part of a story that you helped write. Here’s to the next 25 years of helping animals, people, and the places they call home.

Sea Lion Disentanglement Videos

Jul 01

Galapagos Rapid Response Stories

The videos below offer a glimpse into the lifesaving work carried out by the World Vets team alongside the Galápagos National Park Rapid Response Program on San Cristóbal Island. Working together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our teams respond to wildlife emergencies whenever they arise—day or night.

Operating under an official agreement with the Galápagos National Park, World Vets provides veterinary expertise and emergency response for injured and distressed wildlife throughout San Cristóbal. While the majority of our calls involve Galápagos sea lions, our team is trained and equipped to respond to all types of wildlife calls, including iguanas, giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, and a wide variety of other birds. Together, World Vets and the Rapid Response Team have responded to more than 1,500 wildlife cases across the Galápagos Islands.

One of the most common threats facing sea lions is marine debris. Discarded fishing lines, ropes, fishhooks, plastic, clothing, and other human-made materials can become tightly wrapped around a sea lion’s neck, body, or flippers. Without intervention, these entanglements can cause severe injuries, infection, starvation, and even death.

Approximately 30% of the wildlife emergency calls received this year have involved entangled animals, underscoring the ongoing impact of marine pollution on the fragile Galápagos ecosystem.

These videos show several successful rescues in action as our team carefully frees sea lions from dangerous entanglements. The final video captures a different kind of emergency—a young sea lion trapped between rocks and unable to escape on its own. After assessing the situation, the World Vets team safely rescued the animal and returned it to freedom.

Each rescue represents a second chance for these remarkable animals and demonstrates the value of having a dedicated veterinary response team ready to act whenever wildlife is in need.

World Vets is grateful to the SeaWorld Conservation Fund and our other generous donors who make this important work possible.

544 Dogs and Cats Receive Care in Ecuador

Jun 30

World Vets has successfully completed another high-impact veterinary campaign in Ecuador, where our volunteer team provided 367 free spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats in Atuntaqui. Alongside sterilization services, pets also received medical consultations, flea and tick prevention, and other essential veterinary care to improve their health and well-being.

These services play a vital role in safeguarding the health and happiness of owned pets while also helping reduce suffering, neglect, and overpopulation among the local street dog and cat population. By preventing unwanted litters and providing accessible veterinary care, these campaigns create lasting benefits for both animals and the communities that care for them.

In addition to the surgical campaign, World Vets hosted a free community outreach clinic in Urcuquí, where volunteers provided health examinations, preventive care, and medical treatment for 177 pets whose families might otherwise have limited access to veterinary services.

This mission was made possible through our longstanding partnership with Foundation Bienestar Animal Imbabura (BAI) and Clínicas Veterinarias BAI, who have worked alongside World Vets for the past 17 years to improve animal welfare throughout the region. We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to BAI on the 9th anniversary of their Atuntaqui veterinary clinic—an important milestone and a testament to their continued dedication to animals and their community.

We are especially grateful to Lakefield Veterinary Group for partnering with World Vets on this Ecuador mission, helping make this campaign possible through their generous support.

Finally, thank you to every volunteer, donor, and supporter who generously contributed your time, expertise, and resources. Together, we continue to improve the lives of animals, strengthen local veterinary capacity, and build healthier, more compassionate communities throughout Ecuador.

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World Vets’ First Vet Campaign in Tropojë, Albania

Jun 24

Last week World Vets completed its first veterinary mission in the Tropojë region of Albania, near the town of Bajram Curri, addressing street dog and cat overpopulation through trap-neuter-release (TNR) and community-based sterilization efforts.

The World Vets volunteer team provided spay/neuter services and free health consultations for 183 local animals while working alongside approximately a dozen local veterinarians and veterinary students to support hands-on clinical participation, strengthen practical skills (even utilizing a banana as a model for suture practice), and build local capacity for ongoing TNR efforts. The mission emphasized humane population management, education, and long-term sustainability to reduce suffering among free-roaming animals.

World Vets partnered with the local organization Strays of Albania/Safe Paws, the Jahangiri Foundation, the Municipalities of Tirana and Tropojë, and the Agricultural University of Tirana/Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to implement the campaign. These partnerships were essential in supporting the delivery of veterinary services to the area. Special thanks go to PJ and Neda Jahangiri for their dedication and on-the-ground support in making this mission a success. World Vets is also deeply grateful to its hardworking volunteers and generous supporters whose contributions make this work possible!

World Vets has completed several campaigns in other places around Albania over the past 10 years. Our first mission in Tropojë marks an important step in expanding access to veterinary care in remote and underserved parts of the country and reflects World Vets’ ongoing commitment to improving animal welfare through direct service and community collaboration.

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