World Vets

World Spay Day Event- World Vets and NicaVets

2012-01-13T15:22:00.000-06:00

NicaVets is a group of Nicaraguan veterinary professionals committed to helping animals in their country. World Vets has worked with many of its members for years. This year the NicaVets group will be holding a large scale sterilization campaign in commemoration of World Spay Day. The event will be held Feb 27-28, 2012 at the World Vets Latin America Veterinary Training Center in Granada, Nicaragua. The goal is to provide spay and neuter surgeries for 200 animals. Please help support their efforts by donating to help purchase veterinary supplies needed for the project. For more information on NicaVets visit their Facebook page.

One of the many street dogs in Granada, Nicaragua

Another street dog in Granada, Nicaragua

L to R Claudio Mayorga, Dr Jasson Figueroa and Dr. Jose Antonio Gomez Campos. These are three of the veterinary personnel that will be running the NicaVets Spay Day event (they also happen to be instructors at the World Vets Training Center). Other Nicaraguan veterinarians and volunteers will also be involved.

Grand Opening of the World Vets Latin America Veterinary Training Center

2012-01-07T21:05:00.000-06:00

Last month World Vets had the official Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for our new Latin America Veterinary Training Center in Granada, Nicaragua. For years we have been training veterinarians all over the world in proper surgical techniques especially as it relates to spay and neuter. We are very excited to now have a centralized training center where Spanish speaking vets from all over Latin American can take part in surgical training courses taught by Spanish-speaking vets. Just as important is that we now have a year-round clinic which provides free spay/neuter surgeries for street dogs and low income pet owners. This much needed service to the community will not only help animals and veterinarians but will also help to decrease the spread of zoonotic diseases such as rabies and parasites. The clinic is fully equipped with everything needed to provide high quality patient care which is our top priority. We are grateful to the support of the Fondation Brigitte Bardot (Paris, France) which helped make this program a reality.

The parade coming down the street at the Grand Opening event for the World Vets Latin America Veterinary Training Center in Granada, Nicaragua.

The Grand OPening Ceremony drew quite a crowd! It was great to have so many people from the local community.

One of the thousands of Nicaragua street dogs that will benefit from the clinics free veterinary services

The French Ambassador to Nicaragua speaking at the event.

The ribbon was cut by Claudio Mayorga (Clinic Manager), Brigitte Auloy (Director of International Programs at the Fondation Brigitte Bardot of Paris France) and Cathy King (CEO of World Vets)

The cutest little dancers show their stuff at the Grand Opening!

Another one of the many street dogs in Granada, Nicaragua.
World Vets helps to bring veterinary care to animals like this one.

Highly trained and skilled Nicaraguan veterinarians serve as instructors at the center
and oversee care of all of the patients.

The center is equipped with modern
equipment for optimal patient safety

RESCUE OPERATION! World Vets helping to save Thailand's dogs

2011-11-28T19:37:00.003-06:00

Since early November, World Vets has been actively responding to the severe flooding in Thailand that has left thousands of street dogs in a life-threatening situation. Our vet teams, working with local Thai organizations, are rescuing dogs from the floodwaters, delivering food and medical care to stranded dogs, providing triage and urgent care at the temporary shelters and performing spay/neuter surgeries on the rescued dogs that are well enough for surgery. Although it has received very limited press coverage in the United States, the flooding is a major catastrophe especially for animals who struggle to keep their heads above the floodwaters. As it turns out, most of the rescues are street dogs, of which there are tens of thousands in Thailand. A few cats have been rescued as well (most were able to climb to safety) and the team has tended to the occasional elephant and even a tiger. Donations are still needed to continue this effort which seems to have no immediate end in site. In some areas the flooding is increasing and resources are becoming scarce. So far, World Vets has donated over $20,000 worth of veterinary supplies to aid in the relief efforts. Donations are still urgent needed for the relief efforts. You can help by donating here: DONATE

Last year World Vets was one of the winners of Heska Corporations Inspiration in Action Contest which helped provide equipment and supplies for our disaster relief program. Earlier this year, World Vets was one of the first international veterinary aid organizations to arrive in Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami. With disasters happening so frequently these days, there is an extremely high demand for our services especially for animals in developing countries that sometimes have no one to look out for their safety.

HESKA has just announced this years finalist in the Inspiration in Action contest so we encourage you to vote for your favorite! I had the honor of being one of the judges to select the 5 finalists. There were so many great ideas it was hard to choose! The contest was great for World Vets and we wish all of the finalist the best of luck! You can see the finalists and vote here: VOTE

