Illawarra veterinarian Dr Luke Michel will for the first time travel to Southeast Asia this week as a volunteer with Vets Beyond Borders (VBB).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australian-based charity works with communities around the world, delivering animal health and community awareness programs where they are desperately needed – much like their human counterpart Doctors Without Borders.
VBB projects include disease-control for animals affected by disasters, surgical training and to help improve the lives of animals and people in general.
“I’ve worked with a lot of great vets over the years and want to pass on what I’ve learned from them,” Dr Michel said.
“I really enjoy my job and are quite passionate about it … and stuff like this keeps you passionate.”
The team of three will run workshops and lectures with Cambodian veterinary professionals and students on areas like anaesthesia, surgery, internal medicine and diagnostic imaging.
Dr Michel will also be providing specialist training on domestic animals and pass on knowledge from his 15-year career.
Motivation to donate his time to the charity stemmed from two colleagues who had rave reviews about how rewarding their experiences were.
“They said the impact they made on animal welfare and the local community made it very worthwhile,” Dr Michel said.
VBB Director Ian Douglas said the VetTrain program was initially devised to refine the surgical skills of Indian vets and support staff striving to improve the life of street dogs.
“There is also a need to provide training … [for] treatment of the myriad of diseases and injuries that afflict animals struggling for survival on the streets of towns and cities around the world,” Dr Douglas said.