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Visiting Vets - Page 2 Dr.
Safia
Barrauzai; England
From England, Safia decided to spend a working two weeks in Bali before beginning a new job in equine medicine in Scotland. On Safia's first day, she, Ali, Rosemary and Shannon set a new foundation record of 35 sterilizations in one day!!! She got into it so much that when her vet boyfriend Tim later joined her, she took him out in the field to work with the dogs. Thanks Safia. Shannon
Rich; Sydney, Australia
In his third year of Vet school at Sydney University, Shannon, a transplanted American, spent a week with us helping out. "My time spent in Bali working with the Street Dog Foundation was truly amazing. From a professional viewpoint, I gained valuable experience in feral animal handling (thanks to Nana and Putu) and surgery. More importantly, I met some outstanding people (both Western and Indonesian) who have reinforced my belief that it is possible to make a difference in this world. Sherry and Ken and the Indonesian vets have a well run foundation that is definitely having a positive impact on the welfare and number of street dogs. Another point which I think is important is that this foundation is successful, in part, because of the excellent communication with the Balinese villages that are visited. The enthusiasm of the local Balinese transcends any language barriers and it is clear they understand the cause as well. - Shannon Rich" Thank you Shannon! Julie
Dean;
Brisbane, Australia
Julie, a native New Zealander, has been in Australia for 12 years. She enjoys traveling and has visited Europe, Fiji, and Hawaii. She is a vet nurse and has worked with Rosemary (see below) at the RSPCA in Brisbane, Australia for the past 5 years. She came over just for a week and helped out at field clinics in Nusa Dua and Ubud. All the best Julie. Dr.
Elaine Cubuliak; Brisbane, Australia
Elaine gets the record for the shortest but most power packed visit. A last minute recruit, she flew into Bali for a quick "busman's holiday". After a late night arrival, early the next morning she was off with Rosemary to a beach in Nusa Dua where they sterilized 13 dogs (including 8 bitches) - which is great for the beach where it is usually hard to catch and treat dogs. Elaine graduated from the University of Queensland and practiced in New Zealand for a while, before setting up her own practice in central Queensland. She always liked to treat wildlife and treated ostriches in her clinic. She's a expert in small animal dentistry and teaches seminars in the subject. She now lives with her husband and two children in the Brisbane area. Thanks Elaine. Welcome back anytime - as soon as we catch our breath!! Dr.
Rosemary Miller; Brisbane, Australia
An incurable world traveler with an adventurous spirit, Rosemary immediately won our hearts with her infectious smile and extensive life experiences. English by birth, but now living with her husband, Brian, in the Brisbane area, she's lived and worked in Central Africa, Jamaica and other off-the-beaten-path places. She's worked on small and large animals alike. She currently works at the RSPCA in Brisbane, Australia. Rosemary jumped right in on her first day and while working with Ali and a Foundation vet set a new Foundation record of 23 sterilizations in one day!!! Wow - talk about fast cutting and sewing. Thank you Rosemary. Hurry back. Dr. Alison Montgomery 29 July - 23 September 2000
Ali is an Australian who worked in a Sydney practice for three years before getting the traveling "itch". Along with her new husband, Adam, she headed off for a world trip and got as far as Phuket, Thailand. There she decided to lend a hand with the local dog rescue project and got hooked. She was in Phuket for more than one year. Ali was particularly helpful to us because her experience as a "street vet" in Phuket was very similar to our situation in Bali. We were happy when Ali and Adam decided to extend her stay with us to two months. Ali is a graduate of Sydney University. Thanks to both of you for the good work and the good times. we miss you already. Update (June 2002): We have kept in touch with Ali and remain good friends with her and her husband Adam. After leaving us, Ali worked for awhile in Melbourne. But the travel itch got to her and Adam again and they are now living in Hong Kong where Ali is in a small two vet practice. In her spare time she started the Atigaro Project in Phuket. Atigaro is a dog rescue project similar to Yudisthira. Brian Buckton 29 July - 29 August 2000