Inspiration in Action

2011-08-25T00:46:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in an amazing program that helps prepare new veterinary students for the academic and personal challenges ahead. As the keynote speaker for the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicines White Coat ceremony this year, I was invited to take part in the orientation program, known as Cougar Orientation and Leadership Experience (COLE), for the class of 2015. It was an opportunity to connect with the new veterinary students and hear about their dreams and goals. Many of them have dreamed of becoming a veterinarian for as long as they could remember. Held at a pristine waterfront camp in Northern Idaho, we worked through challenge courses that were both mental and physical and got to know each other on a pretty deep level, considering the length of the program. The students came away from the experience with an amazing level of enthusiasm and a reassurance that they would not be going through veterinary school alone. It’s very different from how my class started veterinary school 18 years ago where we just showed up at the Anatomy lab on the first day and got to work. Another difference I noticed was that the career goals of todays’ veterinary students have shifted. It seems like more students are thinking beyond private practice to more diverse opportunities including research, international work, public health and exotics. Their generation is ready and willing to change the world. It was inspiring to hear their future plans and also to hear that many of them were keeping an open mind to all the possibilities this diverse and amazing profession has to offer. As I delivered my keynote address, I challenged them to find the courage to discover and pursue their true passion, whatever it may be. Every journey is made up of many individual steps and all you have to do is be facing in the right direction and take one step at a time. They have the opportunity to discover what inspires them and turn that into their life’s work. Fortunately, the opportunity to turn inspiration to action is not just for veterinary students, but for all of us.

World Vets Volunteers Return from Pacific Partnership Deployment

2010-09-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

Volunteers Return from Pacific Partnership

After a summer long adventure, all World Vets volunteers have returned home after living onboard the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship, and working onshore alongside military veterinarians as part of Pacific Partnership 2010. Pacific Partnership is a humanitarian aid mission operated on an annual basis and is made possible through the collaboration of the US Navy with partner nations, foreign military and medical personnel as well as NGOs to provide medical, dental and veterinary care. World Vets volunteers assisted their veterinary program and provided veterinary aid to four different countries this year; Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Timor Leste. They treated not only small animals, but water buffalo, cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep and much more. We are proud to be the veterinary NGO represented on this mission and look forward to doing it again next year! More pictures can be seen here

Fondation Brigitte Bardot provides support for a large scale sterilzation campaign in Nicaragua

2010-06-03T17:52:00.000-05:00

It is with much enthusiasm that we heard the news that the Fondation Brigitte Bardot will be providing funding and support for our large scale sterilization campaigns in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. In 2010, multiple campaigns will take place in the city and surrounding barrios to provide spay/neuter surgeries and medical consultations to the local animals. With much enthusiam, the project is already underway! The animal situation in Nicaragua is quite desperate with thousands and thousands of animals in need of attention. There are so many people who make this work possible- the Fondation Brigitte Bardot, the World Vets volunteers, the local community volunteers, the local Nicaraguan veterinarians and veterinary students, community leaders and the local veterianry school. In fact, the team is working hard right now offering free veterinary services to the local community. Although the team has battled obstacles such as extreme heat and humidity, mudslides, scorpions and power outages, they have continued to work hard and stay focused on the mission. I will provide more updates and stories as the work continues in Nicaragua.

Volunteer Veterinary Team working hard in Nicaragua

2010-06-03T17:06:00.000-05:00

The World Vets clinic continues today in San Juan Der Sur, Nicaragua with the team working out of a local church for this clinic. Our clinics move around the city on different weeks so that the free veterinary services are available to as many people and pets as possible. This project is part of a large scale sterilzation campaign which is graciously supported by the Fondation Brigitte Bardot. We are very thankful for their support which has made this work possible. Here are more pictures from the Nicaragua clinic in action.

The waiting area outside the clinic

Surgery

A medical consultation appointment

Prepping for Surgery

World Vets Teams Prepare for Pacific Partnership 2010

2010-04-08T14:01:00.001-05:00

Ten World Vets volunteers were recently selected to take part in what will likely be an experience they will never forget. Next month, the USNS Mercy hospital ship will leave San Diego enroute to Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific for Pacific Partnership 2010. The ship will be home to the World Vets team of veterinarians, technicians and students while they provide veterinary aid to Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Timor Leste working under a team of US military command. Pacific Partnership is an annual, 4-month long, humanitarian aid mission carried out by the US military in collaboration with partner nations and NGOs to provide medical, dental, veterinary and engineering aid to different areas of the world. Last years mission was the first for World Vets and included visits to Samoa, Tonga, Kirabati, the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands. One of the main goals of Pacific Partnership is to establish multi-national relationships between military and civilian organizations during a time of calm so that they are better able to respond during disasters such as pandeminc disease outbreaks, typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis. World Vets is proud to be a part of this mission and is looking forward to contributing to the 2010 mission.

World Vets in Granada Nicaragua

2010-04-04T23:02:00.000-05:00

World Vets sends a team to Granada Nicaragua a few times every year to provide spay/neuter teams to work at Casa Lupita. Surgeries and medical consultations are provided free of charge to the community. In a place where the majority of the population earns less than $2/day, it's financially out of reach to pay for such services for animals. Nonetheless, its obvious that the people of Nicaragua love their pets very much and do what they can to take good care of them. The huge turn-out at the clinic is evidence of that. Our latest team led by Dr Jerry Brown of Yelm, Washington and Dr Tom Parker of Santa Fe, New Mexico brought together volunteers from all over the country (aging in range from 19-70+) for the common goal of helping animals in need. Half of the team was veteran World Vets volunteers who met on a previous trip to Honduras and signed up to do it all over again. The rest of the team was hopefully on the first of many future trips to come. Without our fantastic volunteers, these projects would not be possible. Each person brings unique skills and experience that collectively form a well-oiled surgical team. In addition to the regular small animal work, part of the team also did some horse work. For more information, visit our website at http://www.worldvets.org/

Disaster Relief: Helping the Animals of Haiti

2010-03-01T22:06:00.000-06:00

World Vets volunteers, working with the Dominican group SODAPRECA, have been in Haiti helping animals displaced and injured by the recent earthquake. Despite all of the devastation and loss the Haitians have sufferred, it is very evident that they still care deeply about their animals. The team treated dogs, cats, donkeys, goats, sheep and even chickens. Thank you to our volunteers who donated their time and resources to help the animals of Haiti.

