Where did you grow up, and what made you decide to pursue veterinary medicine?
My parents owned a pet shop in New Zealand. From a very young age, I knew I would want to work with animals when I was older. I graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology degree (BVT).
How did you first come across Travelling Animal Doctors, and what inspired you to volunteer with the organization?
As soon as I met Tjarda and Jochem for the first time, and learned about their organization, I wanted to become part of it!
When and where did you volunteer with TAD?
Canoa, Ecuador, in 2015.
How would you describe the needs in that region?
The needs were very high for veterinary care because there was no local veterinary clinic, or even a trained vet in the area. The closest vet clinic was a 20-minute bus ride to San Vincente.
What type of work did you do, and why was it important to the local communities?
I assisted with patient care using the veterinary technology skills from my degree, from patient restraint, pre-med, pre-surgery clipping, and prepping the patient to assisting in surgery, monitoring the TIVA anesthesia, recovery, and additional drugs that needed to be given.
Parasite control was very important, as well as ensuring that all desexed patients had the green X tattoo into the inside of their ears for identification. It wasn't just de-sexing surgery, either; there were tail/limb amputations, cesarean sections, even an injured turtle that needed medical attention.
In addition, I assisted with community education. We placed clear signage on the outside of our temporary clinic to help inform the local village people of what was happening and the importance of desexing. We also conducted school visits to educate children, and explain the importance of the charity work and why we were there. Because I couldn't speak much Spanish, however, I left this up to the more fluent team members.
What types of reactions did you get from local community members?
Some people travelled on the local bus with their animals, or even biked with a trailer attached to bring their animals to us while we were there. Many days, there were people standing outside our clinic before we opened for the day. We also would do follow-up house calls to check on how some patients were doing. Seeing how the local people lived was very eye-opening, and it gave us a greater perspective of our impact and the difference we were making.
What did you enjoy most about your time with TAD?
Everything! I loved being part of a very motivated and dedicated team. We all worked well together, and we shared the common goal of making a huge difference in the lives of the animals in Canoa. Donating your time and expertise for the greater good is rewarding in so many ways, especially since we knew that these animals likely would not receive treatment if we weren’t there. Giving local village people access to this free healthcare for their animals goes such a long way. They were always so grateful.
What are the benefits of volunteering with this organization? What might prospective volunteers be surprised to learn?
Knowing that TAD really is doing an amazing job for the greater good is just incredible. They really devote their entire lives to looking after and caring for these animals (and also local village people in the surrounding area). They are a very trustworthy organisation, and I would encourage future volunteers to sign up without hesitation.
They might be surprised to learn that you can survive without warm water, and you start to enjoy cool showers each day instead. Living in and on sand, and coating yourself in insect repellent, is worth it when you see the difference you are making in this world.
You’ll make lifelong friendships, and you will treasure these memories forever. I would encourage volunteers to take lots of photos and videos, so you can look back in a few years and have a chance to relive that amazing experience.
My parents owned a pet shop in New Zealand. From a very young age, I knew I would want to work with animals when I was older. I graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology degree (BVT).
How did you first come across Travelling Animal Doctors, and what inspired you to volunteer with the organization?
As soon as I met Tjarda and Jochem for the first time, and learned about their organization, I wanted to become part of it!
When and where did you volunteer with TAD?
Canoa, Ecuador, in 2015.
How would you describe the needs in that region?
The needs were very high for veterinary care because there was no local veterinary clinic, or even a trained vet in the area. The closest vet clinic was a 20-minute bus ride to San Vincente.
What type of work did you do, and why was it important to the local communities?
I assisted with patient care using the veterinary technology skills from my degree, from patient restraint, pre-med, pre-surgery clipping, and prepping the patient to assisting in surgery, monitoring the TIVA anesthesia, recovery, and additional drugs that needed to be given.
Parasite control was very important, as well as ensuring that all desexed patients had the green X tattoo into the inside of their ears for identification. It wasn't just de-sexing surgery, either; there were tail/limb amputations, cesarean sections, even an injured turtle that needed medical attention.
In addition, I assisted with community education. We placed clear signage on the outside of our temporary clinic to help inform the local village people of what was happening and the importance of desexing. We also conducted school visits to educate children, and explain the importance of the charity work and why we were there. Because I couldn't speak much Spanish, however, I left this up to the more fluent team members.
What types of reactions did you get from local community members?
Some people travelled on the local bus with their animals, or even biked with a trailer attached to bring their animals to us while we were there. Many days, there were people standing outside our clinic before we opened for the day. We also would do follow-up house calls to check on how some patients were doing. Seeing how the local people lived was very eye-opening, and it gave us a greater perspective of our impact and the difference we were making.
What did you enjoy most about your time with TAD?
Everything! I loved being part of a very motivated and dedicated team. We all worked well together, and we shared the common goal of making a huge difference in the lives of the animals in Canoa. Donating your time and expertise for the greater good is rewarding in so many ways, especially since we knew that these animals likely would not receive treatment if we weren’t there. Giving local village people access to this free healthcare for their animals goes such a long way. They were always so grateful.
What are the benefits of volunteering with this organization? What might prospective volunteers be surprised to learn?
Knowing that TAD really is doing an amazing job for the greater good is just incredible. They really devote their entire lives to looking after and caring for these animals (and also local village people in the surrounding area). They are a very trustworthy organisation, and I would encourage future volunteers to sign up without hesitation.
They might be surprised to learn that you can survive without warm water, and you start to enjoy cool showers each day instead. Living in and on sand, and coating yourself in insect repellent, is worth it when you see the difference you are making in this world.
You’ll make lifelong friendships, and you will treasure these memories forever. I would encourage volunteers to take lots of photos and videos, so you can look back in a few years and have a chance to relive that amazing experience.