That's Brian in the foreground with Rachael and Ali slicing and dicing in the back. They had three surgery tables going!! Brian, a 4th year student at UC Davis, in California, and Greg (see below) came over to help out - and help they did. Everything from dog catching to organizing and pitching in when needed. "I've just finished my last day of volunteer work for the Yudisthira Street Dog Foundation. The experience I received has been irreplaceable. I've learned a lot about surgery, handling fractious dogs, and different approaches to medicine. The Balinese and Western vets I have worked with have all been great. They have showed me new sterilization techniques and taught me many lessons on life and compassion. The dogs have also schooled me in a thing or two. I think the most valuable lesson I will leave Bali with is how to capture and restrain wild animals. You can't comprehend how nasty these dogs are until you've dealt with them first hand. We scoop the dogs up in big snare nets, pin them down with leather gloves, and administer a tranquilizer. The dogs have never been handled by people, so as soon as you try to touch them they turn into flipping and whirling Tasmanian Devils. One particularly determined dog bit me pretty well. He left several punctures in my hand, but taught me the importance of good technique and respect. "Ken and Sherry Grant are a God sent to Bali and the street dogs. They have taken on a very noble task and go out of their way to make the volunteers feel at home. Thanks Yudisthira." - Brian Buckton (University of California, Davis. Class of 2001)" And thank you Brian!!!! Greg Hargenrater 29 July - 27 August 2000
"Let
me start by saying that Yudisthira Street Dog Foundation is a worthwhile
cause for anyone supporting animal welfare.
Bali is literally covered with canines in extremely poor health.
My work here personally has allowed me see the reasons why I got
involved in the veterinary field in the first place.
Not only did I get to help those creatures who cannot help
themselves, I got to work with many great people and have a blast in the
process.
All the local Balinese that I've seen out on the field seemed very
interested in what we were doing, so we were educating the masses as well.
Besides the occasional dog bite (usually only if you are helping to
catch the dogs, just ask Brian Buckton), I have nothing but positive
things to say about the foundation.
I must also give praise to Ken and Sherry Grant, for they are two
of the most caring and generous people I've ever met and really sacrifice
a lot for the Balinese dogs (You should come help them!).
I would not trade my experience here for anything in the world.
Peace" Thanks Greg. What a great time it was. Good luck with your career. Dr. Rachael Barlow 5 - 18 August 2000
Even with blood splattered on her face (above), Rachael keeps on smiling. Fresh out of vet school in England, Rachael "dropped" by on her way to her first vet job in Melbourne, Australia. Her quiet demeanor belies her adventurous spirit. Rachael was of immense help and worked in several of our field clinics around Bali. We miss her already. The cut-out picture above, shows Rachael dressed in traditional Balinese ceremonial costume with Komang, a Foundation vet, at a Balinese holiday ceremony called "Kunningan". Update (July 30, 2002): We just got an email from Rachael. She is working for a mixed (large and small animals) vet practice near Melbourne, Australia. She loves cats and horses and is hoping to be able to work just on horses soon. The big news is that she is engaged to a man named Kevin and is planning their marriage next April. Congratulations Rachael. Dr. Eamon
Gratin and Renee Richens
Eamon Gratin, a veterinarian, and veterinarian assistant Rene Richens, are from Sydney and spent their time with us working both in the clinic and the field clinic, which was set up in a small village called Padang Sumbu. Like the vets before them, they were amazed at the poor condition of the dogs. In their time here, they did over fifty sterilizations. Eamon also taught the Foundation vets a new cat sterilization procedure. Eamon is a graduate of Sydney University. Renee received her veterinarian nurse training at the Sydney Institute of Technology. Thank you Eamon and Renee for all of your help. Jennifer
Cooper
Jennifer Cooper is a fourth year veterinarian student at the University of California at Davis. Adventurous by nature she read an ad about our program and signed right up. She work along side Eamon and Renee (above) in the clinic and field clinic. Always happy and cheerful, Jennifer was a real delight to work with. She was a pioneer, in that she was our first student from UC Davis and help opened up a new relationship with the University. Thanks Jennifer
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