Another successful project in Loreto, Mexico

2010-02-21T01:28:00.000-06:00

A World Vets team has just wrapped up yet another successful project sterilizing dogs in Loreto, Mexico. Several times a year we send teams to this fishing village on the Sea of Cortez to work with Animalandia, a local animal welfare group under the leadership of Lucy Gonzales. Our friends at Animalandia are always so good to us and share some great hospitality ever time we come. We are happy to provide ongoing support to this very worthy group.

World Vets at Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas

2010-02-18T22:44:00.001-06:00

Dr Andrea Berger, Dr Amanda Thomas, Dr Robert Bruner and Susan Paseman represented World Vets at Western Veteirnary Conference in Las Vegas this week. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn about our exciting programs and volunteer opportunities around the world. Tuica, a paralyzed dog found roaming the streets of Romania during one of our World Vets projects there, also came to Vegas as our mascot. She was fortunate to receive a complimentary therapeutic laser treatmeent while she was there and amazingly was able to stand for 30 seconds the next day. Thanks to Phil at K-LaserUSA for helping our little friend Tuica. We look forward to working with all of our new volunteers!

Katie Horn joins World Vets team as International Logisitcs Coordinator

2010-02-06T22:49:00.001-06:00

World Vets is excited to announce that Katie Horn will be joining the World Vets team as our new International Logisitcs Coordinator. Katie, originally from Ontario Canada, has a degree in Anthropology and Latin American Studies from the University of British Columbia and has worked since 2008 as the Director of the Stones and Waves Veterinary Clinic in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. She is a long-time animal advocate with experience in the veterinary field, international relations, latin american culture and is also fluent in Spanish. She will be relocating to Fargo, North Dakota to work full time at the World Vets Headquarters. We are thrilled to have such a great addition to our team.

Sterilzation Campaign in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

2009-11-20T00:44:00.012-06:00

World Vets trip leader Dr Shelley Harper, led a team to San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua in Nov 2009 to provide ongoing veterinary support for this beachside community. World Vets sends teams 4-6 times per year to San Juan Del Sur in addition to providing monthly veterinary volunteers to our Nicaraguan partner clinic, Stones and Waves Veterinary Clinic. In addition to providing free veterinary service, our teams also provide training to local veterinarians, technicians and students.

World Vets in Romania

2009-10-28T00:28:00.021-05:00

World Vets sent its first team to Romania in October, 2009. Fourteen volunteers coordinated a large scale sterilization campaign at a local shelter, providing treatment to working horses and training to local veterinarians. In addition, the team spent a day working on a Romanian Army base providing sterilization surgeries to every animal on the compound. A major milestone of this project was the signing of a formal treaty between the city of Buzau Romania, World Vets and local animal welfare groups. Dr Cathy King and the Mayor of Buzau, Romania signed the treaty on a nationally televised news conference.

Working with the native Embera Tribe in Panama

2009-09-23T20:44:00.001-05:00

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/.

Lima Peru

2009-09-21T13:00:00.004-05:00

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.

Student Ambassadors

2009-09-08T23:50:00.004-05:00

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."

World Vets and the United States Navy: Pacific Partnership 09

2009-08-18T15:38:00.006-05:00

Daniel Gildea recently returned from a summer-long World Vets trip as a volunter on Pacific Partnership 09. Below is a first-hand account of his experience.

On June 11th I boarded the USNS Amelia Earhart (AME), a Dry Cargo ship. To my surprise I was lead to a room with a full sized bed, a private bathroom, a desk, a flat screen television, and a window view that over the course of the next two weeks would be priceless. On the 12th the AME left San Diego Harbor for it's first international trip.

Onboard I worked with, and got to know fascinating pediatricians, opthamologists, surgeons, cardiologists, physicians, dentists, plus nurses and technicians of every discipline. At this point I was one of four NGO personnel, the rest were all Navy. The group of us spent that first week organizing tons of equipment, meds and other supplies in the hull of the ship. It was hard work, but it was during this time that the group turned into a team.

After nearly two weeks the AME rendezvoused with the USNS Richard E. Byrd (REB), another and nearly identical, Dry Cargo ship. Over a 30 hour period the freight from the AME was transported to the REB. This was done by cabling freight from one ship to the other and by having helicopters lift and drop freight from one ship to the next. This was also done at full speed and included the PP09 people aboard the AME being helicoptered to the REB to meet the other portion of the PP09 group that had left from Guam.

