Helping Develop the Local Community – One Vet at a Time!

Itziar is an example of a part of DAD’s vision for the future. She is a local girl, originally from Santa Cruz, who is now studying veterinary medicine in Quito. Itziar is in her second year of university and also speaks English! During her last holiday, she spent 10 days volunteering at the DAD clinic, where she was involved in all aspects of patient care. This included admissions, anesthesia, surgery and discharge appointments, as well as other consultations. This gave her practical experience alongside her studies, which will help pull things together in her lectures. Itziar worked with four other English speaking volunteers (2 vets, 2 students), giving her practice with this too.

The main reason she is a good example of DAD’s vision for the future is because she is a local girl. We believe that the key to the success of the charity and the care it provides is through the local community. Therefore our vision is to be linked with veterinary schools in Ecuador, with groups of students volunteering here on a rotational basis. This will benefit the animals, the charity and of course the students themselves, giving them the chance to gain practical experience whilst learning English in the unique place that is the Galapagos Islands, or near home if they are from Santa Cruz.