spay neuter

Calling All Cat Lovers & Feline Practitioners

We have an upcoming field service project that is the perfect volunteer opportunity for cat lovers and feline practitioners. We will be operating a free high volume sterilization campaign in Shkodër, Albania from August 1- 8, 2019, and 70% of animal patients are expected to be cats!

Volunteer opportunities are still available for veterinarians, technicians (both licensed and non-licensed), as well as students and for general assistants (individuals with no previous veterinary experience). Find out more!

Booking a direct flight to Albania might be expensive from North America. As such, we suggest prospective volunteers look into booking a round trip flight to a major hub in Europe (i.e. Amsterdam, Bucharest, Rome) and from that location book a separate flight to Albania. We also recommend that volunteers search for flight options on kayak.com, and then book directly through the airline offering the best deal/itinerary.

Join World Vets in Europe this Summer! Moldova & Albania

World Vets will be running two small animal projects in Europe this summer! One is a pilot project to Chisinau, Moldova (May 18 – 25, 2019) and another is scheduled for Shkodër, Albania  (August 1 – 8, 2019). Both will provide free sterilization services for local animals as well as street dogs.

Volunteer opportunities are open to vets, techs (both licensed and non-licensed), students and for general assistants (individuals with no previous vet experience.

Booking a direct flight to Albania and/or Moldova might be expensive from North America. As such, we suggest prospective volunteers look into booking a round trip flight to a major hub in Europe, such as Amsterdam, and from that location book a separate flight to Albania and/or Moldova. We also recommend that volunteers search for flight options on kayak.com, and then book directly through the airline offering the best deal/itinerary.

Help Animals Abroad on your Spring Break!

Volunteer opportunities are still available for students on World Vets small animal veterinary field service projects scheduled in March 2019!

Current project locations and date offerings:
Otavalo, Ecuador: March 9 – 16, 2019
Otavalo, Ecuador: March 16 – 23, 2019

Antigua, Guatemala: March 16 – 23, 2019

As a veterinary student, pre-veterinary student and/or veterinary technician student, you may be involved in any of the following activities as part of these projects:

  • Pre med/Induction (All students): Assisting with prepping patients for surgery
  • Surgery (Veterinary students): Assisting a veterinarian in surgery, observing surgery and/or performing surgery under the direct supervision and instruction of a veterinarian.
  • Recovery (All students): Monitoring patients after surgery, administering appropriate post-op medications per protocol chart and grooming.
When registering, select the “Tech/Student” volunteer category and further classify your position on the registration form to reflect the student type that you are filling.

World Vets volunteers help hundreds of animals over Spring Break

This past month World Vets had veterinary teams in five different countries providing free veterinary services for animals in need.

We had teams in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Ecuador carrying out high volume sterilization campaigns benefiting underserved populations of dogs and cats.

We also had a team in Honduras facilitating annual health exams and treatments to wildlife and exotic species, in addition to students in Nicaragua taking part in our International Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program.

See our all of upcoming volunteer opportunities here

 

NEW! Introducing the IVM “Field Project”

The International Veterinary Medicine (IVM) Program is World Vets student program that is run out of our of Latin America Veterinary Training Center located in Nicaragua. The IVM Program provides English speaking students with a unique training and cultural experience by providing them an opportunity to gain practical veterinary experience within an international context.

In 2018 we will be adapting the IVM Program to a field project setting. In this way students will receive the same hands on veterinary experience, with guidance and supervision from licensed veterinarians and technicians. However, the location and work conditions will vary. Instead of operating out of a teaching facility, students will work in a non-clinic environment and in turn be exposed to practicing veterinary medicine in a field-clinic setting.

Our upcoming IVM “Field Project” will take place in Utila, Honduras from May 12 – 19, 2018. Project information as well as student and instructor registration will open Fall 2017.


What is the difference between the IVM Program and an IVM “field project”?

Location & Work Conditions

The IVM Program takes place at World Vets Latin America Veterinary Training Center (LATC) located in Granada, Nicaragua. The LATC is a teaching facility equipped with up to date medical, surgical, anesthetic and monitoring equipment.

The IVM “field project” that has been scheduled in 2018 will take place in Utila, Honduras. You will not work in a training facility that is equipped like the LATC. Instead you will work in field clinic conditions where we will operate a fully functional mobile surgery setup and travel with the veterinary supplies needed to provide routine veterinary care.

Week Itinerary & Anticipated Veterinary Work

The itinerary for the IVM field project is styled after our small animal veterinary field projects (see below for typical itinerary). Similar to the IVM Program, three full days will be dedicated to “clinic” and performing spay/neuter surgeries. However, there will not be a community outreach day where you will visit a rural community to provide veterinary services. Instead, you will also tend to health consultations and other potential surgical cases (alongside sterilization services) during the 3-day field clinic. With that being said, students and instructors can expect this to be a strictly small animal project, where horses and/or livestock will not be seen and/or treated.


What is the same between the IVM Program and the IVM “field project”?