The REB was the ship that be home to the PP09 members during the mission. Aboard there were doctors and participants from many other nations like Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Texas. Also aboard the REB were members of the US Army and Air Force...talk about a melting pot.

Another week and a half on sailing to get to Samoa. When we get there we drop anchor a couple miles off the coast of the Capital city of Apia. For the first few days PP09 got ashore by taking a RHIB, think a very fast raft with hard bottom from ship-to-shore. To do so we climbed down a Jacob's or rope ladder into the RHIB. Sometimes negotiating 15 foot swells, this was one of the trips highlights.

The Veterinary team in Samoa was a diverse group. PP09 had Four members of the Army in Spc. Roman Blas, Sgt. Tom Jones, Sgt Matt Jepsen, Capt and Dr. Jay Coisman. Col. Dr. Tammy Von Busch represented the Air Force.

We worked in coordination with the Animal Protection Society of Samoa (APS). The APS is run by a caring and hard working group of people. Dr. Skye Turner, Dr. Hanna Siemering, Dr. Roisin Mc Quillin and Simon McIntosh a Vet Student.
In Samoa we set up our surgery clinics in fales. A fale is an open-air, roofed structure similar to a gazebo. Working on both the southern island of Upolo and the northern Savaii. In all we "desexed" 193 dogs and cats, amputated a leg, pinned another, treated parvo puppies, and did countless non surgical appointments. We wormed and vaccinated everything we touched and most importantly we got to work with great folks and make friends.
After ten days in Samoa...on to Tonga. After two days sailing we arrive a few miles off the of the island of Lifuka. We take RHIBs to the capital city of Pangai. Pangai is a small rural area with one main road. The main area or hub of the city is roughly 150 yards long. It has one bank, one cafe, a dive shop, a stationary store and two small general stores. When PP09 arrived traffic on the island quintupled.
The first two days we spent working on mostly dogs, in a clinic we installed in a shack behind the island's Ministry of Agriculture. The locals were unexcited about the idea of dog desexing (I saw three cats in Tonga). They were however very excited about our treating and desexing livestock.
We would drive up and down Lifuka and the neighboring island of Foa park the truck and walk into the bush. Tied to trees cattle owners tether their animals to graze. We would go to herds, in a matter of speaking, and castrate bulls, while taking blood samples, tick samples and deworming everything we could get our hands on.
We worked with the local farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture

As an aside: on one day PP09 members taught the local farmers classes on various types of husbandry, illness recognition and prevention in the local animals. We taught these classes in the Ministry of Agriculture's main building. One of the highlights of the trip was watching as the room filled up during the first class and watching farmers grab benches and place them near the windows so that more members could listen and learn...priceless. Our mission was not just to teach the locals who were in attendance but to teach them in such a way that they would be able to teach others. We were there to "teach the teacher." We did and while we were there we got to see our lessons being handed down from one farmer to others. This is why there is a Pacific Partnership and why World Vets is a participating NGO.
In the middle of the stay in Tonga many of us got stranded on the island as the RHIBs stopped running people back to the ship during a cyclone warning. With winds at 25-40 knots and over we were told that we would be spending the night on-island. Naturally this would be the evening where we Vet team ended the day wrestling a 350 lb mother pig who had been mauled by a dog. My clothes were a mess and I would be spending the evening and a goodly portion of the next day in them.
Everyone was found a place to sleep and the PP09 crew descended on the lone car/bar/restaurant, The Mariner's Cafe and made the best of an interesting situation. Everyone had a great evening, though followed by a shaky morning and began another work day in dirty and slightly less damn clothes we had worn the day before.
Oddly, I thought at first, no one complained. Why would we? This was part of the mission. We were in one of the most primitive locations in Tonga. We were working in rudimentary conditions and we now had a great story to tell.
More importantly, the locals opened their arms to the PP09 group. Schools offered to open their doors to host us as did a local church. The cafe and guest house allowed some of us to sleep on couches and where they could find space.

Some ate out, some ate the military's MRE (Meals Ready-to-eat) field rations. We all found dry, warm places to sleep and the next day we all had smiles as we prepared to work. The Australian military did a great credit for the Vet team. As I held a styrofoam container with vaccinations, antibiotics and other things I had no refrigerated place initially to place it for the evening. The Royal Australian Navy's, Lieutenant Commander Rick Parry took the cooler and said I'll find a home for it. He advised that I find him in front of the Cafe at 6:30 the next morning and it would be cold. I am not sure how he did it but he was outside... in no better shape than I from the night before, by 5:50 making arrangements to start the day. When he handed the cooler to me it was cold.
In Tonga we treated 137 animals, including 20 big animals castrations, and one pig-teet removal. We also taught 106 hours of lessons.
Both Samoa and Tonga were warm hosts and fascinating places to work, sweat, teach and learn. The Pacific Partnership group, particularly the Vet group were hard working, and a gift to have been side-by-side with for seven weeks. Through World Vets' participation I have taken away some live long memories and what I assume will be long lasting friendships (the Vet team was great..I have a theory, if you work with animals you're normally a pretty good person and my theory was proven right by the Vet team).
After Tonga we sailed to New Caledonia for some down-time before the mission departed for the Solomon Island, Kirabati, and finally The Marshall Islands. I wish I could have stayed on for the finals two months but I had a job to return to. I can think of no more rewarding way I could have spent those weeks and given an opportunity I would work with World Vets, which is my intention, and on a Pacific Partnership mission again.

