Dr. Robert Bruner and Dr. Amanda Thomas spent a month in Nicaragua leading a World Vets small animal project in and around San Juan del Sur. Below Dr. Thomas shares her thoughts, and insights into the World Vets experience. We thank the Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their support of this project.

 

Each week we undertook the task of setting up a the World Vets surgery clinic in buildings donated by animal loving people, like Father Arthur, who believed in us and appreciated our work in his community. Each week was hotter than the last, with sweat pouring from any and all sources. Each day we did or did not have running water, electricity, or a flushing toilet. Each hour we prayed for good lighting from our headlamps. And each minute we reminded ourselves of what an incredibly awesome experience this was.

Neutering goats and scratching our heads trying to figure out how to treat a spider monkey with signs of a urinary tract infection (thank you VIN), we managed to treat more animals than any of us had ever seen in one day of practice before. It was amazing to watch a group of 18 professionals who didn't know each other the first day, turn into an organized team the next - diagnosing, treating, spaying and neutering more than 260 animals in just 3 days. It was nothing less than spectacular, and I still can't quite put my finger on how, exactly, this happens. I have seen it on every World Vets trip we have taken, led or been a part of. I think of it now as the "magic" of World Vets.

 

It is a priceless feeling to know that you are a part of something bigger than yourself, that you have a God given talent and skill that you can use for good. We will remember the face of the trusting little boy who carried his puppies to us in a tattered box tied with string, the men and women who brought us their pets in backpacks and on bicycles, and all of the children who watched us perform surgery through the open windows of the makeshift surgery center.

In the past four months, we have had 12 teams deployed on projects this summer. Locations include Romania, Baja Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Colombia! Become a fan of World Vets on Facebook, and take a look at our many photo albums from these projects!

World Vets volunteers assisted the missions veterinary program and traveled 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 next year's mission! 2011 locations and dates to be announced February/March 2011. 

 One of our new projects this year is in Ibarra Ecuador. We are working to establish a community wide spay/neuter program in collaboration with the municipality of Ibarra and national animal welfare organization PAE (Protectora Animal Ecuador). This initiative is also supported by Fondation Brigitte Bardot.

World Vets is providing regular veterinary teams to assist PAE-Ibarra control the small animal population as well as tackle parasite control and other health concerns. Volunteer teams were sent down in June, July, August and another is currently  deployed there.

See pictures August

Continuing Promise is an annual humanitarian civic assistance operation supported by US and international military medical personnel, U.S government agencies, regional heath ministries, NGO's and US academic institutions. Such humanitarian assistance missions and programs are a central part of efforts to enhance security and stability in Central and South America as well as in the Caribbean.

World Vets provides veterinary volunteers for this mission similar to that of Pacific Partnership. This year our volunteers are living onboard the USS Iwo Jima and traveling to Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Guyana and Suriname to assist with  this missions veterinary program.