A Focus on Teaching, Learning and Practicing

Similar to the IVM Program, the IVM field project will emphasize a high quality, low stress and hands on environment for students to learn and practice new skills. Veterinary students will work with DVM instructors to perform sterilizations and surgical monitoring, meanwhile pre-veterinary and veterinary technology students will work with LVT instructors in patient prep and induction.

Student & Instructor Positions

The positions available on the team roster will be for DVM and LVT instructors as well as veterinary students, pre-veterinary students and veterinary technology students. There will not be positions available for “assistants” and/or those who cannot be classified under the category of student and/or instructor.

Those interested in an instructor position should send a copy of their current license and CV/resume to info@worldvets.org to be considered. Licensed veterinarians and technicians must have at least one year of clinical experience to qualify for an instructor position, however, prior teaching experience is not a prerequisite. This is a low cost volunteer opportunity.

Low Volume

While a regular veterinary field project features high volume spay/neuter services, the IVM style field project will consist of low volume sterilization (up to 30 surgeries a day), which will be condusive to teaching, learning and practicing.


IVM Field Project Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival 

Today marks the official arrival day for the project. Participants will be asked to fly into Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport*  located on the island of Roatan, Honduras (Airport Code: RTB). Participants will also be asked to arrive by a designated time as the team will then take a ferry ride from Roatan to the island of Utila.

*Volunteers may also fly directly to Utila, however please note that World Vets will not be providing airport transfers from this airport on arrival and departure days. If volunteers fly into/out of Utila, they will be responsible for their own airport transfers.

Day 2: Group Activity & Free Time

The team will take part in a group activity today that will be arranged by World Vets. This is typically a half day activity giving volunteers the opportunity to do their own exploring and/or sightseeing as well.

Day 3: Free Time | Clinic set up & Orientation

Today is set aside for free time and leisure. Volunteers will be responsible for making their own arrangements today for excursions, activities and/or sightseeing.

In the afternoon, World Vets field service veterinarian and a few volunteers will go to the clinic site to set up and prepare for veterinary services. Late afternoon/evening the team will meet up for a brief orientation to go over how things will run over the next three days.

Day 4, 5 & 6: Veterinary Clinic Days

Veterinary services will be provided in a field clinic setting over the next three days. The anticipated work hours are from 8:30 am until 5 pm. Students will work one on one with licensed veterinarians and technicians in patient prep and recovery and to perform sterilizations. They may also take turns rotating through health consultations (dependent on local demand).

Day 7: Free Time & Leisure

Today is set aside for free time and leisure. Volunteers will be responsible for making their own arrangements today for excursions, activities and/or sightseeing.

Day 8: Departure

Today marks the official departure day for the project. Participants will be instructed to schedule their departure flights for the afternoon as the team will need to take a morning ferry back to Roatan.

World Vets Helps 200 + Animals in Romania

World Vets recently had a veterinary team in Romania where we worked with local partners to provide free sterilization services for hundreds of dogs and cats in the area of Galati. We would like to thank Sava’s Safe Haven as well as our dedicated group of volunteers who made this all possible. 200 + animals will live healthier and longer lives because of your efforts!

See more pictures

Successful Pilot Project Operated in St.Vincent & the Grenadines

A World Vets team has recently returned from St.Vincent & the Grenadines, a southern Caribbean nation. Together with local partners, including support from island government ministries and local volunteers, a very successful small animal pilot project* was executed.  We are happy to report that our free services benefited many disadvantaged areas of St.Vincent and resulted in close to 200 sterilizations being performed!

We would like to thank our dedicated volunteers, the Vincentian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (VSPCA) and all those involved on the ground for making this a remarkable effort. We’d also like to give special thanks to Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their support of this initial project.

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*A pilot project is a location where World Vets has previously never worked and/or sent an official team.

Summer Volunteer Opportunities in Europe!

World Vets operates multiple international field service projects throughout the year, many of which have volunteer opportunities for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students and assistants (those with no previous veterinary experience).

We would like to highlight two European small animal projects that still have volunteer openings this summer:

  • Galati, Romania (August 24 – 30, 2016) Tech/Student & Assistant Openings

Multiple Campaigns Held over Spring Break

This past month World Vets had multiple teams in Latin America and the Caribbean providing free veterinary services. We operated small animal projects in Cozumel, Nicaragua and Ecuador, in addition to having a team work with exotics in Roatan, Honduras. Combined, these campaigns provided over 1000 free sterilizations and reached hundreds more.

We’d like to thank our local partners for hosting these campaigns, as well as our dedicated team members for choosing to volunteer and travel with us over their spring break!

#GivingTuesday Update

Thank you to all our supporters that helped make #GivingTuesday 2015 a success!

If you did not get the chance to give this #GivingTuesday and would like to provide a gift to World Vets, click “donate” below.

This year we are fortunate to receive an end of year matching donation challenge from the Maria Norbury Foundation.  That means that EVERY dollar you donate up to $10,000 starting #GivingTuesday until Dec 31st, 2015 will be doubled as part of this match.   

 

World Vets is a registered 501c(3) Non Government Organization. All donations to World Vets are tax deductible.

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