Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Working with the native Embera Tribe in Panama

Dr. Danielle Jordan and Natalie Miller, volunteers from World Vets, have just returned from quite an adventure as they worked with the native Embera tribe in Panama.  This remote tribe resides in the jungles of Panama accessible only by boat.  The World Vets volunteers and the SpayPanama team (our partner organization) went to three comuunities on the banks of San Juan de Pequeni River in Peru to provide veterinary care for the animals of the native tribes. SpayPanama has sterilized tens of thousands of animals in the past few years. On this trip, many dogs and cats were vaccinated and sterilized as well as a few horses that were castrated and vaccinated as well.  I am sure it was an experience they will not soon forget.  If you are interested in international volunteer opportunities like this, please visit our website at http://www.worldvets.org/.













Monday, September 21, 2009

Lima Peru

World Vets travelled to Lima Peru last week to set up an ongoing spay/neuter program in collaboration with Grupo Caridad in Lima. We will be sending teams multiple times per year to provide veterinary aid in the poorest communities of Lima. Our first project was a great success with a very good turnout. The people of Peru really love their animals, and in the areas we are working it would otherwise be impossible for them to afford spay and neuter. All of our services are free of charge. There is a profound and genuine need for our services in Peru and we are glad to be able to provide assistance. We anticipate sending the next team in December.



Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Student Ambassadors

World Vets has launched a nationwide Student Ambassador Program. Each veterinary school, as well as some tech schools and pre-vet programs will have a local student ambassador who will provide information to fellow students about opportunities available through World Vets. Our ambassadors will be selected from those who have previously volunteered on one of our trips. I'd like to introduce you to a few of them and let you read what they have to say about their experiences with World Vets. We are very proud to have these exceptional students representing our organization. I will introduce more of our student ambassadors in future blog posts.



Tufts University
Matt Katz, Class of 2013
"My week in Honduras was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I got hands-on training beyond my expectations, and met an incredible group of people that I hope to stay in touch with for a long time to come."



University of Missouri
Rachel Halpin, Class of 2011
"I traveled with World Vets to Granada Nicaragua in August of 2009. This trip was one of the most rewarding and educational experiences of my life. This trip touched my heart as I saw what life is like outside of the US, not only for the animals, but also for the people. In addition to leaving with an abundance of knowledge and experiences, I also made some amazing friends while on the trip!"



University of Minnesota
Kristen Johnson, Class of 2012
"My trip to Nicaragua was unlike anything I have ever done before and I loved it. I was not only life changing but expanded my view of the world we live in. This experience taught me that under extreme conditions and working with limited resources, it is possible, even as one person, to make a difference and improve the quality of life for others. I could not have picked a better group to eat suspect food from a bucket with, ride around in the back of a pick-up with, and learn surgical technique from than those I was fortunate enough to meet this past summer."






Washington State University
Sarah Seitz, Class of 2012
" I was part of a World Vets team that went to San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. The trip was fulfilling in so many ways; I made a lot of new friends and we had a lot of fun. I managed to get a lot of surgical experience; the vets are very helpful and eager teach students. Most importantly, it was great to be part of a team that did so much good work for a community in need."



University of Illinois
Valerie Eisenbert, Class of 2011
"I had an amazing experience on my first World Vets trip. I met several Panamanian veterinary students and shared stories about the differences in our educations and cultures. I also observed techniques not taught in our surgery classes and was able to practice some of my clinical skills. I'm looking forward to more trips in my future."