The UF team poses for a group shot after spending three days caring for animals in need.
A group of UF College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, students, and alumni completed another successful trip last summer to Roatan, Honduras, where they provided medical and surgical care to over 300 animals in need over three consecutive days.
Open to all current UF D.V.M. students, the popular experience takes place annually as part of the International Veterinary Medicine course and a student club, and has drawn many former students back as alumni, along with several past faculty members who have continued their participation. Several have returned year after year since the program’s inception in 2007.
The club, Students for International Veterinary Opportunities, or SIVO, started as the idea of then-veterinary student, Baird Fleming, D.V.M. (’03), said course coordinator Amy Stone, D.V.M. (’99), Ph.D. (’02), a clinical associate professor with the UF Small Animal Hospital’s primary care and dentistry service. Fleming enlisted her help to figure out how to have a trip that would involve helping residents of the island of Roatan gain more access to veterinary care while simultaneously helping students learn about third-world veterinary medicine and better understand the concept of One Health.
The annual trip to the island started as a SIVO club trip that provided three days of a free wellness medicine and surgery clinic. Over the years, it has grown to include the help of veterinarians on the island, countless local volunteers, faculty and other U.S. veterinarians along with many students.
The event takes place after a year of acquiring supplies, training students and organizing the logistics of having a healthcare event in another country.
“These students do an incredible amount of fundraising to allow the clinic to happen,” Stone said, adding that each volunteer student, doctor, or support staff member pays their own way to go on the trip.
“During the time that we have been doing this trip, we have educated the officials on the island about rabies risks, parasite risks and how to safely control the population of dogs and cats on the island through spay/neuter/wellness care,” Stone said. “There has been a presence on the island every year, including 2020 when we could only send heartworm tests and parasite prevention through our local vets and volunteers. The island community has welcomed us back every year and the local businesses even support our cause through preparing meals for the clinic and providing lower-cost lodging and entertainment activities.”
Stone said the group has been very lucky to have had many volunteer veterinarians and veterinary nurses from across our country help teach students on the island.
“We have even had support staff from the UF College of Pharmacy, along with the partners and family members of the volunteer veterinarians come help with the effort,” she said. “Alumni want to come back year after year to help. It takes dedicated people as well as a lot of hard work to pull this off each year.”
Given all of that effort and the benefits that the students gain from this experience, some years ago the college decided to make the Roatan trip a part of the International Veterinary Medicine course. This way, the students have the opportunity to get course credit if they participate in all of the preparatory laboratory sessions and help with clinic logistics. However, registering for the course is not a requirement to participate in the labs and come on the trip.
During this course, students learn how to practice quality medicine and surgery on a budget in a third-world country.
“This program is an excellent opportunity for the students to see how much you can accomplish, even in less-than-ideal circumstances, which will help them in dealing with low-income clients, shelter situations or economic hardship,” said Jenna Rooks, D.V.M. (’14), a clinical lecturer with the primary care and dentistry service who teaches in the course and is a longtime participant.
