Deployment to Sardinia in 2020 – a rewarding experience
In October, volunteer #veterinarians Drs Terezia Balusikova and Ana Cadariu were joined by volunteer vet nurse Lucy Taylor @thetravellingveterinarynurse for the bi-annual VBB sterilisation program at the LIDA Sez. Olbia animal shelter in Sardinia, Italy.
“It’s a small team, but it’s great to get to know each other well and work so efficiently!” says Lucy, a repeat VBB volunteer for the project. Indeed, this small but mighty team achieved 44 sterilisation surgeries on stray dogs and cats before the project had to be shortened due to the return of #covid to the island. The team returned safely home to the UK.
Despite the unique challenges presented by the pandemic, Lucy describes a rewarding experience “It was definitely a different experience volunteering during the pandemic; one of the main aspects for me was seeing the increased volume of strays and emergencies they were seeing compared to the year before. The pandemic has not only had an effect on people and the economy but also on animals around the globe. The numbers of stray dogs and cats has risen due to the inability of charities to carry out neutering programmes. The vets and I felt extremely lucky to be able to come out and make a difference.”
Thank you to the wonderful team for working through these challenges to make a real difference to the stray animals of Sardinia.
Posted: 09/01/2021