2009-08-17T10:34:00.003-05:00

World Vets Team Granada has just returned home safely from a successful project in Nicaragua. 136 surgeries were performed, including 96 spays, one leg amputation and several tumor removals. An additional 90+ animals were treated for medical conditions. World Vets plans to provide ongoing support to this Spanish colonial city in the heart of Nicaragua. This was third team we have sent to Nicaragua this summer. Thanks to all of the local volunteers, World Vets volunteers and especially to Dr Tom Parker, Susan Paseman and Donna Tabor for all of your efforts in coordinating this project.

Ocean Shores Veterinarian, Dr Stacy Steele, walks 100 miles to raise money for World Vets

2009-08-16T22:41:00.005-05:00

Dr Stacy Steele and her Border Collie Karoo spent a week making a 100+ mile trek around the Olympic Peninsula of Washington to raise money for World Vets as well as two local animal welfare organizations. She started the journey on August 2nd and returned home this past weekend. Steele, a veterinarian from Ocean Shores, Washington, raised over $1000 in pledges and donations for the self-initiated walk-a-thon.

“The hardest part was doing Discovery Trail because I already had several blisters,” Steele said. “It was worth it knowing I could do something to help those organizations because helping animals is my passion.”

Dr Steele has volunteered with World Vets on a project in Loreto Mexico and was a huge asset to the team. She has continued to support our efforts since then and plans to be a regular on World Vets trips.

Thank you Dr Steele! You are an inspiration to us all and the animals of the world thank you for thinking of them.

Meet World Vets Trip Leader Dr Mike Corcoran

2009-08-11T10:39:00.007-05:00

World Vets has about a dozen project leaders who provide leadership for our international projects. Dr Mike Corcoran, an emergency and critical care veterinarian from Vancouver, Washington is one of them. I first met Mike several years ago when I was giving a lecture to the International Veterinary Medicine class at Washington State University. After my talk, Mike came up and introduced himself and offered his help if there was ever an opportunity for him to be involved with World Vets. If I recall correctly, he was a sophomore in veterinary school at the time. Little did he know that one day he would be one of our project leaders coordinating projects and leading veterinary teams to the far reaches of the globe. Most recently, he led a group to Loreto Mexico and later this year he will be taking a group to Ibarra, Ecuador for the first of a series of spay neuter projects in that area. As I write this blog, Mike is in Fiji (a rough life it must be!) on vacation. As it turns out, we had received a spay/neuter project request a couple months ago from the Fiji SPCA. I sent Mike on a mission, while he was vacationing, to meet up with the group and see how we could help. I don't have all the details yet, but it sounds like we will be sending teams to Fiji within the next year. Thanks, Mike, for all you do for World Vets. As the years go by, I hope I will have many more stories like Mike's, of students involved in our program who later go on to be project leaders when they graduate. It's the great people we meet along the way who make World Vets what it is today.

Team Granada Dodges Bulls in the Streets of Nicaragua

2009-08-10T07:28:00.008-05:00

It seems like there is always some excitement on the main cobblestone street of Granada, Nicaragua. When I was there a couple months ago, there were hundreds of stallions parading down the street during Hipica, a local Nicaraguan tradition. Our newest World Vets arrived yesterday and found themselves in the midst of Granada's version of the Running of the Bulls which culminates with a rodeo rather than a bullfight, from what I understand. So instead of a relaxing day touring the city, the team had an experience they will not soon forget dodging bulls and people in the heart of this historic Spanish Colonial city. Luckily everyone survived unscathed and managed to get the supplies and equipment set up for toady's early morning start at the clinic. I suspected they were greeted with a long line of surgery patients waiting for them at Casa Lupita. Go team!

The Running of the Bulls in Granada, Nicaragua

Team heads out for Granada Nicaragua today!

2009-08-08T15:48:00.002-05:00

Santa Fe, New Mexico veterinarian Dr Tom Parker in Granada, Nicaragua (above and below pics)

Its only been a couple days since Team Panama returned home and we already have another team headed for Central America. Early this morning, eleven World Vets volunteers headed for the airport en route to Granada Nicaragua. We had a team in Granada just a few months ago doing a spay/neuter clinic as well as working on horses. We had a huge turnout at both clinics and in the end had to turn away some of the small animal patients as we had run out of time and supplies with such an overwhelming response from the local community. Our Granada project, like most of our programs, strives to be sustainable by providing ongoing support. In keeping with that mission, another team is on the way! This time the team is lead by Susan Paseman and Dr Tom Parker. Susan is the vice-president of World Vets and has travelled with many teams to Central America. Tom Parker is a veterinarian from Santa Fe, New Mexico who I met earlier this year. Tom contacted World Vets about the possibility of starting some programs in Nicaragua (where we previously had not worked). Well, that was just 8 months ago and we have already been there four different times doing veterinary projects and have plans for regular continued support. During the Granada trip, we will be working at Casa Lupita, a clinic run by Donna Tabor of Building New Hope. Dr Tom has worked extensively with Casa Lupita and has managed to fully outfit the clinic with equipment and supplies, one suitcase load at a time. Tom is one of the hardest-working, most dedicated people I know and is an all around great guy! Dr Tom will oversee the veterinary work on the Granada project. We wish the team good luck this week and will keep you posted on their progress.

