My scholarship project reignited my passion for veterinary medicine

I am deeply honoured and grateful to have received for the BVA Research Travel Scholarship (Harry Steele-Bodger Memorial Travel Scholarship), an opportunity that not only reignited my passion for veterinary medicine, but also enabled me to make a meaningful contribution towards animal welfare on Mayreau. 

My project: an urgent call to Mayreau

My journey to Mayreau began when I came across an urgent plea on a veterinary volunteering group, calling for volunteers and vets to make a difference in the lives of the island's animals and its community. Mayreau, the smallest island in the St Vincent and the Grenadines, spans a mere four square kilometres and boasts only one single-lane concrete road traversing its entirety. Accessible solely by boat and dependent solely on rainwater for freshwater, this picturesque island is home to a population of 271 residents and 116 dogs. Despite the significant canine population, Mayreau lacks veterinary practices or resident veterinarians. Instead, it relies solely on the presence of volunteers, coordinated by a local animal welfare group, to provide essential medical and emergency care to its animals.

Before travelling to Mayreau, I spoke with the organiser of Mayreau Animal Welfare. Reports with deep concerns regarding the welfare of the animals on the island surfaced, detailing the challenges faced: chained dogs without access to water, instances of animal cruelty, and a prevalence of heart worm with minimal preventative measures in place. As a recent veterinary graduate, I recognised that I was not going to be the solution to the problem and I was not going to single-handedly fix the deep-rooted issues on the island, but I was eager to understand the issues and establish effective communication with the community. This led to the initiation of a research project focused on understanding local attitudes towards animal welfare on Mayreau.

My project: challenges and rewards

My days as a vet on Mayreau were both challenging and rewarding. Operating with limited supplies and little finances was difficult, and one of the many reasons I’m so thankful for the BVA Research Travel Scholarship, which allowed me to help fund this much needed work.  

My partner and I were the on-call vets providing 24/7 care to all animals on the island. Monthly heart worm treatments were a routine for us, involving hiking up and down the hilly island performing house-to-house visits and vet checks for all 116 dogs. When we finally managed to arrange for a few dogs to be neutered in hopes of addressing the problem of overpopulation, we had to bring the dogs with us on a very bumpy speedboat ride to the neighbouring Union Island, arriving at the vet clinic soaked head to toe from sea water. While the moments of joy were plentiful, there were also heart-wrenching instances where we felt like our hands were tied with no way to help. However, these challenges only fuelled our determination to make a difference.

Over time, the local community warmed up to us, bringing meaningful conversations and engagement that allowed us to understand and gain further insights into their perspectives on animal welfare on the island. We organised movie nights, and a ‘Be a Mini-Vet” clinic, where we taught children how to assign body condition scores to dogs in a church yard. One of the most touching moments was when the children, waiting in a neat line for their turn to auscultate a dog, would leave the queue in awe. I like to imagine that they were in awe with the realisation that the regular thumping heard on the stethoscope was evidence our fellow canine companions had a beating heart too. With moments like this, I like to think that during our short time on the island, we were able to contribute towards fostering awareness and education among the children and community.

Again, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to BVA and the trustees of the travel fund for their support and recognition. This scholarship has not only impacted my journey, but hopefully will be able to pave the way for positive change in Mayreau’s animal welfare landscape.