Gwen Mowbray-Cashen toiled through 12- to 14-hour days, under more primitive conditions than she normally encounters. And she’d gladly do it again.
The Truro veterinarian was one of the volunteers who went to Ecuador in August for a World Vets spay/neuter clinic.
“It was a very rewarding experience,” she said. “We were exhausted at the end of the day, but it was a good exhaustion, and we were spending time with like-minded people.”
The 15-member team consisted of five veterinarians, two veterinary technicians, three veterinary students and animal-handling volunteers. They set up in a community centre and performed surgery on 272 dogs and a few cats.
“We got there at eight in the morning and people were lined up down the street, waiting with dogs and cats,” said Mowbray-Cashen. “They didn’t have pet carriers, so there would be cats coming in rice bags.
“We did mostly spays, and a lot of the animals had already had litters. They were in quite good condition compared to the dogs we saw in Nicaragua, and they were good to work with. There was only one dog we had to muzzle.
“We saw a lot of dogs wandering around, some alone and some in packs, but never saw any aggression between them.”
She was able to provide many of the dogs with collars or harnesses she collected before leaving Truro.
Using medication provided by drug companies, the volunteers were able to treat the animals for parasites.
World Vets is an international non-profit organization that provides veterinary care in areas where little exists. It partnered with a group in Ecuador to arrange a location, obtain equipment and provide translation services.
“I highly recommend taking part in these programs to my fellow professionals, and to people who just want to help,” said Mowbray-Cashen. “Don’t be overwhelmed; as long as you like animals you can be trained to help.”
Her sister, Fran Mowbray, who is a fisheries biologist, was one of the helpers in Ecuador, and while they were in the area the women took an extra week to see the Galapagos Islands.
While in Ecuador, the highest the temperature reached was 25 C, and it was a dry heat, which the volunteers found comfortable.
Mowbray-Cashen plans to continue work with World Vets programs, and will be collecting collars and harnesses to take on her next trip.