Susan Paseman, project leader and Vice-President of World Vets, working during our last Granada project in May 2009.

The Tale of the Finger Puppets

2009-08-06T14:21:00.004-05:00

I'd like to share a story of just one of the many kind gestures that has been bestowed upon World Vets. Alex, Nancy and Sarah Sherertz have been loyal supporters and volunteers of our organization from the beginning. On a recent trip to Peru, they came across some cute and very unique finger puppets which they bought for World Vets. Having been on projects with us in the past (Belize and Mexico)they knew that local kids are always a part of our programs. On their return, Nancy packaged up the puppets and shipped them and as luck would have it they arrived the day before our departure to Nicaragua. I made room in one of our medical supply duffels and the finger puppets were off on another travel adventure. The fact that they were small and lightweight made them perfect for the journey. During our clinic in barrio Las Delicios Nicaragua, each kid who brought in an animal for surgery or consultation got to choose a finger puppet for their very own. It was a serious job picking just the right one as they were all unique and unlike anything they had seen before. For children who have so little, I suspect this small gesture will not be soon forgotten. The finger puppets travelled from Peru, to Maryland, to North Dakota and finally to the homes of children in Nicaragua. Thank you for your kind gesture, it was a big hit!

Alex, Sarah and Nancy Sherertz and Evan Hansen pose for a picture in Aguas Calientes Peru modeling the finger puppets they bought for World Vets.

A few of the lucky kids in Nicaragua who were thrilled to receive the finger puppets on our project last week.

World Vets Team Returns From Panama

2009-08-05T11:04:00.003-05:00

Every month, World Vets sends a team to work with our Panama division, called SpayPanama. The team arrives on Tuesday, works in the clinic in Panama City for a couple days then heads out for a weekend "spay blitz" in a remote community. To date, over 22,000 animals have been spayed and neutered in Panama under this program. SpayPanama has become a model for what can be accomplished with a dedicated sterilization program. This months team travelled to Farallon, Panama for the spay blitz. It rained all the way there (it is rainy season!). During the weekend blitz, 241 animals had surgery (202 dogs and 39 cats). Anyone who has been a part of a remote spay blitz knows how much work is involved in doing this volume of surgery. Great job! The animals were also dewormed, vaccinated, treated for fleas and had their ears cleaned. A special thanks to Shirley Chen and Liz Pollak!

Pacific Partnership 09 Highlights

2009-08-04T10:51:00.003-05:00

Pacific Partnership is a humanitarian mission carried out by the US Navy in collaboration with NGO's, partner nations and other branches of the military. This years 4-month mission provides aid to Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands and Kirabati. World Vets is honored to be a part of the mission and the sole veterinary NGO participating. World Vets member Daniel Gildea (San Jose, California) has just returned from 7 weeks on board a US Navy ship which traveled from San Diego to the Oceania region. During his part of the mission, the group performed spays and neuters, worked on cattle, pigs and goats and provided educational programs on livestock husbandry. Next year, World Vets will travel with the military to South East Asia providing medical, dental and veterinary aid to the region as a part of Pacific Partnership 2010. Early next year, we will be recruiting veterinarians, technicians and veterinary students to participate in this exciting mission.

2009-07-31T21:17:00.004-05:00

Team Nicaragua is sharing their last night together at the casa. The students have all had the opportunity to perform spays and neuters and the vets have thoroughly enjoyed teaching. The community was very welocming and we did a lot of good while we were here. This project was the first of many to come and we hope that spaying and neutering of pets will be commonplace in the coming years. This week was a big step in the right direction. We are thankful to Chris, Katie, Elvis, Harry and everyone else from Pelican Eyes for all of the organizing and planning that made this week a success. We were thankful to have Laura along as our translator this week and hope she comes on our trips often. We will watch for Jessica to apply to vet school instead of med school (we may have changed her career plans this week). We may also see Paulynne heading for vet school as well. They both have what it takes to make it. All of the students do. This was a truly a great group of individuals who came together for a common cause. I am thankful for everyones time, dedication and help. We saw a few last appointments at the clinic and did a final check up on Surger, our dog with the broken pelvis. He is walking and expected to make a full recovery. Tonight we were treated to a fabulous BBQ at the Pelican Eyes Hotel. Its time for me to sign off as we have to be up at 2am to head to the Managua airport in the morning.

Surgery, consultations and food poisoning?

2009-07-30T20:44:00.005-05:00

A new day and another clinic in Las Delicious, a barrio outside of San Juan Del Sur Nicaragua. All of our surgery patients from the past two days have fully recovered without complication. One person brought her dog back for a recheck but fortunately she was doing great and didn't have so much as a swollen incision area. Dr Shelley continued in appointments while Dr Mike, Dr Karen and Dr Kazi worked with the students (who by now can almost go solo in surgery). I helped Lester, our Nicaraguan vet student, in surgery while two local vets observed our methods and techniques. By mid-day the team was fading. Unfortunately we had 5 people come down with suspected food poisoning. A "sick ward" formed in the corner of the building where they all had some down time away from operating tables. After we returned home, Paulynne and I summoned a local nurse practitioner to come to the aid of our fallen teammates. Most were feeling better as the evening progressed. Even with a few people out of commission we still had a good day. In the past three days we have seen 189 animals. Tomorrow brings a much deserved day off for the team. While the group heads out for some fun in the sun, I will be scoping out our next clinic location for the November project and doing some strategic planning with Katie and Chris at Pelican Eyes about our future veterinary programs in Nicaragua. World Vets is excited about the prospect of helping so many animals in this area of the world .

No electricity, no water but the surgeries continued!

2009-07-29T20:49:00.006-05:00

Today was the second day of our clinic in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. The day started off with Sarah and Katrina heading off on a farm call to check on a horse with severe anemia and photosensitization. Back at the clinic we had a steady flow of appointments and surgeries all day long. Katie and the crew from Pelican Eyes have done a fantastic job of getting the word out and keeping things moving smoothly through the day. All of the students had the opportunity to do several surgeries. We have all been very impressed with how well the students surgical skills have progressed in just two days. Part way through the day the power went away (as well as the water). Fortunately, our mobil clinics are equipped to run without either. We were happy to have plenty of headlamps, as they came in very handy today. Dr Shelley hung out her shingle and and was the primary vet seeing appointments today. She saw more than 30 appointments today alone ranging from skin conditions, to paralysis, to parasites and tumors. Two of her clients were gringos and the rest were local Nicaraguans. All were very grateful for the consultation and treatments they received. Kyle and Rachel ran the anesthesia induction and IV catheter station, while Jere and Paulynne oversaw the recovery ward. All of the vets really enjoyed teaching today. Dr Kazi spent quite a bit of time mentoring Fernando and Lester (Nicaraguans) in surgical techniques. His animated teaching stlye kept us all entertained! As we were winding down for the day we were presented with another dog hit by a car. Ironically, this dog also had a broken pelvis just like Surfer, the dog we saw yesterday. Speaking of Surfer, he did well through the night and was able to urinate, deficate and stand with assistance. He will be spend the next 6 weeks receiving care fromt the Stones and Waves Veterinary crew who well help rehabilitate him from his injuries. We will keep our fingers crossed that he will be able to recover without surgery. As I write this blog, the group is roasting organic coffee in the kitchen with some classic rock playing on the stereo. The coffee smells good and the mood is great!

Surgery Clinic Underway in Nicaragua

2009-07-28T20:58:00.006-05:00

The World Vets Nicaragua team is winding down after a long, hot day of surgeries and cosultations. Since this was the first sterilization clinic that has ever been done in the barrios of San Juan Del Sur, there was much curiosity and some apprehension from the locals as we expected. As the day went on, more and more dogs showed up. The nice thing with the pace being a little slow on the first day was that all of the students (vet students, pre-vet students and one pre-med) got to glove up and do surgery. All of the veterinarians thoroughly enjoyed the teaching aspect of the project today and I think the students were all thrilled to do, for most of them, their very first surgery. We also had a Nicaraguan veterinarian and vet student (Fernando and Lester) helping out in surgery and learning from the group. The day finished up with a taxi screeching down the dirt road to the clinic with a dog that had been run over by a surfing truck. We were able to stabilize the stray dog and determine that he had a broken pelvis. We will re-evaluate his condition in the morning and determine his course of treatment. All in all it was a great day. After work we headed back to the Casa and made our way up the hill in our 4wd shuttle truck. It takes two trips to get everyone to the top of the road but fortunately we have Jose (the guard), a pet monkey and trees full of Howler monkeys to keep us entertained at the bottom. Tomorrow we are head out early for another day of surgeries.

Team Nicaragua arrives safely

2009-07-26T22:43:00.005-05:00

Even with several delayed flights, everyone made it safely and to Nicaragua. The long day of flights was followed by a three hour bus ride to San Juan Del Sur, followed by a a 4WD shuttle up the mountain to our final destination. Tomorrow we set up the the clinic in the barrio called Las Delicious. Patients will begin arriving bright and early tuesday morning, We have already heard that there are many dog owners anxiously awaiting our arrival to address a variety medical problems. This will be our first projet in the barrios and we hope to have a huge turnout. The Internet (which we are thankful to have) is a bit slow, so my post will be short tonight. This is a picture of some new friends we encountered on our travels today.

