International Animal Welfare Training Institute Seminar and Discussion at UC Davis SVM
May 14, 2012
Featured Speakers: Dr. Susan Monger DVM, Dr. Dave Turoff DVM, Dr. Richard Bachman DVM, Dr. Bonnie Markoff DVM, Dr. Eric Davis, Dr. John Madigan
I attended a wonderful discussion about making international veterinary aid sustainable. I have a special interest in travel and helping animals and people around the world. I am a great believer in the "one health" approach and am active in the students for one health club at UC Davis. I am always seeking for opportunities to help animals abroad and this discussion was just something I couldn't miss even though I had a big midterm the following day.
Each speaker emphasized certain aspects of volunteering internationally and how we can really help communities in need. Many current approaches to international veterinary aid are NOT sustainable and we are striving to steer our efforts towards a more sustainable approach. Like the Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Each speaker emphasized certain aspects of volunteering internationally and how we can really help communities in need. Many current approaches to international veterinary aid are NOT sustainable and we are striving to steer our efforts towards a more sustainable approach. Like the Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Dr. Susan Monger
Currently Dr. Monger organizes teaching clinics and training programs throughout Latin America and Ethiopia, and facilitates the development of sustainable veterinary outreach programs throughout the world. She shared her diverse experiences in learning how to make international veterinary aid sustainable. She emphasized that we should "leave something behind" - we need to think consciously about what what kind of impact we are really making in these communities. What have we taught them that can make life better for the animals and people in the long run? She spoke about how many people relate to numbers, international aide groups focus on numbers way too often. She used the example of veterinary teams going to countries to spay and neuter animals, but emphasized that while it does good and impacts a small sector of the community by decreasing over-pet population, there is nothing really left for that community if we don't come back. For example, they will just cycle again, animals that were not spayed or neutered in the voluntary efforts will reproduce and in time, they will have the same problem on their hands and the same need for veterinary aide.
Dr. Dave Turoff
Dr. Turoff is one of my mentors and I have learned so much from him in my lifetime. He was my horse's vet when I was young and allowed me to shadow him while in college and even wrote a letter of recommendation for me when I applied to veterinary school. He operates at an equine practice in Placerville, California and still manages to volunteer large amounts of his time to work on equine welfare projects in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Peru. He described international veterinary aid as a "super drug" - you get addicted to this kind of work. He emphasized that many communities lack the resources and economies to be able to teach their own "how to fish" - he altered the Chinese proverb to be that you can teach a man to fish, but in many of these communities you have to "provide the bait and patch his boat once in a while."
He had a unique perspective because of his vast experience and feels veterinarians have a professional responsibility to help communities make better lives for their animals. It is often difficult to change a culture, recruit local resources, and influence local influential interest in these international veterinary projects. He defined "poverty" as not a lack of resources, but a lack of communication in the community and attitude of the people.
Trying to fix resource management will never improve by just giving people more resources, you must change the attitudes of the people.
Rick Bockman
Dr. Bachman has worked internationally in India, Romania, and Mexico with various animal welfare organizations, primarily assisting with shelter operations and small animal sterilization projects. His origin as a shelter vet exposed him to high quality high volume spay/neuter programs. He emphasized that communities desire knowledge of western medicine. On his journey he has found that we are exporting a quantity, not quality. This needs to change, we need to leave something behind, make a change and effect change.
Words of Wisdom from these speakers:
What methods can your international veterinary group implement in your travels to raise awareness in the community for animal welfare?
When attending or hosting town meetings - don't make too many assumptions...and avoid criticism!
See if there is a peace core representative in the area your group is traveling.
Currently Dr. Monger organizes teaching clinics and training programs throughout Latin America and Ethiopia, and facilitates the development of sustainable veterinary outreach programs throughout the world. She shared her diverse experiences in learning how to make international veterinary aid sustainable. She emphasized that we should "leave something behind" - we need to think consciously about what what kind of impact we are really making in these communities. What have we taught them that can make life better for the animals and people in the long run? She spoke about how many people relate to numbers, international aide groups focus on numbers way too often. She used the example of veterinary teams going to countries to spay and neuter animals, but emphasized that while it does good and impacts a small sector of the community by decreasing over-pet population, there is nothing really left for that community if we don't come back. For example, they will just cycle again, animals that were not spayed or neutered in the voluntary efforts will reproduce and in time, they will have the same problem on their hands and the same need for veterinary aide.
Dr. Dave Turoff
Dr. Turoff is one of my mentors and I have learned so much from him in my lifetime. He was my horse's vet when I was young and allowed me to shadow him while in college and even wrote a letter of recommendation for me when I applied to veterinary school. He operates at an equine practice in Placerville, California and still manages to volunteer large amounts of his time to work on equine welfare projects in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Peru. He described international veterinary aid as a "super drug" - you get addicted to this kind of work. He emphasized that many communities lack the resources and economies to be able to teach their own "how to fish" - he altered the Chinese proverb to be that you can teach a man to fish, but in many of these communities you have to "provide the bait and patch his boat once in a while."
He had a unique perspective because of his vast experience and feels veterinarians have a professional responsibility to help communities make better lives for their animals. It is often difficult to change a culture, recruit local resources, and influence local influential interest in these international veterinary projects. He defined "poverty" as not a lack of resources, but a lack of communication in the community and attitude of the people.
Trying to fix resource management will never improve by just giving people more resources, you must change the attitudes of the people.
Rick Bockman
Dr. Bachman has worked internationally in India, Romania, and Mexico with various animal welfare organizations, primarily assisting with shelter operations and small animal sterilization projects. His origin as a shelter vet exposed him to high quality high volume spay/neuter programs. He emphasized that communities desire knowledge of western medicine. On his journey he has found that we are exporting a quantity, not quality. This needs to change, we need to leave something behind, make a change and effect change.
Words of Wisdom from these speakers:
What methods can your international veterinary group implement in your travels to raise awareness in the community for animal welfare?
When attending or hosting town meetings - don't make too many assumptions...and avoid criticism!
See if there is a peace core representative in the area your group is traveling.
You can watch the Seminar/Discussion on their website if you're interested:
