Team Roatan 2009 worldvets.org

Collectively written by the majority of our team….

Well, today was the busiest, and for many of us the most satisfying of the clinic days.
From the moment we arrived at the clinic, animals were ready and waiting for exams and surgeries.
Today everyone learned new very valuable skills and techniques that they will carry with them throughout their careers- who knew I would be teaching an actual veterinarian how to skillfully and successfully attempt the limbo pole??? 
So to take off from the above blog…..she can really limbo. However, the main emphasis today was the tremendous amount of people who turned out to have us treat their animals and who trusted us to do surgeries on their pets. We had a lot of hard…..different…and stressful surgeries today. But you know….we wouldn’t have had it any other way. We feel that the gratitude from the community…..the surgeries we performed that pushed us to our limit……..and the camaraderie we all feel has made it the experience of a lifetime. These are great people here who just need some help and in helping them we all feel that we are the ones who benefit.
Words can’t even begin to describe today, from start to finish it was a day to remember. Starting off with a snorkeling cruise to the reefs in the early am, arriving at the clinic and treating over 150 animals for various ailments and surgeries, and ending with a night of dancing and limbo at a beautiful resort on the beach.
As we cleaned up in the half-light of dusk on our final clinic day, it seemed natural to reflect on the many rewards and the many images of this experience. The children’s faces will be indelible in our minds. And then there are the animals. The final dogs out were puppies in a backpack as their owner pedaled home, and two island dogs lying unfazed in the trunk of a taxi. Roatan, you are one of a kind. Until we meet again, thanks for the memories.
As the saying goes one should always leave the party wanting to have stayed, this day is just like that-we all seem to have hit a time where we understand the strengths and weaknesses of the team- but the party is winding down-many animals have been helped-hopefully we all realize how fortunate we are- Roatan is a special place - hopefully this place has been changed for the better just as we have by being here- so the count today was 109 animals treated and 54 animals sterilized-memories incalculable……….
Wow.. New theme.. The idea of working so hard for the day and having so much fun later.. We have such a skilled group. Everyone brings something unique to the table.. There is something to learn from every person on the trip. Then you add what the Honduran community adds to the experience…. Learning - Teaching- Helping- Fun-- World Vets.. Yeah, this is what its all about. Plugging into a community and putting you’re all into helping out … Then connecting and collaborating with all phases of your new friends …. Good Stuff..

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