World Vets Team heads for San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

2009-07-24T20:05:00.006-05:00

World Vets is having yet another busy month. Actually a busy week for that matter. While one team is busy spaying dogs in Farallon, Panama another is working on cattle in the South Pacific (Tonga to be exact) and yet another team is packing their bags for Nicaragua. The latter includes myself as the trip leader. Bright and early tomorrow morning 16 World Vets volunteers from Washington, South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, California and New Jersey will head to the airport enroute to Nicaragua. A few are World Vets "veterans" like Dr Kazi a USDA veterinarian who worked with our Panama group earlier this year, and Rachel Baird a technician who went on our Honduras trip last year and Shawn Flottmeyer a pre-vet student who worked with us in Belize last year. Most of the others have never met and will be embarking on their first World Vets trip. Its hard to fully comprehend what we really do and and the impact that we have on the communities we visit until one has actually gone on a trip. Soon they too will have World Vets memories and experiences that will probably last a lifetime. We'll keep you updated this week (Internet permitting) on the happenings in Nicaragua. For me, the easy part starts once I board the plane tomorrow morning. The preparation that goes into each project is enormous. Once I pass the airport security gates I know that the packing, organizing, planning, e-mailing, permits, licenses and all the other various details are complete (at least I hope!). Now comes the good part. Meeting the team and working together to help the animals. Our project in Nicaragua will be taking place in an outlying barrio of San Juan Del Sur (about 3 hours from Managua). I was there just a few weeks ago setting up all the final logistics for the project along with Katie our local coordinator. Without Katie, the project couldn't happen. There is a ton of preparation that takes place on her end as well (advertising, securing a location, gathering supplies like tables for surgery and many other things). I am including a picture of the community where we will be working, called Las Delcious. Its now time for me to sign off and and finish up the last minute details before heading off to bed. I look forward to sharing the details of the project over the coming week.

World Vets Team Arrives in Panama

2009-07-23T23:50:00.002-05:00

Nearly every month, we send a veterinary team from the US to work with our Panama Division of World Vets called Spaypanama. SpayPanama is run by director Pat Chan, who is one of the hardest working and most dedicated people I have ever met. Thanks to her leadership, the SpayPanama team and the efforts of countless volunteers and veterinarians, more than 21,000 cats and dogs have been spayed and neutered all over Panama. Pat Chan is a true hero! The large scale sterilization efforts have brought about significant and lasting positive change to the overall animal welfare situation in Panama. A World Vets team arrived in Panama earlier this week and will be working in the clinic in Panama City, followed by a weekend spay blitz in Farallon, Panama. I don't have any picture updates from this group yet, but thought I'd share some photos from previous Panama projects with World Vets/SpayPanama.

Veterinary Work Continues in Tonga

2009-07-22T11:33:00.009-05:00

The Pacific Partnership is now nearly 6 weeks into the 4 month humanitarian aid mission providing medical, dental and veterinary assistance to the people and animals of Oceania. World Vets is proud to be a part of this important mission with the US Navy. Below are some pictures from the mission and a little glimpse into their morning commute.

Kids and Pets

2009-07-21T09:26:00.004-05:00

There's one thing that is very predictable on our trips abroad. There will always be lots of kids; helping, watching, catching dogs, peering through windows to the surgery room and bringing their pets to be spayed and neutered. I thought it would be nice to share pictures of some of the cute kids who have "helped out" on our projects.

Good News for the Animals of Ecuador

2009-07-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

We received official notice today that World Vets has received a grant from the Fondation Brigitte Bardot in Paris, France to support the first phase of a spay/neuter initiative in Ibarra, Ecuador. It is common practice in Ecuador for city governments to carry out mass strychnine poisonings of dogs and cats to control overpopulation. World Vets is hoping to bring an end to that practice. We have entered into a signed agreement with the municipal government of Ibarra stating that with our implementation of a spay/neuter program, the poisonings will end. We hope to have a team in Ecuador by this November to implement the surgical, training and education phase of the project. Dr Mike Corcoran, an emergency and critical care veterinarian of Vancouver Washington will be our project leader and Abraham Herrera will be our local logistics coordinator. For all our World Vets volunteers who have been anxiously awaiting a project in Ecuador, keep an eye on our website for official sign up information!

World Vets is the veterinary NGO represented on Pacific Partnership 09, a humanitarian aid mission with the US Navy

2009-07-19T18:59:00.000-05:00

The time has come. The World Vets Blog!

2009-07-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

We Facebook, Twitter, E-mail and Photo Share, not to mention sending veterinary teams to the far reaches of the globe multiple times every month to help thousands of animals in need. I guess it's finally time that we have a blog too. So here it is! With so much World Vets news happening every day, this is the best way to share the news and keep all of our dedicated volunteers, donors and supports up to date. I am not a writer or a photographer, but I'll do my best to share the news and pictures of World Vets in action.

So, whats happening RIGHT NOW? Something big, that's what! Daniel Gildea, a World Vets volunteer from San Jose California is currently in Tonga representing World Vets on Pacific Partnership 2009 (PP09). PP09 is a four month humanitarian aid mission providing medical, dental, veterinary and construction/engineering aid to the Oceania region. The mission is carried out with teams traveling from country to country onboard a US Navy ship. World Vets is honored to be the veterinary NGO represented on this partnership with the US Military, partner nations and other NGO's.

Daniel boarded the USNS Amelia Earhart in San Diego in mid-June. After spending a couple weeks at sea organizing gear and supplies, the team made a mid-sea helicopter transfer to the USS Richard Byrd and headed for their first 2-week mission in Samoa. Additional stops will include Tonga, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati.