Hackney Vet Nurse Describes Volunteer Trip To The Gambia
8 years ago 
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A Hackney vet nurse who helped to neuter 118 cats and dogs during a fortnight's volunteering trip to The Gambia, as well as caring for many others, has described the experience as 'fantastic' and is already planning her next trip.
Sarah Grace Hutt, a Registered Veterinary Nurse and Head Nurse at the Goddard Veterinary Group on Well Street in Hackney, travelled to The Gambia, a small country in West Africa, on 17 November with a UK charity called GambiCats, which carries out neutering projects in the country regularly. She returned on 1 December 2015. The Gambia, like many African countries, has a significant problem with stray dogs and cats and many suffer injuries or are killed inhumanely because they scavenge for food and are feared to carry rabies.
Sarah said: "I have always wanted to work abroad on a project to help animals so this seemed an ideal opportunity. It was challenging as we worked very long days in temperatures of more than 35 degrees and in basic working conditions with nothing like the facilities we take for granted here. We were also dealing mainly with feral and stray animals instead of owned pets. This made it a big contrast to my normal work - and I loved every minute of it.
"I was in a team of two vets, the founder of the charity and another lady who helped to trap the animals. We were based in a small town called Farrafenni on the north bank of the river Gambia in a small room with a sink and two office desks which became our operating tables. Three Gambians, Dodou, Allije and Modu, helped us to catch and restrain the animals, as well as translating for us and spreading the word to local villagers so they would bring more strays to us. Once we had the animals in our 'clinic', we also treated them for worms and fleas, vaccinated them against rabies and provided additional basic veterinary care.
"I really enjoyed meeting the local people and it was rewarding to know that we were helping to reduce the problem of stray animals. Dealing safely with feral animals does take some getting used to and we had to be careful but the dog catchers were really experienced and were a great help."
She added: "I learnt that it is possible to do my job well even in the most basic conditions and it was very clear how important the work of GambiCats is in helping to relieve the suffering of so many animals. It also made me realise how lucky we are in the UK to be able to routinely provide such a high level of care to our animals. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I hope to take part in another volunteer project soon."
Goddard Veterinary Group is based at 5-7 Well Street in Hackney and can be contacted on 0208 986 3918.
For further information:
Rebecca George, George PR, Tel: 01449 737281/07974 161108
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