International Veterinary Outreach

INTERNATIONAL VETERINARY OUTREACH FOCUSES TO CREATE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FREE OF ANIMAL SUFFERING. WE TAKE A ONE HEALTH APPROACH TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE VETERINARY SERVICES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE.

DODOMA TANZANIA: FROM OCTOBER 14 TO 31 IVO TEAMED UP WITH TWO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN TANZANIA'S CAPITAL CITY OF DODOMA TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR STUDENTS AT TWO DIFFERENT VETERINARY INSTITUTES AND OFFER CARE FOR ANIMALS IN NEED. WE COLLABORATIVELY WORKED WITH THESE GROUPS TO REDUCE RABIES TRANSMISSION BY VACCINATION AND BY OFFERING OTHER TREATMENTS THAT KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFER FROM INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES. DURING OUR TRIP WE OFFERED TWO 3-DAY COURSES AND TRAINED 40+ LOCAL VETERINARY AND PARA-VETERINARY STUDENTS ON DOG HEALTH & WELFARE TOPICS CONDUCTED A HANDS-ON TRAINING EXPERIENCE AND PROVIDED VETERINARY AID TO NINE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND VACCINATED AND TREATED 753 DOGS CATS AND OFFERED A UNIQUE SPAY NEUTER TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR VETERINARY STUDENTS WHILE STERILIZING 40 ANIMALS.

ANNAPURNA CONSERVATION AREA NEPAL: FROM APRIL 13 TO MAY 12 AND IN COLLABORATION WITH THREE OTHER NGOS SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVANCY SLC SAN FRANCISCO ZOO AND MOUNTAIN SPIRIT IVO CONDUCTED A RECONNAISSANCE VISIT TO NEPAL. THE VISIT FOCUSED ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DNPWC TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL SCIENCES IAAS NEPAL VETERINARY ASSOCIATION NVA FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AT THE AGRICULTURE FORESTRY UNIVERSITY AFU AND THE HIMALAYAN COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY HICAST. THE PRIMARY FIELD TRIP WAS TO VISIT TWO ISOLATED MOUNTAINOUS COMMUNITIES NAR & PHU IN ANNAPURNA CONSERVATION AREA. PRIOR TO OUR VISIT LIVESTOCK HERDERS WERE SURVEYED TO OFFER INSIGHT INTO THE COMMON HEALTH CONCERNS THEY FACE FOR THEIR DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND CHALLENGES LIVING IN AREAS WITH WILD PREDATOR CONFLICT INCLUDING SNOW LEOPARDS. BASED ON THE SURVEY RESULTS SPECIALLY TAILORED COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS WERE CONDUCTED AND LED BY IVO AND SLC REPRESENTATIVES IN NAR AND PHU. WORKSHOP TOPICS FOCUSED ON SOLUTIONS THAT REDUCE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF LIVESTOCK INCREASED TOLERANCE OF WILDLIFE AND METHODS TO REDUCE PUBLIC HEALTH RISK EXPOSURES IN PEOPLE SECONDARY TO LIVING AMONG DOMESTIC ANIMALS.

PHILIPPINES: LOBO BATANGAS LUZON: FROM MARCH 24 TO MARCH 26 IVO SENT TWO LOCAL TEAM MEMBERS TO THE COMMUNITY OF LOBO TO CONDUCT RECONNAISSANCE. THIS INCLUDED PERFORMING AN ANIMAL WELFARE ASSESSMENT OF A POPULATION OF WORK HORSES AND INTERVIEWING FARMERS THAT RELY ON THE HORSES FOR THEIR LIVELIHOODS. A COMMUNITY EDUCATION SEMINAR WAS CARRIED OUT TO HELP HORSE GUARDIANS MAKE BASIC ADJUSTMENTS THAT IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIVES OF THEIR HORSES. BAGUIO BENGUET LUZON: FROM NOVEMBER 28 TO DECEMBER 1 TWO LOCAL IVO TEAM MEMBERS CONDUCTED A RECONNAISSANCE TRIP IN THE COMMUNITY OF BAGUIO. THIS INCLUDED VISITING PERFORMING AN ANIMAL WELFARE ASSESSMENT OF TWO LOCAL HORSE POPULATIONS WHICH ARE USED FOR TOURISM. MEETINGS WITH THE LOCAL CITY VETERINARIAN OFFICE AND THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AT BENGUET STATE UNIVERSITY WERE CARRIED OUT TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP AND SHARED GOALS THAT SUPPORT A LONG-TERM AND SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE LIVES OF HORSES INCREASE LOCAL VETERINARY CAPACITY AND OFFER A UNIQUE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY TO LOCAL VETERINARY STUDENTS.