My first visit to Todos Santos and Guatemala has been an amazing experience
so far. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with a select
few of my Allandale colleagues and work alongside some remarkable individuals
with Veterinarians Without Borders to help make a difference.
After 2 flights and a ~8 hour bus ride up through the mountains, our team
and 8 totes of medical supplies arrive at our destination. We were introduced to
the other members of the Guatemala spay/neuter initiative, which include several
veterinarians, a veterinary technician and other helpers to provide
English-Spanish translation - the latter being especially important considering
my Spanish vocabulary consisted of the numbers 1-10, "hello", "goodbye",
"bathroom", "chicken" and "cold beer"...
Although this is not my first time in Central America, the cultural
differences between here and back home still astonish me. It is humbling to see
the people make so much of what they have and it brings me such joy to see the
people's faces light up with simple, albeit foreign, pleasures like glow sticks,
Life Savers and coloured paper. This was definitely highlighted during the
Community Day in the central marketplace, being able to interact with the locals
to educate them about proper pet care and Rabies awareness.
On the other hand, it is heartbreaking to see the large number of stray
dogs that roam the town. They are often seen as pests rather than pets and are
usually not offered the same love and care as dogs get back home. The plump,
happy dogs that I am used to seeing on a daily basis in Barrie are a vast
difference to the under-nourished, shy dogs in Todos Santos that will fight over
any scraps of food on the ground. It is common to see dogs riddled with fleas or
limping from old fractures that have not healed properly or enduring through
debilitating diseases. Which really brings us to why I was given the opportunity
to travel here.
After a few days of organization and preparation, Monday kicked off the
weeklong campaign of spays, neuters and vaccinations. It was remarkable working
alongside Canadian veterinarians as well as local Guatemalan veterinarians as
well. I spent most of the surgery time assisting the Guatemalan veterinarians
with surgery and teaching them the different tricks and skills that I have
learned through my (short) career in private practice. Their skills improved
with each stitch and it felt incredible being a part of something that will one
day become a self-sustaining cause in this country. I am sure the following days
will be just as positive.
- Dr. Alan Poon
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