spay neuter

Recruiting Volunteer Vets for Caribbean Spay/Neuter Project

nevis1Attention VETERINARIANS! We have 2 volunteer positions open for veterinarians on our spay/neuter project in the Caribbean! Join our 14 person team to make a difference for animals on the island of Nevis and have free time to enjoy the island too! This project is scheduled to run March 15 – 22, 2014. See more details here

Nevis, a 36 square mile island, is located in the Caribbean just south of the more famous island St. Kitts. Given Nevis is such a small island, controlling as well as maintaining a healthy animal population is of great importance. Not Nevis2only does it have a huge impact on human health but the overall sustainability of island life as a whole. What presents challenges to controlling the population is that animals roam freely and consequently breed freely, which goes hand in hand with the lack of responsible pet ownership.

To help address issues of health and population control for companion animals on the island, World Vets will carry out a small animal field service project to Nevis in 2014.

World Vets Team Returns from One Health Project

A roaming dog takes a nap in the sand amongst tourists and beach goers on San Andres Island

A roaming dog takes a nap in the sand amongst tourists and beach goers on San Andres Island

World Vets has been working with the San Andres Island Department of Health since 2012. Together we bring much needed veterinary services to the small animal population and in turn improve the overall public health on the island.

In December we had a veterinary team carry out a large scale spay/neuter and animal health campaign. Our veterinary services  target both roaming and owned animals on the island.

We would like to thank our local partners, volunteers and Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their support of this One Health concept project.

See pictures

Three Successful Field Operatives Completed

131113_0510World Vets would like to welcome back it’s teams that recently provided field operatives in Honduras, Dominican Republic and Ecuador. With the combined efforts of our teams, we were able to positively impact and treat close to 1000 animals in just a few days time, including 575 surgical procedures. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our volunteers, local partners and Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their support and efforts of these field service projects.

New! Custom Trip option for Groups!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADo you work at a veterinary practice or are you part of a veterinary faculty at an academic institution? Are you looking for an international volunteer opportunity that you and your colleagues and/or faculty and students can do together?

Starting in 2014, World Vets has a great volunteer opportunity for groups to Granada, Nicaragua. Read more here

1 Vet position left for our Dominican Republic Project! November 2013

SONY DSCThere is just 1 VETERINARIAN position left open on our small animal field service project to the Dominican Republic. Join us from November 9 – 16, 2013 and provide a three day large scale sterilization campaign in the coastal town of Sosua! Unlike most field operatives, this project will have gas anesthesia available.

Aside from veterinary work, volunteers will have free time to explore the area or simply lounge on the beach! Check out this SONY DSCvolunteer opportunity here

See pictures of  World Vets in the Dominican Republic

This project is supported by Fondation Brigitte Bardot of Paris, France

Celebrating World Animal Day in Peru!

PerueditWorld Vets was in Cusco, Peru this past week. In lieu of World Rabies (Sept 28) and World Animal (Oct 4) Day we held a large scale spay/neuter campaign, in addition to providing free rabies vaccinations.

World Vets has been proving quality high volume spay/neuter services in Cusco since 2011. We’d like to thank Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their ongoing support of this field operative. We also thank our local partners and World Vets team members for another successful campaign!

Fostering Animal Wellness in Rural Nicaragua

Photo: Katie Horn/World Vets

Photo: Katie Horn/World Vets

Photo: Katie Horn/World Vets

Photo: Katie Horn/World Vets

Photo: Van Olsen Photography

Photo: Van Olsen Photography

Photo: Van Olsen Photography

Photo: Van Olsen Photography

Photo: Katie Horn/WorldVets

Photo: Katie Horn/WorldVets

As World Vets team pulled up to the local school, which was to be our clinic site, piglets and chickens were busy foraging on the school grounds. Unafraid of our presence they continued about their daily routine. As we proceeded to set up our work stations we were greeted by a donkey that happened to preside over a family’s small agricultural plot next door. He provided constant reminders of his presence, “hee – haw”, that enticed many of us to go see him throughout the work day.

As veterinary services got underway, children and grown men dressed in their Sunday’s best began to form a line around the registration desk. Dogs were brought to us in handbags, on carts and wheelbarrows and cats surprisingly enough were carried in on string leashes or in cardboard boxes. Half came to us to receive spay/neuter surgery and the other half for health consultations

Until recently World Vets had not set up a direct veterinary service campaign in this particular community. Located 25 minutes or so outside of the main town of San Juan del Sur, the rural community of Escamequita is a world of its own. In contrast to town, houses are scattered over considerable distances and made from all kinds of materials; from wood to metal scrap and/or brick. All animals, including dogs, pigs, chickens and turkeys roam free, yet everyone knows which house they belong to. Furthermore, potable water may only be accessible from a well and during the rainy season the only road to and from Escamequita may be washed out, limiting contact with town and its subsequent products and services.

Even though World Vets had never visited the area before, the animals of Escamequita have quite a history with World Vets and the services we have provided in San Juan del Sur over the years. This has much to do with concerned and kind hearted expatriates who also live in the area. Without hesitation, they have rallied local households and loaded up their trucks with animals, accompanied by their owners, to receive our services, wherever they would be provided. The animals brought to us in their vehicles were always the ones that had the worse body conditions and needed the most TLC from our teams.

After years of their dedication and demand for veterinary care, it made perfect sense to bring our services directly to them. Our recent campaign in Escamequita has acted to harness this growing awareness of animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, especially amongst the young population. Many animals from the original “truck loads” were first brought to us to receive spay/neuter surgery. Now we happily welcome them back for follow up medical treatments. And wouldn’t you know it; they were some of the healthiest looking bunch during our recent campaign!

Photo: Van Olsen Photography

Photo: Van Olsen Photography

Our visit to Escamequita has also served to further promote the concept of animal wellness, specifically for new pet owners who had not previously sought out our services either due to distance and/or logistics. In consultations we saw one young boy who brought his puppy for a check up and to receive preventative health treatments. This is the first step we explained, to being a responsible pet owner, and his father proudly agreed.

More than anything our veterinary services in rural communities such as Escamequita provide the means for individuals to care for and be responsible pet owners. It is a huge misconception that people in foreign countries simply do not care for their animals. They do! This young boy is but one example.

All of World Vets veterinary services are provided free of charge
Story write up: Katie Horn, World Vets International Programs Manager

World Vets Working in Tonga; Farm Calls, Education & Spay/Neuter Services

As part of the 2013 Pacific Partnership mission, a World Vets veterinary team provided a variety of services in Tonga alongside US Army personnel as well as host nation partners. Below we provide a photo essay to highlight the work accomplished as part of the veterinary program provided during our recent visit to Tonga.

US Army Captain, Cherise Neu, and World Vets volunteer veterinarian, Dr. Kristin Camp, answer questions about proper care for both dairy cows and beef cows from local farmers, para-vets, and veterinarians

US Army Captain, Cherise Neu, and World Vets volunteer veterinarian, Dr. Kristin Camp, answer questions about proper care for both dairy cows and beef cows from local farmers, para-vets, and veterinarians

U.S. Army Captain, Cherise Neu, lectures local farmers, para-vets, and veterinarians about cow body scoring and proper nutrion and diet based on how the cow will ultimately be used

U.S. Army Captain, Cherise Neu, lectures local farmers, para-vets, and veterinarians about cow body scoring and proper nutrion and diet based on how the cow will ultimately be used

World Vets volunteer veterinarian, Dr. Kristin Camp, gives a calf a physical exam to ensure that the calf is healthy

World Vets volunteer veterinarian, Dr. Kristin Camp, gives a calf a physical exam to ensure that the calf is healthy

World Vets volunteer, Dr. Kristin Camp, talks to the local veterinarian, para-vets, and farmers about the importance of testing for Mastitis in cows, which will help ensure that the milk they are producing is healthy for both human and calves to consume

World Vets volunteer, Dr. Kristin Camp, talks to the local veterinarian, para-vets, and farmers about the importance of testing for Mastitis in cows, which will help ensure that the milk they are producing is healthy for both human and calves to consume

Dr. Kristin Camp, volunteer veterinarian for World Vets, shows locals how to easily test for mastitis in cow’s milk.

Dr. Kristin Camp, volunteer veterinarian for World Vets, shows locals how to easily test for mastitis in cow’s milk.

Dr. Abbey O’Connor, a World Vets volunteer veterinarian, and Lt. Hannah Castillo, prepare a young dog for desexing as part of the free clinic that was held for locals

Dr. Abbey O’Connor, a World Vets volunteer veterinarian, and Lt. Hannah Castillo, prepare a young dog for desexing as part of the free clinic that was held for locals

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World Vets volunteer veterinarian, Dr. Abi Collinson, and U.S. Army Veterinarian Technician , Sargent Lynn Marsh, clean Brown Senior’s ear after having been in a dog fight

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Dr. Abbey O’Connor, a World Vets volunteer veterinarian, and Lt. Hannah Castillo, prepare a young dog for desexing as part of the free clinic that was held for locals

Pacific Partnership is a multinational mission of host nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and regional partners that include Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United States that join together to improve maritime security, conduct humanitarian assistance and strengthen disaster response preparedness throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

World Vets volunteers travel on board a US Navy ship as part of this mission.

All photos and captions: Amanda Saavedra

A Successful Pilot Project in Suriname, South America

LS1A7328World Vets recently operated a pilot project* in Paramaribo, Suriname. We sent a volunteer veterinary team that provided a very successful large scale sterilization campaign which resulted in 250 surgeries being performed. Our team worked with Henk Abrahams Foundation, a local animal welfare organization. We thank Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their support of this visit as well as all the volunteers for their efforts. See pictures of our Suriname campaign here

 *A pilot project is a new project location where a World Vets team has not previously worked

July & August Volunteer Opportunities still available for Veterinarians

130323_1610Volunteer veterinarians are still needed for two small animal projects that are scheduled to take place this summer in Ecuador (July) and Nicaragua (August). World Vets has been working in both areas since 2009 and has well established spay/neuter and animal health projects in and around Otavalo/Ibarra, Ecuador and San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.

On a small animal project, veterinarians are typically involved in 130322_1278providing sterilization surgeries for cats and dogs, medical diagnosis and treatment, health consultations, and may be involved in performing other surgeries, teaching and/or instruction to students and/or local volunteers or pet owners.

Aside from three full days of veterinary work, volunteers will have free time to explore the local area and/or do some sightseeing and activities. Whether you like the beach or the mountains, either location has much to offer as a travel destination.

Read more about volunteer opportunity in Ecuador (July 17 – 24, 2013)

Read more about volunteer opportunity in Nicaragua (August 3 – 10, 2013)

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