Last week, a team of three of the Darwin Animal Doctors attended the North American Veterinary Community Conference. The team had a wonderful week, between attending lectures, sharing the story and successes of Darwin Animal Doctors with others at the conference, and meeting with a variety of other organisations and medical supply companies.
The Conference started on Saturday 4th where the team set up the Darwin Animal Doctors information booth, and checked the schedule to work out who would be going to which lectures when. And they were off to a great start! The table filled quickly with interested passers by wanting to hear more about Darwin Animal Doctors and what we do. The team were even able to meet up with a few of our past volunteers who came by to visit and recall stories of their experience volunteering with us.
The week continued much like this, with our Head Veterinarian and Project Coordinator Dr Jochem attending a variety of lectures; from shelter management medicines and new spay-neuter protocols to lectures on wound dressings and femor head removal surgery. Our Veterinary Technician Hannah Stoughton was even able to catch a lecture on her very favourite animal; sharks in a lecture on shark and ray medicine!
It was an incredible opportunity for our team to stay at the very top of their game with the most recent of scientific advances and changes in veterinary medicine, and a wonderful chance for us to reconnect with previous volunteers, speak to potential future volunteers, and those just interested in hearing about what we do. Moreover, we were extremely happy to be able to return and speak to organisations such as Midmark, Idexx, Kruuse and Jorgensen who have been incredible supporters of Darwin Animal Doctors over the years. It is thanks to the incredible generosity of organisations such as these that we are able to have clinics stocked with medications, a blood analysis machine, gas aesthetic machines, life sign monitoring machines, an infusion pump, an x-ray machine, and a variety of instruments for medical treatment, from suture material to wound dressings. Of course, we relish in the opportunity to meet with these companies and thank them, once again, for their support which keeps us saving lives around the word.
All in all, the conference was a fantastic success, with a lot of knowledge gained and connections made and maintained, and – of course – some fun had at the same time!
